PSV vs Arsenal

Philips Stadion plays host to a top-table Europa League Group A six-pointer between PSV Eindhoven and Arsenal.

Granit Xhaka’s screamer in last week’s H2H between these two sides condemned PSV to a 1-0 defeat, ending their 100% unbeaten Europa League start (W2, D1). With two games left and third-placed Bodo/Glimt three points adrift, the ‘Peasants’ could lock down their progression into the knockouts by taking all three points here. Though PSV’s evenly-balanced record across 18 European home showdowns against English visitors (W6, D6, L6) sounds promising, their scoring form against Arsenal looks dreadful. The Eredivisie giants have netted just three goals in their seven previous UEFA encounters against the ‘Gunners.’ By contrast, they have bagged a whopping 19 goals in their last six competitive outings (W4, L2), including a morale-damaging 4-2 defeat to domestic rivals Groningen at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Arsenal saw their lead at the top of the Premier League table loosen following a 1-1 draw at Southampton in the run-up to this road trip. However, Europa League Group A has offered the ‘Gunners’ plain sailing as they’ve won all four European fixtures this season, including the last three without conceding. Before being held winless at St Mary’s Stadium over the weekend, Mikel Arteta’s high-flyers had won three away matches on the trot ‘to nil.’ That’s likely to inspire Arsenal’s bid to register four consecutive European victories accompanied by a clean sheet for the first time since 2007. Scoring should not be a problem for the Premier League pacesetters, considering they’ve got on the scoresheet in each of their last 16 away games in major European competitions (W11, D3, L2).