Arsenal made a triumphant return to the Champions League by outclassing PSV Eindhoven 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
The London club, participating in Europe’s top competition after a six-year hiatus, produced a flawless performance to head into the upcoming North London Derby against Tottenham in high spirits.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute with a simple tap-in, which was followed by Leandro Trossard’s low shot from the edge of the box.
Gabriel Jesus squandered several first-half chances, but eventually found the back of the net to make it 3-0 before the interval.
Martin Odegaard completed a perfect return to the Champions League for Arsenal by unleashing an unstoppable drive from outside the box in the second half.
Saka initiated the first-half onslaught when he pounced on a rebound from Odegaard’s shot inside the area to slot the ball home from close range.
Jesus missed an opportunity to double the lead moments later when he failed to connect with a low cross from inside the six-yard box.
However, the Brazilian forward made amends by setting up Saka, who squared the ball for Trossard to smash it into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.
Arsenal continued to dominate proceedings, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel both coming close to scoring in quick succession.
PSV tried to mount a comeback, but their attacks were thwarted by Arsenal’s resolute defence.
The Gunners extended their lead further when Trossard delivered a cross for Jesus, who buried the ball into the top left corner with aplomb.
READ ALSO: https://thecrux.org.ng/charles-leclerc-says-ferraris-f1-2024-car-project-will-be-very-different/
Arsenal’s fans were treated to the sight of Emile Smith Rowe making his first appearance of the season, and the youngster quickly made an impact by setting up Odegaard for his team’s fourth goal of the night.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was thrilled with his team’s performance, praising their exceptional display at both ends of the pitch.
He expressed his excitement at being back in the Champions League and stressed the importance of maintaining the club’s standards to stay in the competition.
Arsenal’s victory marked their first win on matchday one of the Champions League since the 2013-14 season, and it was their biggest opening match triumph since 2010-11.
The Gunners also became only the seventh team in the competition’s history to have four different players score on their Champions League debut for the club in the same game.
On the other hand, PSV’s winless run in the Champions League extended to 15 matches, with their last victory coming in December 2015.
They also failed to win any of their last 14 away games in the competition. Arsenal’s three first-half goals in the Champions League were their most since December 2014.
