ARSENAL host PSV Eindhoven in a mouth-watering clash TONIGHT – and both sides have their eye on that top spot.
The Gunners will be hoping for an easier ride than their marginal 1-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt last Thursday.
But PSV are showing no signs of slowing down having thumped FC Zurich 5-0 in their recent European outing.
- Kick-off time: 6pm BST
- Live stream: BT Sport
- TV channel: BT Sport 1
- Arsenal XI: Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Lokonga, Xhaka, Vieira, Saka, Nketiah, Jesus
- PSV: Benitez, Mwene, Ramalho, Obispo, Max, Guitierrez, Sangare, Simons, Veerman, Gakpo, Til
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Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
‘Van’ the villain returns
Are we yet to witness another chapter in Van Nistelrooy’s fascinating affiliation with Arsenal?
The Dutchman was branded a villain after seemingly diving after Patrick Vieira looked to kick out at the forward.
His last minute penalty miss then sparked a number of players, led by Martin Keown, to surround the Manchester United man in an infamous brawl.
He recently discussed events that day:
I didn’t react to what happened after the miss because of the incredible dissapointment I felt at not bringing the win for my club.
The pressure was intense for both teams because you are competing for the Premier League and it’s possible it will be decided in those games. It’s 20 years ago now.
It doesn’t define me but coming back to England and to Arsenal, memories come back of my time there and those two infamous games are part of it.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ajax boss
.Credit: AFP – Getty Van Nistelrooy expecting hostile reception
Ajax manager Ruud van Nistelrooy faced no side more often than Arsenal during his playing career, making 12 appearances against the North London side.
He scored a whopping 150 goals in five seasons at Manchester United. Yet arguably, he is most famous for a miss.
His last-minute penalty failure against Arsenal in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in 2003 led to Arsenal’s invincible season, cementing him in the Gunners’ history books.
When asked about his return to the Emirates earlier in the week, the Dutchman joked: “I expect a warm welcome. I kept them invincible because of my miss.”
The 46-year-old went on to admit that he expects a level of abuse from fans, but believes it is all part of the banter. He said: “I don’t think I will get a good reception but that is good. It is part of the banter of football stadiums.”
.Credit: Getty The stage is set
It’s a sunny evening at the Emirates.
It’s been a fortress of victories so far this season. Will Arteta’s men record another win today?
Kick-off is just over an hour away.
Martinelli on Gunners bench
Gabriel Martinelli is available from the substitutes bench this evening.
Reports emerged concerning his fitness after he missed training yesterday. But his inclusion today suggests the Brazilian’s absence was just precautionary.
Cedric, Cirjan, Edwards, Hein, Marquinhos, Martinelli, Nelson, Odegaard, partey, Ramsdale, Saliba, White
PSV XI
Ruud van Nistelrooy names an unchanged 11 from the side that beat Zurich this time last week.
Benitez, Mwene, Ramalho, Obispo, Max, Guitierrez, Sangare, Simons, Veerman, Gakpo, Til
Jesus starts for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta looks to have opted to a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation for this evening’s contest.
Tomiyasu switches to his favoured right-hand side with Tierney starting on the left.
Saliba makes way for Holding and Vieira gets the nod ahead of Odegaard.
Nketiah is set to lead the line alongside Jesus.
Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Lokonga, Xhaka, Vieira, Saka, Nketiah, Jesus
Good afternoon from the Emirates
Hello SunSport family and welcome to coverage of tonight’s Europa League clash between Arsenal and PSV. Two points separate the pair after peeling away from the competition at the top of Group A.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy will hope his return to the Emirates will be a positive one as he looks to put a dent in the Gunners perfect start to their European campaign. However, it won’t be an easy task. Mikel Arteta’s men have won every game here this season. Another one tonight would see them qualify for the group stages with two games to spare.
Meanwhile, Ajax come to North London in rampant form themselves. They are off the back of a 6-1 win over Utrecht leaving them one point off top spot in the Eredivise. A 5-0 Europa League trouncing of Zurich last week will have filled the Dutch side with confidence heading into this one.
Can Van Nistelrooy get his revenge over the Gunners, or will it be Mikel Arteta’s day again in North London?
The action is set to begin at 18:00 and we will bring you all the gossip and team news as we build up to kick-off.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
