Before the midweek away match in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, Arsenal had not scored any goals in 3/4 of the previous matches. The strong score of 7-1 surprised many people because Arsenal had to visit, had poor form, and had a lack of attack. Captain Mikel Arteta himself could not hide his emotions at the post-match press conference when the home team had secured a place in the quarter-finals.
The 7-1 score was the first time in the Mikel Arteta era that Arsenal have scored so many goals in a match. They also became the first team in Champions League history to score 7 goals in a knockout match away from home.
Arsenal are suffering a storm of striker injuries as a series of key players are absent. However, in the first 10 minutes away, dangerous moments came from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice. Although Rice's goal was disallowed due to an offside error, The Gunners showed surprising diversity in each attack that threatened the opponent's goal.
After that, 6 Arsenal names scored 7 goals in a row. In fact, PSV's defense is not too good, having conceded 29 goals since the beginning of 2025 before the two teams met. This resounding victory helped Arsenal secure a quarter-final ticket in hand and wait for Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
"This is an unprecedented result and it's great to enjoy it. However, we want more than that. To reach another level, there needs to be a clear goal" - Mikel Arteta shared.
The reason the Arsenal captain said this is because last season, the "Gunners" set many positive records in the Premier League but could not win the championship. The match against PSV last Tuesday was the perfect time for 1 year, Arsenal set a record of winning 3 consecutive away matches with a gap of 5 goals or more (against West Ham, Burnley and Sheffield United).
However, winning a lot, winning a lot but everything is still meaningless if there are no titles, that is the reason why Arteta is cautious. The magnificent win over PSV was just a mental boost before facing Man United and Chelsea in the Premier League. The problem seen right now, will Arsenal be able to maintain the downward trend that they have just shown against PSV against M.U and Chelsea, in the context of the current devastated attack?
Arteta knows that the 7 goals he scored against PSV in the end only brought victory in the first leg and his team still has to spend energy in the second leg, no matter how little or much. It does not mean that The Gunners will win the Champions League or Premier League after this match.
The joy in the Netherlands should be contained as soon as the whole team returns to England because the challenge ahead is very difficult. If Odegaard and his teammates stumble again, everything will be over as the gap with Liverpool is too far away.
