FOOTBALL – Fired-up Arsenal thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 away in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie last night after rattling in three goals in a 13-minute spell in the first half and then ruthlessly added four more after the break.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 18th minute, followed by a strike from teenager Ethan Nwaneri before Mikel Merino added the third in the 31st.
The Dutch champions pulled one back with a Noa Lang penalty for a 3-1 halftime deficit but two goals in the opening three minutes after the break reinforced Arsenal’s dominance, with captain Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring.
Odegaard got his second goal in the 73rd minute before substitute Riccardo Calafiori netted the seventh five minutes from time to complete the rout at the Philips Stadion.
Arsenal registered their biggest away win in European club competition and put themselves in a virtually unassailable position to advance to the quarter-finals where they will meet either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid.
They dominated from the start, although the hosts should have taken the lead in the 16th minute when a cross from Ivan Perisic was palmed away by goalkeeper David Raya into the path of Ismael Saibari, who rattled the crossbar from close range.
Two minutes later, a clever turn and left-foot cross from Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice saw Timber tower above Lang at the back post to head home and begin the deluge.
The left side of the Gunners’ attack also provided the second goal as Myles Lewis-Skelly played in a square pass that Nwaneri ran onto and slammed home from point-blank range.
Lewis-Skelly was then fortunate to avoid being sent off for a second yellow card after a clumsy challenge that provoked furious protests from the PSV players and bench.
Merino’s contribution came after Timber’s persistence as the Netherlands defender tried to weave his way into the PSV box.
The home side battled to stop him but when the ball spilt free, defender Ryan Flamingo did not clear properly and Merino snapped up the chance to place the ball in the far corner.
Arsenal gave away a penalty three minutes from halftime when Thomas Partey’s outstretched arm caught PSV captain Luuk de Jong around the neck and Lang converted the spot kick.
But any hopes of a recovery were snuffed out after the break as PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez gifted Odegaard a goal when he pushed Nwaneri’s cross straight at the Norwegian and within 60 seconds a clever dink from Trossard over Benitez made it 5-1.
Odegaard fired home the sixth goal and then provided a perfect pass for Calafiori to net at the end of a storming run on a night where everything went right for the visitors.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa earned a 3-1 win away to Club Brugge in Belgium, thanks to an own goal and a penalty kick in the final eight minutes.
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored a second-half winner as the hosts edged out neighbours Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a scrappy tie after Julian Alvarez had cancelled out Rodrygo’s opener.
It was a stuttering capital derby between bitter rivals who at times looked to be playing within themselves, seemingly conserving some energy for what is likely to be a compelling return leg at Atletico’s Metropolitano Stadium next week.
Lille scored with their first shot on target in the 68th minute to snatch an equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund.
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