Football News

PSV Eindhoven Preview: Time for the Fringes to Step Up

by
Anthony Okike
December 12, 2023

Arsenal 4 PSV 0: Gunners fill their boots with Jesus, Saka and Trossard all on the mark as they ease to win | The Sun

Yesterday, I shared a proposed lineup for Arsenal in their game tonight against PSV Eindhoven.

Tonight, I expect the fringe players within the team to step up and be counted, especially after their poor showing in the EFL Cup loss to West Ham. That night, Mikel Arteta handed out starts to Aaron Ramsdale, Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah – players that hardly feature regularly. After stinking up the whole place, Jorginho was replaced by Declan Rice, Trossard by Gabriel Martinelli, Nelson by Bukayo Saka and Nketiah by Odegaard.

Odegaard, who was returning from an extended spell in the sidelines, due to concussion, scored what proved to be the consolation goal, as Arsenal was sent packing from the competition. Arteta outrightly expressed his disappointment on the performance and those lads returned to the bench, where they actually belong.

Arsenal followed up the West Ham embarrassment with consecutive wins over Sevilla, Burnley, Brentford, Lens, Wolves and Luton, scoring 18 goals and conceding six. The Aston Villa loss was a blip on the road, but in December, the football comes thick and fast, so there’s no time to wallop in the defeat and all focus will be on Brighton this weekend before the top of the table clash against Liverpool in Anfield next week.

However, there is the business of PSV Eindhoven to attend to. A dead rubber match in every sense of the word with Arsenal confirmed in first place and PSV confirmed in second place. This is more or less a glorified friendly match in an elite competition, which is why it will make a lot of sense for Mikel Arteta to feature the fringe players that struggled at the London Stadium to get some valuable minutes under their belts.

In Arteta’s pre-match press conference, the gaffer gave updates on Jurrien Timber’s rehabilitation progress, the youngsters, Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa and Reull Walters, that travelled with the squad, resting his senior players and surprisingly, the return of Emile Smith Rowe to full fitness.

I am very elated that Smith Rowe is back, and such a dead rubber game with little or no intensity will offer him the opportunity to ease his way back into the team, while still doing his bit to break in to the main setup. It is definitely crushing for a player like Smith Rowe watching on the sidelines, especially after he emerged to be one of the standout performers of the 2011/12 campaign, scoring 11 goals in 37 appearances for the club that season.

Today’s opposition, PSV Eindhoven, is in imperious form in the EreDivisie, winning all 15 matches played so far, scoring 52 goals and conceding only six. Club captain and talisman, Luuk de Jong, is in amazing form, scoring 10 goals in the League and 17 goals in all competitions. With the club sealing their passage to the next round, one would expect Peter Bosz to make wholesale changes like Arteta.

To team news, PSV will be without key defender, Armel Bella-Kotchap, and Armando Obispo, while Arsenal will be without Timber, Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Fabio Vieira. However, both teams have sufficient depth to see the game through.