Ed Aaronsat Philips Stadion
Graceful captain set the tone early on in thrashing of PSV and will need to be at his best when tougher tests arrive
If there was one moment that perfectly captured Arsenal’s approach to what seemed like a daunting away challenge against PSV Eindhoven, it came in the 20th minute of a surprisingly dominant first leg. Already leading through Jurriën Timber’s header, a cross from Leandro Trossard skimmed past everyone in the box, but Martin Ødegaard, with his usual sharp instinct, had already made his move. Despite a valiant slide and an effort to keep the ball in play that ultimately fell short, the Arsenal captain had set the tone for what was to come.
Just two minutes later, teenager Ethan Nwaneri made history again, becoming the third-youngest goalscorer in Champions League knockout stages. Arsenal were cruising, heading toward a statement win that would be etched in the memories of the 1,800 Gunners fans who had made the trip.
After frustrating draws against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, this was an evening for the Arsenal faithful to savor on their third visit to this stadium in as many years. It had been since 2002 that Arsenal had managed a win here, and by the time Ødegaard fired home the sixth goal with 17 minutes still to play, the home fans were stunned into an embarrassed silence.
For Ødegaard, this night was a personal triumph, a redemption of sorts after a season that had seen its fair share of struggles. The 26-year-old had been sidelined for two months following a brutal ankle injury in September, and during his absence, Arsenal dropped points in four of their seven league games. But upon his return against Chelsea in November, the team went on an unbeaten 13-match run.
Despite his leadership on the field, Ødegaard’s contributions in terms of goals and assists had seen a dip. Before this match, he had tallied just nine goal involvements in 28 appearances—a stark contrast to his previous two seasons, where he surpassed 20 in each. The absence of Bukayo Saka since December certainly didn’t help, but Ødegaard’s determination to lead the team remained unwavering.
With Mikel Merino offering Arsenal a dynamic presence up front and Ødegaard playing a more advanced role, PSV’s defenders were helpless in the face of his intelligent movement and relentless energy. “You could tell he was loving it today,” said manager Mikel Arteta, who watched as his captain orchestrated a masterclass performance.
Ødegaard’s elegance on the ball is undeniable, with many at Arsenal comparing his composure and creativity to that of rising star Max Dowman— a prodigious 15-year-old who recently dazzled in the FA Youth Cup, outplaying older opponents in a memorable clash with Manchester United. Just like Ødegaard, Dowman’s ability to shine in pressure moments sets him apart, and the future for Arsenal is certainly looking bright.
He looked destined to score in the 10th minute after effortlessly gliding into the penalty area, only to be brought down by Ismael Saibari’s challenge. As the Arsenal players fervently appealed for a penalty, referee Jesús Gil Manzano dramatically waved them off. But PSV’s brief relief was quickly extinguished. Jurriën Timber had spoken before the match about wanting to “change the narrative” of Arsenal’s season, and against his former Ajax teammate Noa Lang, it was the Dutch defender who opened the scoring, powering home a header from Declan Rice’s pinpoint cross.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric, with footage of Guus Hiddink’s side winning the 1988 European Cup on penalties against Benfica shown on the big screens before kick-off. The five-day carnival atmosphere reached its peak on this last night of celebrations. The stadium, despite having no major renovations since the Netherlands hosted Euro 2000, exuded history, with legends like Sir Bobby Robson, Romário, and Ronaldo having graced its pitch over the years.
Former Tottenham player Ivan Perisic had fired up the tension by declaring that Arsenal were always “missing something” to step up and win big trophies. He probably regretted those words by the time Riccardo Calafiori, on as a late substitute, wrapped up the scoring, handing PSV their worst European defeat since a 6-0 thrashing by Michel Platini’s Saint-Étienne in 1979.
On the same day it was announced that Arsenal would raise season-ticket prices for the coming year, they made history as the first team to score seven goals away from home in a Champions League knockout game.
“We’ve been playing like this all season,” Declan Rice said with confidence. “We feel like we’ve been playing well as a team – sometimes we score five, sometimes two. Sometimes we don’t score, but tonight we did well.”
With the second leg next week now all but a formality, Arsenal’s dream of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 hinges on overcoming the likes of Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid in the next round. It may be a daunting challenge for Mikel Arteta’s patched-up squad, but after this exhilarating performance, they’ll surely believe that anything is possible.
