So, we meet the Philips Sports Vereniging from North Brabant once again! If you are not one of our regular readers, and after reading that opening line you are already doubting yourself if you really have landed on an Arsenal match preview, I urge you to start your excursions with North Bank Ned’s inimitable piece from a week back – a compellingly readable amalgamation of history, anecdotes, and footballing insights about PSV Eindhoven.
Along with Ajax and Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven completes the big three of the Dutch football. But unlike Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Eindhoven – which didn’t become part of the Netherlands until the seventeenth century – became a population center only after the start of the industrial revolution, and in the early twentieth century enjoyed an explosive growth driven by the technology industry, pioneered in Eindhoven by Philips. Much of the old city was destroyed by bombing in WWII, with hundreds of civilian casualties, and the post-war reconstruction preserved almost nothing of historical heritage. I would like to believe that a decade from now, while writing a match preview of Arsenal, the reigning Premier League and Champions League winners, visiting a surprising winner of UPL, say Dnipro-1 or Metalist 1925, we will be able to paint pictures of cities beautifully reconstructed while also historically preserved.
Back to happier thoughts: we are currently top of the league, and top of our group in the Europa. One more point from the remaining two matches would ensure that we maintain that position, and avoid a potentially tricky double-header qualifier before the round of 16. Especially given that (how) the mighty (have fallen) Barcelona too would jostle in that qualifier round for further continuation of their European adventures, and given that we never miss the chance to draw them as our opponents in European competition and inevitably something goes wrong when we meet them, I think we will all feel better if Arsenal finishes on top of the group.
Mikel agrees vehemently. And as he astutely observed in previous weeks, when you are in a good position in European competitions you must take that opportunity as things can quickly change. There may be a school of thought that suggests we can take this away match against a domestically high-flying PSV team relatively lightly – resting key players for the upcoming league matches — knowing that our final match will be at home against struggling FC Zurich, but I suspect Mikel and his team will not go for that kind of hubristic thinking. Actually, I am certain they won’t. They would rather ensure that the group is secured this Thursday, and that would allow them to play a more experimental team next week with no pressure, resting the big boys then before a crucial away match at Chelsea.
The traveling squad didn’t include Oleksandr Zinchenko, who remains sidelined with a persistent calf problem since the NLD, and the young Brazilian Marquinhos who is reported to be unwell. Let us hope both recover soon. The little of Marquinhos we have seen so far tells us that though he needs a fair amount of growth and polishing before becoming a true first team contender, he has enough skill and grits to offer Saka some rests, especially in the Europa. And while Tierney and the versatile Tomiyasu both offer high quality alternatives in their own way – Tierney with his galloping overlapping runs complements Martinelli’s style a bit better, while Tomiyasu brings out the best in Saka on the right – in matches against top of the table teams I think Zinchenko offers an irreplaceable combination of technical quality and winning know-how, especially drifting into that uniquely floating auxiliary midfielder role.
Even though the current PSV team started superbly in the Eredevisie, in the last few weeks Ajax has overtaken them in the league table. But they remain a strong team, especially at home, where in a raucously supportive atmosphere young talents like Gapko, Sangaré, or Xavi Simons thrive most. The great PSV teams of the past always had one or two emerging talents that then went on to become household names: Ruud Gullit, Koeman, Romario, Robben, and probably the best of them all, one Ronaldo Nazário, or the “original Ronaldo”. The teenage Ronaldo scored 54 goals in his 58 games for PSV over two seasons before joining Barcelona where in one season he scored 47 goals in 49 matches even before turning 21. Well, I have no complains if Gapko or Simons go on to climb such great heights in their respective careers, as long as they don’t suddenly find any special inspiration against us.
As mentioned earlier, Mikel is likely to start a team that he will feel strong enough to see out a positive result. An important change we are likely to see is Reiss – who had spent last season on loan at Feyenoord, becoming better as the season progressed, and hence has recent familiarity of the PSV ground – starting on the left ahead of Martinelli or Nketiah, and Eddie going back to his central striker role ahead of Jesús, who we hope will not need to exert himself at all this midweek. After the magnificently supercool start to his Arsenal career, Saliba has, in the last couple of matches, finally show his fallible human side, and even though someone who spent a season at the frantic chaos of Stade Vélodrome should find no away ground difficult, maybe he too can enjoy a bit of breather to reset himself before the weekend.
So, my predicted line-up:
Turner
Tomiyasu – Holding – Gabriel – Tierney
Vieira – Lokonga – Xhaka
Saka – Nketiah – Nelson
This is an important game for Reiss, Vieira and Lokonga to showcase their readiness and personality – I am sure their talent and discipline have passed the eagle-eyed scrutiny of Mikel and his coaching team, otherwise they would not be getting these opportunities – to fight for a first team position.
PSV’s home color may be red-and-white, reflecting the colors of the North Brabant flag, but there is only one true Red-and-White in football, even though they might be wearing their black away kit this evening.
This would be a challenging match, but I believe we have enough quality and now also the game management abilities to see out a narrow victory, and to seal the group’s top position with one game to go. As PSV will come at us to score early goals, I think this would be a more open affair than the previous encounter at the Emirates, and I predict a somewhat atypical 3-2 score line in our favor.
Come on Arsenal!
Remember it’s a 5.45pm kick off, fellas! (Ed)
Terrific preview Dr.F.
I think your team is very close to what we will see but I suspect Martinelli might start instead of Saka .
Let’s see what Reiss Nelson can do and how Eddie can stretch a defence that can’t sit as deep as they did last week. We won much more easily than 1-0 but didn’t penetrate as much as we might have done given our midfield supremacy.
I think having drawn 1-1 on Sunday that result may be repeated but if we play a strong side we are easily good enough to win
Nice preview Doc but I’m thinking a stodgy 1-0 win to the Arse,
UTA
Splendid preview, Dr F, and thanks for the h/t. Lie you, I expect this to be a much different game from last week. Luuk de Jong, Noni Madueke and Mauro Junior all got more minutes in PSV’s unexpected 4-2 Eredivisie defeat at Groningen at the weekend, which got Groningen out of the relegation zone and let Feyenoord draw level with PSV on points in second while Ajax extended their lead to four points from one. I suspect two of those three at least to start. That will give PSV a sharper cutting edge and allow Gakpo and Simons to be the midfield supply lines that we so successfully cut off at the Emirates. Given that, plus PSV’s defensive leakiness, your predicted scoreline is far from inconceivable.
Thanks Dr. F for a highly interesting, readable and informative preview. Based on some of their fans’ behavior at the Emirates I thought PSV must have stood for pathetically stupid and violent, but you do cite a number of interesting things about their club and city’s history so all credit to them (after we defeat them again, of course). If Reiss starts as you and TTG seem to be confident that he will, I will be keen to see his confidence blossom as it has clearly already done much more than prior to his stint in the Eredivisie. As a matter of fact, the only thing you did not explain in your preview was why the Dutch put mayonnaise on their fries (chips, I should clarify transatlantically). Looking forward to it. COYG
An excellent and informative preview, Dr F. Having previously expected us to rotate the guts out of the first team for this game, I think you are correct that MA8 will choose to play some of our A-listers, in part because of unavailability of their replacements and in art so that he can seal first place in the group this week and let his key players have a full week off before our visit to the Bus Stop. I expect we will see a very different approach from PSV (at least on the pitch) and your high scoring prediction may well come to pass but I hope we can keep them out again, start a long overdue run of clean sheets and get out of Stodge (named in honour of Dutch cuisine) with at least a point.
Thanks everyone for the kind words!
Gilberto once scored a very quick goal at PSV in the first minute, from a Henry pass I think. Let’s start like that today! 🙂
bt8@4: The answer to your mayonnaise question, according to the internet, so it must be true, is that it is what the Dutch have always done and it just tastes good. The French do it, too, ‘frites mayo’, so that must be a culinary stamp of approval. In Utah, they use fry sauce, which is a mixture of ketchup and mayo. That would be up there with deep-fried pizza on my list of the most unacceptable foods imaginable.
Arsenal are planning three friendlies during the World Cup, two in Dubai and one possibly at the Grove. One will probably be the day before the WC Final:
https://theathletic.com/3735634/2022/10/27/arsenal-friendlies-world-cup/ (£)
Strong team for a inappropriately early evening kick-off.
Ramsdale
Tomi – Saliba – Holding – Tierney
Ødegaard – Sambi – Xhaka
Vieira – Nketiah – Martinelli
Turner apparently “felt someting in his groin last night’. I think we need to know more!
Fairly competent first half. Their two ‘moments’ were clearly offside but that little fella has nimble feet and we need to stop him before he reaches the box.
If Tierney doesn’t jump at least don’t fucking help de Jong
We are struggling so much to score. Eddie can’t buy a goal if his life depended on it.
A bad day at the office, especially the second half. I thought we controlled the first half well but were sloppy and disjointed in the second. De Jong, a seasoned Dutch international, made a big difference after he came on. Zero margin of error in the Zurich game.
Not a good performance or result, but hopefully it won’t matter after we beat Zurich at home next week.
The first half especially, when we had most of the ball, we weren’t incisive enough and didn’t make anything of our dominance of the ball/pitch. We looked complacent, as though we assumed we’d ve on top all match and could just stroll it. Arteta won’t be happy.
Fair play to PSV, they were much better this week and looked dangerous throughout.
We deserved nothing from this game after that second half. Sloppy play led to PSV’s two goals which were both eminently preventable. We already knew that our back-ups, except at full back, represent a major drop off in quality and given our lack of depth, we need to stiffen this team in January with a quality finisher up front and a decent Partey back-up/alternate. Otherwise I fear that we will probably see this team run out of steam, ideas and points.
I dunno why Ramsdale played ahead of Turner tonight but that decision didn’t work out!
Thoughts with Pablo Mari and all those affected by the awful stabbing in Italy tonight.
GSD @16, Turner apparently “felt someting in his groin last night’.
I think we need to know more!
Bath. It’s wicked to mock the afflicted.
What GSD said @17. Shocking news that puts footballing defeat (and success) in perspective.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63421228
Disturbing event in Italy regardless of Pablo Mari’s involvement but it makes this all the scarier. From the BBC story linked above:
Monza CEO Adriano Galliani told Sky Italy that Mari had been shopping with his wife and young son when the attack took place.
“He had his son in a trolley and his wife next to him. He didn’t notice anything. He then felt something painful in his back, which was the criminal’s knife,” Mr Galliani said.
“Unfortunately, he also saw the criminal stab someone in the throat. He saw everything that happened and it was deeply disturbing,” Galliani added.
Arsenal Women beat Zurich and the men ought to be able to do same
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63398966
3 points against Forest would be a very pleasant tonic at the moment.
bt8@23: And would avenge last season’s FA Cup defeat.
A number of us have been discussing our feelings towards the World Cup in Qatar and repugnance towards the Qatari regimes and it’s human rights abuses. Our broad conclusion is that while some of us might boycott the tournament others may watch the games and follow the progress of Arsenal players .
Nevertheless there is a strongly held feeling that we want to show our general disapproval of FIFA’s decision to hold the tournament in Qatar.
We therefore are intending, unless there is significant push back to put a banner up during the World Cup eg- Why choose Qatar ? 💰 💰 💰- or something slightly more pejorative – and suggest to other Arsenal blogs that they might do the same .
We are interested in your views on this. I will repeat this drink in the PSV report as well
Thanks for a very informative preview, Dr F, I hadn’t realised how many top stars emerged via PSV.
Very late to read and comment – I had to watch the game on delay last night too. A tired and disjointed looking performance but to credit the opposition, PSV were an entirely different proposition to the one that turned up at the Emirates last week.
>>>>>>>