After a long hiatus, Arsenal will test their strength in the group stage of the Champions League. Remember, the Gunners have not played in the group stage of the main European club tournament since the 2016/17 season. Back then, they made it to the round of 16, where they were defeated by Bayern Munich. The start of the season in the Premier League cannot be considered disastrous for Arsenal. Under Mikel Arteta’s guidance, they have collected 13 points in five rounds and currently occupy the fourth place in the table. However, Arsenal’s performance is far from perfect – in three out of four winning matches, the advantage was minimal, with only a one-goal difference. Moreover, these victories came against not-so-strong opponents like Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and Everton. They also had a 2-2 draw against Fulham. In the upcoming game, Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli. Kai Havertz hasn’t been in top form either, and there are higher expectations from him.
PSV Eindhoven has consistently finished in second place in the Eredivisie for three consecutive seasons and started their qualification campaign for the Champions League. They managed to break through to the group stage this time after unsuccessful attempts in the past, overcoming the resistance of Sturm Graz and Rangers in the qualification rounds. It’s worth noting that they scored 14 goals in four games. In the Dutch Eredivisie, PSV quickly demonstrated their title ambitions, winning four matches with an overall score of 13-1 and topping the table. However, they are leading only on additional indicators. In general, Peter Bosz’s presence on the coaching staff has had a positive impact on the team, and it would be unwise to underestimate them. It’s worth mentioning that these teams played against each other in the same group in the Europa League last season and exchanged home victories.
