Arsenal finished the group stages of the Champions League with a 1-1 draw against PSV in the Netherlands. Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring three minutes before half time as he unleashed an effort into the bottom corner of the net, but PSV drew level five minutes after the interval as Yorbe Vertessen curled the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale. And Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from the clash at the Philips Stadium.
Nketiah proves Michael Owen right
Ahead of the match, former Liverpool striker Michael Owen lauded Nketiah as he told TNT Sports: “He’s obviously a very good player and I think he’s one of the better finishers in the Premier League. He’s a top-class finisher.
And Owen was proved right as Nketiah illustrated his prowess in front of goal as he bagged his sixth goal of the campaign. The 24-year-old barely had a sniff of the ball during the first half as his side struggled to carve out chances. But when he found the smallest bit of space inside the penalty area after being teed-up by Reiss Nelson, he fired the ball out of the reach of PSV keeper Walter Benitez.
More defensive frailties on the road
Arsenal won all three of their home Champions League group stage matches without conceding a single goal. But Mikel Arteta’s men didn’t keep any clean sheets from their three encounters on the road. Those defensive frailties didn’t cost the Gunners as they still finished top of the Group B table. But they could be a huge concern ahead of the knockout stages as Arsenal will have to face some of the best teams in Europe if they have hopes of lifting the Champions League trophy.
Arteta forced to call on Rice
Ahead of the clash in Eindhoven, only William Saliba had played more minutes than Declan Rice. Arteta made eight changes to the side that lost to Aston Villa at the weekend, with Rice starting the match on the bench.
But the former West Ham star was unable to have the whole night off as he was brought on just over an hour into the match after Mohamed Elneny had been forced off with an injury. Rice proceeded to fill in at centre-back. But it may have been more beneficial for Arsenal to give Rice a well-earned rest ahead of the bust festive period.
Arsenal lack creativity without Odegaard
Arteta handed Martin Odegaard a rest for the match as the Norway international was named on the bench. But the visitors appeared lacklustre in front of goal without their creative spark and opportunities were at a premium. Odegaard entered the fray with just under half an hour remaining and instantly improved his team’s attacking threat. But Arteta should be able to rely on other attacking geniuses to make things happen in front of goal.
Academy players don’t get their chance
Arteta named academy youngsters Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa and Reuell Waltersin the matchday squad in the Netherlands. But none of them were given an opportunity to show what they could do, despite the fact the match was a dead rubber.
