ARSENAL have signed off their Champions League group stage with a 1-1 draw away at PSV Eindhoven.Eddie Nketiah scored the opener with an emphatic finish into the bottom corner at the end of the first half before Yorbe Vertessen’s stunning equaliser in the 50th minute levelled things up.
The Gunners already confirmed their status as Group B winners prior to tonight’s clash, which led to Mikel Arteta giving a chance to some fringe players this evening.
Match result: PSV 1-1 Arsenal
Live stream: discovery+
PSV team: Benitez, Teze, Ramalho, Obispo, Mauro Jr., Van Aanholt, Tillman, Saibari, Bakayoko, Pepi, Vertessen
Arsenal team: Ramsdale, Cedric, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Jorginho, Elneny, Havertz, Trossard, Nketiah, Nelson
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That’s all from Eindhoven
And so ends the group stage.
It may not have been a memorable conclusion to the first step of Arsenal’s return to the Champions League after six years away, but it’s certainly been an impressive continental campaign for the Gunners.
Winners with a game to spare, the Londoners were able to make wholesale changes for tonight, and still emerged from the Netherlands unscathd.
Focus will now turn back to the Premier League, and then – in the new year – Mikel Arteta’s men can show us just how far they can really go in Europe’s top competition.
Until then, thanks for reading and goodnight.
Arteta pleased with Rice experiment
Eyebrows were raised when Mikel Arteta brought Declan Rice on as a second half, and they stayed raised when the former West Ham man slotted in at centre-back in replace of William Saliba.
Yet Rice was as composed as ever in the role, and afterwards the Arsenal boss explained his reason for the move.
We are very short at the back so I wanted to see if something happened how we are going to resolve that situation. I thought he was really good.Mikel Arteta
Gunners stake their claim
Mikel Arteta insisted that tonight was an opportunity for some of his fringe players to show they deserve a run in the first team, but who impressed most?
How they finish in Group B
Confirmation of Arsenal and PSV’s respective first and second finishes in Group B, but it’s Lens who happily drop into the Europa League following their last-minute win against Sevilla in France.
Lens 2-1 Sevilla
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
Credit: uefa.com
Match stats from the Philips Stadion
I can’t believe the referee didn’t play another 15 seconds so Arsenal could clock up 500 successful passes. This is a bigger travesty than any VAR nonsense.
Full time – PSV 1-1 Arsenal
It ends all square in Eindhoven.
A dead rubber, yes, but two dead good goals.
Eddie Nketiah’s exquisite first half finish was cancelled out shortly after the restart by an excellent Yorbe Vertessen strike.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
90+7. Trossard to win it! Trossard must win it! Saved!
Kiwior follows up with the rebound and… over!
Two huge chances at the death spurned by the Gunners.
Thankfully, on this occasion, it really doesn’t matter.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
90+5. Ramsdale shows a safe pair of hands to keep out Junior’s fierce drive in the final minute.
A nice confidence boost for the goalkeeper to end on.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
90+2. Inside six minutes of additional time at the Philips Stadion, and there is none of the late urgency as seen at recent Arsenal away games such as Aston Villa, Luton and Brentford.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
90. A great chance for Til to win it!
The substitute takes advantage of a Gabriel slip up to move in on goal from the right.
He has options to his left, but the Dutchman goes it alone and drags wastefully wide of the far post.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal – Arsenal substitutions
88. Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Jesus are coming on the final two minutes.
Is it too much to ask that neither of them get injured in the time remaining?
Reiss Nelson and Kai Havertz are the pair that make way.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
87. As Trossard turns and blazes a shot over the crossbar from a long way out, there’s activity in the Arsenal dugout once again.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal – PSV Substitution
85. Peter Bosz makes another change, replacing Malik Tillman.
The former Rangers loanee departs for Guus Til.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
83. Kiwior has a taste for it now, and has another attempt at goal.
This time it’s blocked by Obispo.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
81. Odegaard delivers, Kiwior nods home, Arsenal celebrate…
…but the flag is up for offside.
It’s not the goalscorer that has been penalised though, instead it’s Gabriel who has been flagged.
There’s a VAR check to determine whether the defender had indeed interfered with the incident, but it doesn’t take long and the decision is upheld.
It remains 1-1 in Eindhoven.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
79. Nketiah wins a free-kick on the left, and Odegaard will have the chance to test the home defence from a set-piece.
On the bench, Zinchenko has a face like thunder. The very essence of a man who has been asked to go Christmas shopping when there was something good on the television.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
77. Two things to note about Declan Rice playing at centre-half since his introduction.
He’s very good at it because, of course, he is.
How short of central defenders are Arsenal?!
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
75. Into the final 15 minutes and the contest is still evenly poised.
If qualification was on the line, this would be on a knife edge and as exciting as it comes.
But it’s not so we’re instead plodding to a conclusion.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal – PSV substitutions
73. Johan Bakayoko is going off so we may as well pack up and go home.
The Belgian (surely destined for the Premier League one day) is replaced by another exciting youngster in Isaac Babadi.
Also on is Barcelona loanee Sergino Dest for Ismael Saibari.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
71. Bakayoko has been quieter than the blistering brilliance of the first half, but comes alive again here to win a free-kick in a dangerous position.
The Belgian had far too much skill, pace and trickery for Jorginho – although sometimes I’d fancy myself as having similar.
Bakayoko takes the free-kick too, stepping up towards the back post where Rice heads clear.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
69. Twenty-one minutes to go…
…which I assume is the album version of the 2001 So Solid Crew single.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
67. Straight down the other end, and Saibari clatters the post.
The Moroccan does brilliantly to turn away from Rice inside the penalty area before unleashing a thumping drive past Ramsdale from an acute angle.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
66. The Arsenal fans have been done again by the old ball-into-the-side-netting trick.
And the PSV supporters take great pleasure in mocking their English counterparts for twice celebrating what they mistakenly thought was a goal.
It’s Reiss Nelson that prompts it with a determined run and shot.
Still, fool them once…
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
64. Now Nketiah has gone down injured after taking what looks to be a whack in the face.
With a busy Christmas period of games on the horizon, this is the last thing that Mikel Arteta wants to be dealing with.
PSV 1-1 Arsenal – Arsenal substitutions
62. Mikel Arteta does make a first change. In fact, he makes three of them.
Mohamed Elneny departs injured, but also off is William Saliba and Cedric.
Mind you, this isn’t a bad trio to bring on: here comes Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. More
