Arsenal's Seven-Goal Rain Thanks to Two Things

EINDHOVEN, WEDNESDAY — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not alter the lineup or formation. However, Arsenal, which is currently facing a crisis in strikers and confidence in front of the goal, managed to score seven goals against PSV Eindhoven. This was all made possible by two factors: a risky tactical approach and assistance from PSV.

A 7-1 victory in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 at PSV's home ground, Phillips Stadium, in the early hours of Wednesday (5/3/2025) WIB, felt surreal for Arsenal. They arrived with the condition of failing to score in three of their last four matches. Suddenly, the "Gunners'" goal-scoring spree flowed profusely.

Arsenal is still playing without a pure striker. Midfielder Mikel Merino once again assumes the role of an emergency forward. However, this is not an issue. Six different players stepped up to score, namely Ethan Nwaneri, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard (2 goals), Merino, and Ricardo Calafiori.

"Very pleased with the boys after what happened in the last two games. We couldn't score and there was noise out there. Didn't [expect that performance], but that's the beauty of football. Just focus on doing your best and anything can happen," Arteta told UEFA.com.

Odegaard was chosen as the best player in the match with a contribution of 2 goals and 1 assist. Nevertheless, the most important player for Arsenal was Timber, the wing-back. Timber, a former Ajax Amsterdam player, displayed energetic performance from the beginning of the match against the team that was his archrival during his time in the Netherlands.

Timber was given extra duties. Usually, he waits more for space to exploit on the wing, adjusting to Nwaneri's wing striker movements. The 23-year-old defender stepped forward more often this time, including entering the penalty box. Nwaneri plays more centrally, filling the halfspace area.

PSV's defense appeared stunned during the process of the visiting team's opening goal. Timber suddenly positioned himself at the far post to receive a cross from Declan Rice. He was involved again in the process of the third goal. Timber dribbled into the penalty box area, which led to a scramble and resulted in a goal for Merino.

Timber is one part of Arteta's risky plan. The manager realizes that the best way to score goals is to increase options in the penalty box. Seven Arsenal players were in the penalty box during the first goal, while six players were present during the second goal.

For Arteta, who is known to be quite pragmatic, the strategy appeared unusual. Almost only the defensive duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, along with defensive midfielder Thomas Partey, were not instructed to enter the opponent's penalty box, aside from goalkeeper David Raya. The sporadic attacks successfully disrupted PSV's defensive structure.

Odegaard, the chance creator, was greatly helped by the many options in the box. For the first time since joining Arsenal in 2021, he contributed three goals in a game. "We were really good going forward, scoring goals and creating chances," he said, having been criticised for a negative performance trend.

Three goals in the first half, between the 18th and 31st minutes, became Arsenal's winning momentum. When they were ahead, they played more comfortably in possession. PSV reduced the deficit before half-time, through a Noa Lang penalty, but actually sank further after two quick goals from the visitors in the second half.

Arsenal's goal rain was not only produced by their own performance. They were also helped by PSV's very poor defense. As is known, defense has been the biggest problem for Peter Bosz's team this season. PSV has only managed to keep a clean sheet once in the last 14 matches.

"We had two important moments in the game. One of them was the first chance (from Ismael Saibari) that hit the crossbar (before Arsenal's opener). Football-wise, we were not at our best. Arsenal played fantastically, but it was not our usual performance," Bosz said.

PSV's discipline in the box was poor, especially in the second half. They allowed Odegaard and Trossard to easily convert chances in the space of just one minute. The substitution of center-back Ryan Flamingo for Adamo Nagalo at half-time did not change things.

PSV could actually hurt Arsenal with counter-attacks. Their transitions looked dangerous early on. “We had a plan from our analysis to hurt them, but you could see our defending was very bad. You can’t be successful if you play like this,” Bosz explained.

The result means Arsenal are almost certain to advance to the quarter-finals. The second leg will be held at their home ground, the Emirates Stadium, next week. If they advance, the Gunners will face the winner of the city clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. (AP/REUTERS)