Key Takeaways:
- Arsenal advance to the quarter-finals with a 9-3 aggregate win despite a 2-2 draw
- Mikel Arteta rotated his squad, resting key players like Odegaard and Saliba
- PSV fans received free tickets after their team’s first-leg humiliation
Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven played out a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, with the Gunners progressing 9-3 on aggregate after their emphatic 7-1 first-leg win. Mikel Arteta’s side now awaits Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Arteta took advantage of the comfortable lead to rotate his squad, making six changes from the first leg. Martin Odegaard and William Saliba started on the bench, while Ben White made his first start since last summer. Jorginho wore the captain’s armband, while Kieran Tierney and Raheem Sterling—who has had limited playing time—were included in the attack.
Arsenal took an early lead in the 6th minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko, but Ivan Perisic equalized in the 18th minute. Declan Rice restored Arsenal’s advantage in the 37th minute, only for Kuhuaib Drieuish to level the score in the 70th minute with a stunning effort.
Despite being completely outclassed in the first leg, PSV delivered a much-improved performance in London, giving their traveling fans something to cheer about. In a gesture of goodwill, the PSV management announced that they would cover the cost of tickets for their supporters, compensating them for the humiliation suffered in the first leg.
