SETTABLOID

There were plenty of Arsenal players who looked the part in their 7-1 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

Declan Rice lauded Ethan Nwaneri’s showing against PSV as he claimed the 17-year-old’s “ability is crazy” after the game.

Rice himself was a class act, putting in an inch-perfect cross to set up Jurrien Timber’s opening goal.

Myles-Lewis-Skelly’s display against PSV was praised by Mikel Arteta as well, who looks like the best fit to be Arsenal’s starting left-back.

Arsenal’s victory is one that has basically guaranteed them a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals, a stage they reached last season as well before being knocked out by Bayern Munich.

But this time around, they could have an even tougher test in store as a potential match-up against Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid is one that will push the Gunners’ limits.

Alan Shearer full of praise for Declan Rice after Arsenal thrash PSV

But for now, Arsenal will be celebrating their emphatic win against PSV, with Mikel Arteta perhaps being satisfied that the big names like Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard came to the party.

While the focus from the result will naturally be on the seven goals the visitors scored on Tuesday night, what was perhaps even more impressive was the control that they exacted during proceedings.

With that being the case, Alan Shearer reserved special praise for Rice, who was at his all-conquering best in an Arsenal shirt against PSV.

Shearer said via BBC Sport: “It has not gone unnoticed the work that Declan Rice has done in that midfield.”

“Lots of energy to run in support of the forwards as well as protect that back four. He also produced the cross for Jurrien Timber’s goal.”

Even Arsenal fans hailed Rice’s performance against PSV as his standout of the season. Recently, Tony Cascarino claimed Rice is “carrying an injury” but he looked as fit and firing as ever against the Dutch side.

Declan Rice stats during PSV vs Arsenal

The Englishman will have to maintain such high standards if Arsenal aspire to win the Champions League this season.

The former West Ham United midfielder is arguably Mikel Arteta’s most important player and his side seem to play their best football when he is at his brilliant best.

The statistics certainly showcased just how brilliant Rice was against PSV.

As the stats suggest, despite being a defensive midfielder, it was further forward where the Europa Conference League winner excelled the most.

Rice provided an assist, created two big chances and played two key passes, which is further proof that he is much more than just a sitting midfielder.

As Alan Shearer pointed out, Rice deserved immense credit for his incredible display against PSV as Arsenal will be delighted that he has taken to Champions League football as well as he has since joining the club last season.

Riccardo Calafiori took to social media after starring in Arsenal’s historic win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

The Gunners claimed a 7-1 victory over the Dutch club in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night. Martin Odegaard scored a brace and was supported by goals from Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard, with Noa Lang converting a penalty for the hosts in the first half.

While still not certain, the six-goal margin gives Arsenal an overwhelming advantage over PSV heading into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week. The Gunners are now just 90 minutes away from reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League, where they would face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.

Calafiori scored Arsenal’s final goal in the win in Eindhoven and took to social media after the final whistle to send a message. The strike from the Italy international was his first in the Champions League and his third since signing for the Gunners last summer.

“First in Champions League],” wrote Calafiori, followed by football and heart emojis. “Well done guys!!!”

The win was also a historic night for Arsenal in Europe. After scoring four goals against PSV, the Gunners became the first time in Champions League history to score that number of goals in a knockout tie away from home.

Arsenal will now prepare to travel to Old Trafford as they face Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend. The Gunners remain 13 points behind leaders Liverpool in the table, with a game in hand, as their title rivals face Southampton after taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Arsenal have received a huge boost in their quest to reinforce their attacking unit, with a report revealing that both Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins are ready to move to the Emirates Stadium, as Roy Keane delivers his brutal verdict on the Aston Villa star.

One of the areas that Arsenal have identified to strengthen as a priority in the summer transfer window is attack. The Gunners made a late move for Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window, but Aston Villa turned it down. With Gabriel Jesus not scoring enough goals when he is fit and Kai Havertz not a natural striker, the need for a number nine for the north London club cannot be understated.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent Ben Jacobs reported on February 7 that Arsenal had made an enquiry about Sesko in January. The Gunners approached RB Leipzig for the 21-year-old Slovenia international striker, but after being told that he was not available, they decided not to make a bid.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Arsenal are likely to return for Sesko in the summer transfer window, and it has now emerged that the striker himself is open to a move to the north London club.

According to journalist Steve Kay in Football Transfers, Arsenal have already persuaded the youngster to make the move to the Gunners despite other clubs showing interest in him.

“Although a host of Premier League clubs are interested in the Slovenia international, Arsenal remain the firm favourites to secure Sesko’s signature after managing to convince him of their project last summer,” states the report.

“Sesko’s preference for Arsenal remains unchanged despite his decision to stay and sign a new contract at Leipzig last year.”

Football Transfers has reported that although Sesko’s release clause at the moment is €70m (£58.2m, $74.8m), it could rise to as high as €80m (£66.6m, $85.5m) before the end of the season, depending on his performances.

Encouraging for the Gunners, Kay has also revealed that Villa striker Watkins is ready to switch to Arsenal and spend the rest of his career at the club he supported as a kid.

Kay said on KS1 TV: “I’m told that Arsenal will go back in for Watkins in the summer, that doesn’t mean that Arsenal don’t want Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal’s stand-in striker Mikel Merino has responded following the memorable 7-1 away Champions League win against PSV Eindhoven as the Gunners have one foot in the quarter-final of the competition.

With both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz injured, it leaves Arsenal without a recognised striker for the remainder of the season. With the team looking for a goal going into the closing stages of the recent Premier League clash against Leicester City, Mikel Arteta turned to midfielder Merino to play up front.

He scored twice in the final 10 minutes to give the Gunners a 2-0 win. Since then he has started the following three games as a striker.

There was some talk over if he could do the role with Arsenal drawing a blank against both West Ham United and Nottingham Forest. But Arteta kept faith with his fellow Spaniard and he started in the same position for the Champions League clash against PSV.

Merino repaid that faith. He scored just after the half-an-hour mark to add to first half goals from Jurrien Timber and Ethan Nwaneri, before providing an assist for Martin Odegaard’s second of the game to make it 6-1.

Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori were also on the scoresheet for Arsenal as they made history by recording the biggest ever away win in the Champions League knockout stages.

Arsenal put their woes in front of goal behind them on Tuesday night as they scored seven goals to put one foot in the UEFA Champions League last eight.

The Gunners thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 away from home in what was the perfect return to action for Mikel Arteta’s men following a week off. The flurry of goals came after they failed to score in two consecutive goals against West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

Attention will now turn to this weekend’s return to Premier League action against Manchester United. The Premier League title remains a possibility, albeit a slim one, but there’s plenty of football still to be played.

Arsenal’s next five fixtures

March 9 vs Manchester United (A) at 4.30pm – Premier League

March 12 vs PSV Eindhoven (H) at 8pm – Champions League L16

March 16 vs Chelsea (H) at 1.30pm – Premier League

April 1 vs Fulham (H) at 7.45pm – Premier League

April 5 vs Everton (A) at 3pm – Premier League

Mikel Arteta joked that he knew a seven-goal haul was coming for his Arsenal side in his post-match press conference. I certainly did not, and to give you a glimpse behind the curtain, I and others in the build-up to the game here in the Netherlands were having discussions about one-goal scorelines in either direction.

With both sides in such poor form, it was such a hard game to predict as to how it might play out. PSV have scored in every home game this season and that record continued thanks to a poor penalty given away by Thomas Partey, however that was the last real sight of goal they had.

This is such a huge result for Arsenal and will carry them gleefully into the trip to Old Trafford as they look to get some revenge on Manchester United. There are so many themes from this game that could be discussed but football.london has picked out three key talking points that need to be covered.

It could have been so different

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first and then we can cuddle up to the positive vibes that followed this. Myles Lewis-Skelly should have been sent off in this game.

I know I have seen the arguments against it, but if the shoe were on the other foot I would be beyond angry that a red card was not brandished. My theory is that there must have been some reflection from the first yellow, which was wrongly given after Lewis-Skelly got his foot to a stretching challenge but was called up anyway; this, therefore giving the official pause for thought when he took down Richard Ledezma before he aimed to cross the ball.

Equally, Ismael Saibari missed an absolute golden opportunity to give the home side the lead in the game, getting the rebound from David Raya’s parry out to the midfielder. His strike cannoned off the upright and then was put wide by his teammate Ivan Perisic. Had PSV taken the lead, and Arsenal been down to ten men, it would have been a very different affair.

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has let his feelings on his teammates excellent performance at PSV Eindhoven known with a humurous post on Instagram.

Saka, who has been injured since the end of December, has been unable to impact the Gunners’ results for other two months now. Mikel Arteta’s men had struggled in front of goal in recent weeks with a number of forwards out injured but them fortunes changed in the Netherlands.

The north Londoners raced into a 3-0 lead in the first-half thanks to goals from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino. Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori added to the scoring to complete the rout.

It means Arsenal have all but confirmed their spot in the quarter-final of the Champions League ahead of next week’s second-leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Watching the game back home, Saka took to social media to post his feelings on emphatic display. The forward posted the well-known meme of Michael Jackson eating popcorn inside a cinema from the music video ‘Thriller’.

Saka underwent surgery on a hamstring injury picked up in the win over Crystal Palace four days before Christmas. The England international won’t return before the March international break meaning April is a more likely timeframe.