Arsenal turns their attention to the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday as they travel to the Netherlands to face PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion in the first leg of the Round of 16. The North London side qualified for the knockouts as one of the top eight teams in the league phase while their Dutch opponents had to go through the playoffs. Here’s what to look out for in this crucial encounter.
1. Arsenal’s Recent Struggles and European Advantage
Since their emphatic 5-1 victory over Manchester City at the Emirates, Arsenal’s form has dipped. In their last four matches, they have won just once, a narrow victory against 19th-placed Leicester City in the Premier League. The other three fixtures ended in two defeats and a draw.
Their first loss came in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg at St. James’ Park, where Newcastle United knocked them out of the competition. That was followed by a shock home defeat to West Ham United, a team struggling in the bottom five of the league table. Most recently, they were held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest, who are right behind them in the standings. Worryingly, Arsenal failed to score in all three of those games.
This recent run suggests that things won’t be straightforward for Mikel Arteta’s side. However, they do have an advantage, the return leg will be played at the Emirates, where they will have the backing of their home crowd and a clear target for qualification.