Arsenal are the first side to be pencilled into the Champions League quarter-finals. The 7-1 away victory over PSV Eindhoven was the standout result on a night of entertaining but close encounters.
Borussia Dortmund and Lille drew 1-1 with it all to play for next week in France. Aston Villa struck twice late on against Club Brugge to take a two-goal advantage back to the Midlands. Real Madrid will need every part of their slender lead when they travel across the Spanish capital to face fierce rivals Atletico.
Villa are the favourites to progress from their tie now, and so are Real; but Arsenal are the only team who can truly be banked on getting through. They are miles in front at the halfway stage of the first last-16 ties and the upcoming fixtures promise to be tight affairs as well.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain is perhaps the best draw whilst Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen couldn’t be split in Bundesliga last month. Inter will be backed to beat Feyenoord over two legs in the other most lopsided tie on paper, while Barcelona and Benfica played out a 5-4 hum-dinger during the group phase.
This is the landscape for Arsenal to look out on as they plan for what is almost certain to be a second consecutive year in the quarter-finals. As well as taking great confidence from demolishing PSV, Mikel Arteta can be confident of things improving further still.
His side were not in good form entering the away leg at PSV. Neither, it must be said, were their opponents. But the destruction and clinical nature of the display will inspire optimism moving forward.