Arsenal in seventh heaven in Champions League rout of PSV Eindhoven

Record-breaking Arsenal all but secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a stunning 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 clash at the Philips Stadion.

Jurrien Timber opened the scoring after 18 minutes before teenager Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino extended Arsenal’s advantage inside half an hour.

Noa Lang gave PSV hope from the penalty spot only for Martin Odegaard to score 60 seconds after the restart, with Leandro Trossard landing a fifth one minute later.

Odegaard doubled his tally with 17 minutes remaining and Riccardo Calafiori completed the devastating rout, Arsenal’s biggest in a Champions League away fixture, in the closing minutes.

The Gunners, without a recognised striker, have been abject and short of goals in the Premier League as their title chances have evaporated.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men answered Timber’s pre-match call to change the narrative with an electric performance on the European stage – admittedly against a poor PSV side – to put them on a brink of a last-eight match-up against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.

After Odegaard saw a penalty appeal waved away and Declan Rice had a goal ruled out for offside inside the first dozen minutes, it was PSV who actually came within inches of opening the scoring when David Raya could only get his fingertips to Ivan Perisic’s cross and Ismael Saibari struck the follow-up against the upright.

Less than two minutes later, the visitors had their breakthrough. Myles Lewis-Skelly did well in the middle of the park to find Trossard who played in Rice. A fine swivel and cross from the England man allowed ex-Ajax defender Timber to head Arsenal into the lead at the back post.

PSV had barely got their breath back when Arsenal grabbed their second, one made in the club’s Hale End academy.

Lewis-Skelly’s cross, following a defence-splitting pass from Trossard, was thundered home by Nwaneri as the 17-year-old celebrated joining Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham as only the third Englishman under the age of 18 to start a knockout game in the Champions League.

Arsenal could, and probably should, have been reduced to 10 men as Lewis-Skelly, on a booking and only just back from a one-game ban following his dismissal against West Ham, upended Richard Ledezma in the corner. Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano declined to reach for a second yellow and moments later, Arteta’s men had their third goal.

On the fifth and final day of the Eindhoven Carnival, it was comical defending from the home defence. PSV failed on multiple occasions to clear the ball, with Ryan Flamingo falling over all on his own, as Merino pounced to sweep home. The goal stood after a VAR check for offside followed as Calafiori replaced Lewis-Skelly.

The Gunners were momentarily brought back down to earth when PSV were awarded a penalty shortly before the interval after Thomas Partey’s left arm struck Luuk de Jong across the neck. Lang made no mistake from the spot and De Jong then had the opportunity to reduce Arsenal’s advantage to just one but headed Perisic’s cross over the bar.

Yet the Gunners, who had arrived in the Netherlands with three blanks from their previous four fixtures, had a fourth 61 seconds after the restart. PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez fumbled Nwaneri’s cross and Odegaard was on the scene to fire home.

A minute later it was five as Trossard backheeled the ball through Ledezma’s legs before picking up Calafiori’s return pass and grabbing the goal his impressive performance warranted.

Out came the ‘oles’ from the 1,800 travelling Arsenal supporters and Odegaard was allowed to drive without pressure to the edge of the PSV area before unleashing a shot that Benitez found too hot to handle.

Calafiori then converted Odegaard’s pass with five minutes remaining. Seventh heaven for Arsenal ahead of next week’s virtual dead-rubber return fixture at the Emirates.