UEFA Champions League: PSV vs Arsenal: preview, team news, prediction

Arsenal Football club will be looking to salvage their season in their round of 16 game PSV in the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

PSV haven’t won their last four Eredivisie matches, allowing NEC Nijmegen to score twice in stoppage-time to earn a 3-3 draw, while also surrendering leads against Willem II and Utrecht. Saturday saw them slip to a 3-2 loss against Go Ahead Eagles, who once again left it late to earn the victory. The same opponents also dumped them out of the Dutch Cup last week, inflicting PSV's first defeat at home since November 2022.

On the other hand, Arsenal lost their last league game against relegation threatened side, West Ham United in the Premier League. Both sides will be looking to get back to winning ways.

The Gunners qualified to the phase of the competition after an impressive group phase round of matches to finish third in the final standing while PSV booked their spot with a victory over Juventus in the playoffs.

PSV vs Arsenal ( Head to Head).

Both teams met each other thrice in the UEFA Champions League and twice in the Europa League in their last five meetings. Arsenal have an upper hand in this tie with two wins and a defeat while the remaining two games ended in a draw. The most recent was in 2023 which ended in a draw.

PSV team news:

Former Arsenal player, Lucas Perez is ineligible to compete during the knockout stages of the Champions League. Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi are also out injured for the hosts alongside left-back Mauro Junior out but PSV do have Man Utd loanee Tyrell Malacia.

Expected PSV starting XI:

Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Saibari, Lang; De Jong.

Arsenal team news:

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will miss both legs against the Dutch champions, while Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all out for the season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is expected to be back for the Gunners after he missed the league game against Nottingham forest.

Prediction:

Philips Stadion is not an easy place for any team to come to so we don't expect Arsenal to leave with maximum points.

PSV 1-1 Arsenal

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