Arsenal Seal Champions League Quarterfinal Spot With PSV Eindhoven Defeat

Arsenal secured their spot in the Champions League quarterfinals with a resounding 9-3 aggregate win over PSV following a 2-2 draw in the round of 16 second-leg tie at the Emirates Stadium 

Despite having a comfortable lead from the first leg, Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm against a PSV side that was determined to cause an upset. The Gunners' attack, which had been commendable in recent weeks, was blunted by a resolute PSV defense, and their midfield struggled to control the tempo.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's wonderful curling effort in the sixth minute gave Arsenal the lead, but PSV equalized shortly before halftime through Ivan Perisic's emphatic finish. Declan Rice's header from Raheem Sterling's cross restored Arsenal in the lead again. After halftime, PSV pulled one back to level through Couhaib Driouech's superb lob.

It was remarkable for an English side in the competition to secure the UCL quarterfinal by that margin. Arsenal are the second team from the Premier League to do so after Manchester City, who did by 10-2 against Schalke in 2019. 

Overview

It was a lackluster affair between Arsenal and Eindhoven considering the tenacity by which the English side played in their first-leg tie, However, the Gunners already had the headstart guaranteeing their progress to the quarterfinal. Raheem Sterling was meant to have put the game to bed but a brilliant save from the Dutch goalkeeper kept the scoreline for their comeback equaliser. 

The draw was a fair reflection of the game, and Arsenal's performance was beneath their dominant display in the first leg. Mikel Arteta's side should improve significantly to make a deep run in the competition.