Granit Xhaka fires Arsenal to victory over PSV to seal Europa League progress

Arsenal 1 PSV Eindhoven 0

Arsenal are through to the Europa League knock-out stages and close to achieving a secondary aim, too. Granit Xhaka’s superbly-taken winner 19 minutes from time saw off a PSV Eindhoven side, managed by an old foe in Ruud van Nistelrooy, who resisted awkwardly before buckling under intense pressure.

It means Mikel Arteta’s team retain their perfect Group A record, now requiring a point from their final two games to finish top and avoid the inconvenience of an extra playoff round in February.

The task for Arsenal was made clear from kick-off: they would have to break down visitors who had come to sit in and thwart. Van Nistelrooy’s side, second in the Eredivisie, had scored 10 times across two ties with FC Zurich but were pragmatic about what might be achieved here. They did not manage a spell of possession in Arsenal’s half until the 16th minute although, in fairness, they had hardly been hanging on until then.

Arteta had again treated a Thursday night with respect, retaining five of the side that scraped past Leeds and deciding not to give Gabriel Jesus a second successive midweek off. Bukayo Saka was also pressed into action and found himself behind the first flutter of excitement, clipping a cross that Kieran Tierney blazed over after Eddie Nketiah had miscued.

Nketiah, deployed on the left, pressed PSV’s defence eagerly but a sidefooted shot from Xhaka was the next moment of relatively serious threat. It missed the target and so, by slightly less, did a daisy cutter sent in by Jesus after finding space 20 yards out. In truth these were morsels although Jesus, anticipating a cleverly scooped ball from Fábio Vieira on the half-hour and taking a swing, would surely have scored if he had made contact.

By then PSV had offered a couple of glimmers for their noisy following. Cody Gakpo, the vaunted winger who had talks with Manchester United in the summer, set off on a couple of gliding runs down the left while the sharp Xavi Simons was allowed to run through a void midfield before blasting over.

Those moments did little to reverse the traffic but Arsenal found themselves bogged down in congestion until half-time. Vieira brushed the side netting with a free-kick and a sparkling Saka run gave Nketiah the chance to centre, but PSV had bodies in the way and survived in relative comfort.

There had been little to enthuse the crowd that came out for this rescheduled fixture in what were, considering the unusual 6pm kick-off time, laudable numbers. The touchline-stalking figure of Van Nistelrooy might once have added a distraction but raised not a flicker of interest from the stands: perhaps many of those present were too young to remember the days when his presence in a Manchester United shirt meant guaranteed needle.

Jesus tried to add some edge but scuffed through to Walter Benítez in the 52nd minute after smart work from Saka. Shortly afterwards Simons volleyed high from a fast PSV break and then Saka ran through but, with the best chance to date, let Benítez save with a leg. At least proceedings were opening up.

They did so again when Jesus, in space, could not make a clean enough contact and allowed Benítez to tip away low down. Nketiah then took down a diagonal ball superbly before cutting inside and missing narrowly; Arsenal were getting closer but Arteta nonetheless summoned Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard for the final quarter.

Simons made Matt Turner save for the first time but Xhaka quickly produced the moment Arsenal had been threatening. Both newcomers were involved in a move that ended with Takehiro Tomiyasu crossing deliberately from the right. Xhaka, stationed around the penalty spot, greeted the delivery with a sweet half-volley past Benítez and enhanced his newfound reputation as a menace in opposition boxes. Saka, twice, and the substitute Gabriel Martinelli both came close to doubling the lead but one was enough. – Guardian