Arsenal ended their return to the UEFA Champions League organisation with a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, completing the top spot in Group B after six seasons away from Europe’s top competition.
[MORE: Full UEFA Champions League tier tables]
The Gunners clinched first place in the organisation and a top spot in next Monday’s 16-round draw in the previous round, prompting Mikel Arteta to make eight changes to the starting line-up lost 1-0 to Aston Villa on Saturday. Formation
Arsenal took the lead just before half-time, when Eddie Nketiah worked a metre or two of dominance and fired a perfectly placed arrow down inside the post from the top of the penalty area in the 42nd minute. The goal came here, at a point in the game when PSV were in the lead and created a handful of scoring chances from less than 10 yards.
[ MORE: Champions League schedule, ]
PSV were hardly deterred by the goal, as they started the second half as brilliantly as the first and finally got their reward. It was two Americans who combined in the build-up, when Malik Tillman put the ball past PSV’s third defender and saw Ricardo Pepi with a threaded ball behind. Pepi dribbled to the edge of the box before passing the ball to Yorbe Vertessesn, who entered the penalty area at the best moment. Vertessen fired a deft shot to the far post with his first touch to make it 1-1.
FotoMob. com
Goalscorers: Eddie Nketiah (42′), Yorbe Vertessen (50′)
Date: Tuesday, December 12
Kick off: 12:45pm ET
How to watch: Paramount+ and TUDN USA
Benitez – Teze, Silva, Obispo, Junior – van Aanholt, Tillman, Saibari – Bakayoko, Pepi, Vertessen
Ramsdale – Soares, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior – Jorginho, Elneny, Trossard – Havertz, Nketiah, Nelson
PSV roars in the Eredivisie, where they overcame the forty-five problems they had and maintain a 10-point lead over second-placed Feyenoord after just 15 games of the season.
OUT: Armel Bella-Kotchap (shoulder), Armando Obispo (knee)
The Gunners lost to Aston Villa at the weekend and will see it as a clean-up for their palette; the stopover at Brighton on Sunday will play a bigger role in their season goals.
OUT: Thomas Partey (thigh), Emile Smith-Rowe (knee), Jurrien Timber (ACL rupture, out for this season), Fabio Vieira (hip), Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf)
Ⓒ 2023 NBC Universal