Arsenal will return to European action this Thursday when they welcome PSV Eindhoven to Emirates Stadium for the rearranged second-round fixture of the 2022/23 Europa League season.
Venue: Emirates Stadium (London)
Key Statistics
Arsenal have won their last seven games in all competitions.
They have kept four clean sheets in their last six games.
The Gunners have won their last nine games at home.
They have also won all their Europa League games so far, scoring six and conceding just once.
PSV Eindhoven have scored eleven goals in the Europa League this season.
Only Feyenoord (12) who have played four games already have scored more goals than the visitors in the Europa League this season.
PSV have scored 5+ goals in three of their last four games.
They have failed to score only once in their last eleven games.
Head to head
In six UCL meetings between both sides, Arsenal have two wins, while PSV have one win.
Latest performances in all competitions
Arsenal: W-W-W-W-W
PSV: W-W-W-W-L
Arsenal
After holding on to the top position in the Premier League last weekend, Arsenal will look to retain the top spot in the Europa League when they welcome Group A top spot contenders PSV to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners retained their place at the top of the PL table as they held on to a late Leeds United onslaught to record a 1-0 win at the weekend. The win was their seventh win on the bounce in all competitions and their 13th win in their last 14th games in all competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s young side have been one of the best performers in the whole of Europe this season and come into this tie as the favourites to win this group. They have already won each of their last three group games and are sitting on top of the table, two points ahead of their visitors.
Knowing that they can book their place in the next round if they win here, Arteta will be desperate for his boys to continue their impressive run of form against a free-scoring PSV side who are Arsenal’s only threat of finishing top of the group.
But Arsenal will be confident of getting a win here given that they have won each of their last nine games at home while scoring 2+ goals in each of those games.
Possible Arsenal starting line-up
Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Takehiro Tomiyasu; Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus.
Injured: Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
PSV
PSV will look to pip Arsenal to the top spot when they travel to London on Thursday.
The Dutch side have been in great goal-scoring form in the Europa League this season. They lead the scoring charts in terms of goal average, with their 3.67 goals per game the best in the Europa League this season.
But they have already dropped points in this competition in a 1-1 to Bodø/Glimt in the opening round at home. Since then, they have beaten FC Zurich twice to strengthen their chances of qualifying from this group.
But ahead of this round, their target will be to win against the Gunners and secure the top spot ahead of the return leg in Eindhoven next week.
Having won each of their last four games, while scoring 17 times and conceding only once, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men will travel to London confident of getting a good result.
Possible PSV starting line-up
Walter Benitez; Phillipp Mwene, Jordan Teze, Armando Obispo, Philipp Max; Ibrahim Sangare, Erick Gutierrez; Joey Veerman, Xavi Simons, Cody Gakpo, Guus Til.
Injured: Yorbe Vertessen, Ismael Saibari, Noni Madueke, Luuk de Jong, Mauro Junior
Doubtful: Marco van Ginkel, Olivier Boscagli
Suspended: None
Prediction
Arsenal 1-1 PSV
