Arsenal vs PSV predictions: Gunners have no need to fire in second leg
&w=707&quality=100)
- Arsenal destroyed PSV 7-1 in the first leg in the Netherlands
- Thoughts could now turn to the Gunners’ weekend fixture against Chelsea
- Recommended bet: Under 2.5 goals
Arsenal will be hoping for an easy second leg when they welcome PSV to the Emirates for Championship last-16 action on Wednesday evening.
The margin of Arsenal’s 7-1 victory against PSV in the first leg means that Mikel Arteta has the luxury of being able to rotate, following a 1-1 draw at Manchester United and ahead of Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea.
PSV got back to winning ways with a 2-1 home victory over Heerenveen in the Eredivisie on Saturday and now face the challenge of pulling off the unlikeliest of comebacks.
Team news
&w=707&quality=100)
Jurrien Timber, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Martinelli are all only one booking away from being suspended for the first leg of the quarter-finals, so could sit this one out for Arsenal.
Ben White may be given the opportunity to make his first start for the Gunners this year, on the right side of defence.
Malik Tilman, Esmir Bajraktarevic and Ricardo Pepi are all injured for PSV, while former Arsenal forward Lucas Perez is ineligible to play in the Champions League.
The stats
Arsenal could become only the second English team to score 10 goals across two legs of a Champions League tie, with Manchester City being the first with their 10-2 victory over Schalke in 2018-19.
PSV have conceded in 15 consecutive games in this competition.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last nine home games in the Champions League, winning eight and drawing once.
The visitors have played five away games in this competition this season, losing to Juventus (twice) and Brest, drawing with PSG and beating Crvena zvezda.
Prediction
It is rare that a first leg is won by a big enough margin to to reduce the second leg to an irrelevance, but that is what Arsenal have appeared to have done with that 7-1 victory.
Arteta can rotate heavily, knowing that even a defeat will unlikely be heavy enough to make this tie in any way competitive.
Arsenal are second in the Premier League and should qualify for next season’s Champions League, but they meet fourth-placed Chelsea next and that game will be the manager’s priority.
For PSV’s part, they will surely accept that there is no way back into this tie and seek to merely ensure that they are not humiliated in this return leg.
Arsenal’s rotation and PSV’s desire to keep this tight should add up to a low-scoring match played in a curiously flat atmosphere, with nothing on the line.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
