For Arsenal, their Premier League title chase is now done and dusted. The score draw at Manchester United on Sunday put the kibosh on that. However, the Gunners prospects in the UEFA Champions League are much better. The second leg in their round of 16 tie, with PSV Eindhoven, is dead rubber.
Up by six goals on aggregate, this is a chance for them to play loose, free and easy; like if it were a friendly.
PSV Eindhoven at Arsenal FC FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. March 12, 8pm, Phillips Stadion, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Competition: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Leg 2/2
Aggregate: Arsenal leads 7-1
Google’s Result Probability: Arsenal 69% Extra Time 19% PSV Eindhoven 26%
Arsenal Team News at PSV Eindhoven
No changes here at all. Kai Havertz, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus are out for the season. Bukayo Saka could be back next weekend; Gabriel Martinelli in the first match after the international break. So with that all said, it’s time for some squad rotation.
Given that the stakes here are low to non-existent, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta won’t field his strongest team possible.
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction at PSV Eindhoven
Neto; Ben White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Thomas Partey, Jorginho, Mikel Merino; Kieran Tierney, Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.