5 talking points as Arsenal end Champions League wait in impressive fashion

20 September 2023 , 20:54

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Arsenal were at their brilliant best against PSV

Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners against PSV Eindhoven in what was the Gunners' first Champions League clash since 2017.

The home faithful were in full voice ahead of kick-off, clearly overjoyed by the fact that after six long years out of the competition - Arsenal had regained their seat at the table of the European elite. After that, it was up to the players to perform accordingly.

It didn't take long for them to respond to the warm welcome they were given, with Bukayo Saka putting the hosts in front with only eight minutes on the clock. The already ecstatic Emirates faithful erupted as the academy graduate knee-slid in celebration.

They could barely believe what they were seeing when Leandro Trossard doubled the scoring shortly after with an expertly taken right-footed finish from the edge of the area that arrowed into in the bottom corner. By the time Gabriel Jesus scored the third with a thunderous strike, the Arsenal fans were in dreamland.

You know what they say, you wait six years for a Champions League goal and then three come around in 38 minutes. The second-half wasn't quite as exhilarating, but there was time for captain fantastic Martin Odegaard to guide a pinpoint strike home from distance to put the result beyond any doubt.

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With that in mind, Mirror Football analysed five talking points from a dominant Arsenal performance.

Saka shines again

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for Arsenal (Getty Images)

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It was always going to be him. Who else was going to fire in the first goal of this new Champions League-era for Arsenal, if not the symbol of this new era himself? It just had to be Saka's moment.

After some neat work and a tidy shot from Odegaard which was saved, it was Saka who responded fastest to lash home from close range into the bottom corner. Never one to rest on his laurels, the 22-year-old's quality certainly didn't drop after the goal.

Just over 10 minutes since it was him who put Arsenal in front, Saka then turned provider to tee up Leandro Trossard for the Gunners' second. At this stage of the game, the Emirates faithful could have been forgiven for thinking this Champions League lark was rather easy after all.

Odegaard pulls the strings

Martin Odegaard was in fine form for Arsenal

Rarely does an Arsenal game go by nowadays where Odegaard isn't at his mercurial best. The young Norwegian stamps his authority all over contests and continued to do so at the Emirates this evening.

His ability to evade challenges with the slightest drop of the shoulder or deftest body feint is such an asset for Arteta and his side. If there was one criticism that could have been thrown at Odegaard during his early days at Arsenal, it was that he did not score enough goals.

The 24-year-old has put that theory to bed and then some, and if some felt his 15 goal haul last term was a fluke, Odegaard has gone about silencing them as well.

The midfielder's long-range strike marked his third already this season, with the previous two coming in the Premier League against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

Striker debate takes another twist

Gabriel Jesus bagged Arsenal's third

Some feel there is no debate at all - that Jesus should be leading the line for Arsenal whenever he's fit enough to do so. Others feel Eddie Nketiah brings something different and should get his fair share of minutes.

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With that being said, Nketiah will have his work cut out trying to better this display from Jesus. Not only did the 26-year-old get himself on the scoresheet in spectacular fashion, but was at the heart of all things positive for Arsenal.

He managed to showcase his close control by bringing down a Daivd Raya goal-kick with his chest. He gave PSV's backline constant headaches with his trademark twists and turns and proved once again he is elite at linking midfield to attack, often dropping deep to help inflict more misery on the visitors.

Nketiah has enjoyed a run of five league starts while Jesus recovered from injury, but if this performance from the latter is anything to go by the Brazilian is well and truly back.

Raya remains in goal

David Raya kept his place in goal for Arsenal

The discussion surrounding who will line up between the sticks for Arsenal has been ongoing since David Raya arrived at the club, but it is becoming increasingly clearer the Spaniard is the Gunners number one.

It was Raya who was given the nod away at Everton on Sunday and he kept his place for the visit of PSV. Many fans and pundits alike had assumed it would be Ramsdale who played this evening, given he was integral to ensuring Arsenal's qualification into the Champions League through his performances last season.

But Arteta has shown he can be ruthless when required and this is simply the latest example. Plenty of PSV goals come via crosses, there is every chance the Arsenal boss opted to play Raya given he is superior to Ramsdale when it comes to dealing with opposition aerial threat.

That ability was on display late on in the first half, when Raya effortlessly came out and plucked a high ball that threatened to stir some panic out of the air.

Two games, two clean sheets for Raya will help his case in the argument over whether it should be him or Ramsdale that lines up against Tottenham on Sunday.

Arteta's reluctance to rotate

Mikel Arteta named a strong side for the visit of PSV

Despite all the excitement among the Arsenal faithful for this clash and the club's long-awaited Champions League return, there's an argument to be made that it is the least important of the three played this week.

Sunday saw the Gunners come away unscathed at Goodison Park, but with the North London Derby on the horizon this coming Sunday - a tad more rotation was expected for PSV. And yet, Saka, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice all kept their places.

Particularly in the cases of Saka and Zinchenko, fears over any sort of injury ahead of a meeting with local rivals Tottenham were not enough to deter the Arsenal boss from naming them for this contest. It was a decision that paid off, given Saka opened the scoring with just eight minutes on the clock.

However, perhaps with one eye on Sunday, Zinchenko was hooked just after the hour mark in place of Takehiro Tomiyasu. Minutes later, Saka also followed suit and headed for the bench after being replaced by Fabio Vieira.

Josh O'Brien