Arsenal are two-third of the way through a monumental week, with two victories already in the bag after cruising to a 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven in their long-awaited UEFA Champions League return on Wednesday.
[ WATCH: Arsenal’s four goals, plus seven between Man United & Bayern Munich ]
Now, all that’s left is the small matter of the north London derby, as unbeaten Tottenham make the short trek to Emirates Stadium to face unbeaten Arsenal on Sunday (9 am ET).
The goals came early and often for the Gunners, who found themselves competing in Europe’s preeminent club competition for the first time since 2017. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring after eight minutes — Arsenal’s first Champions League goal in 2,388 days.
Saka turned provider for the second as Leandro Trossard struck from the edge of the penalty area before becoming the assister for Gabriel Jesus on goal no. 3 not long before halftime. Martin Odegaard got in on the action midway through the second half, as Mikel Arteta made wholesale changes with Sunday’s showdown moving to the forefront.
Sevilla and Lens drew 1-1 in the other game in Group B, putting Arsenal top of the table after matchday 1.
Arsenal save best performance for biggest game of season so far
Despite winning four of their first five Premier League games, Arsenal’s start to the season could be best described as somewhat unconvincing. One-goal victories over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Everton hardly inspired belief that they would challenge Manchester City for the title again — even the 3-1 win over Manchester United was a 1-1 game until the 95th minute, and that’s before we get to letting a 2-1 lead slip away against 10-man Fulham.
Alas, the bright lights and the big stage brought out the best in Arteta’s men on Wednesday, as they dominated PSV in every facet of the game and were on auto-pilot by the half-hour mark. Four different goalscorers and three different assisters — the mark of Arsenal when they are at their best and brightest, just in time for Sunday.
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven, final score: 4-0
Goalscorers: Bukayo Saka (8'), Leandro Trossard (20'), Gabriel Jesus (38'), Martin Odegaard (70')
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven: How to watch, updates, start time
Date: Wednesday, September 20
Kick off: 3pm ET
How to watch: Paramount+ and TUDN USA
LET'S DO THIS TOGETHER! ❤️🤍#ARSPSV #UCL pic.twitter.com/t4RQYNuHyJ
— PSV (@PSV) September 20, 2023
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 20, 2023
🥁 Introducing our @ChampionsLeague line-up for tonight's game with PSV Eindhoven...
COME ON YOU GUNNERS! pic.twitter.com/4ozt5oBVgG
Arsenal hasn’t impressed a ton this season but that shows us how far the Gunners have come under Mikel Arteta.
Why?
The Gunners are unbeaten in all competitions, beating Man City in the Community Shield and boasting a 4W-1D record in Premier League play.
Bukayo Saka is tied for the team lead in goals and assists, and his four goal contributions show a star continuing to shine bright after an exceptional 2022-23 season.
Will Arteta go back to Kai Havertz and Aaron Ramsdale after opting for Fabio Vieira and David Raya in a 1-0 win over Everton at the weekend?
Arteta will not have Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli as well as long-term absentees Jurrien Timber and Mohamed Elneny.
PSV is a perfect 4-0 in Eredivisie play following a 4-0 beatdown of NEC Breda this weekend.
They’ve won their last three matches (Rangers, RKC Waalwijk, NEC Breda) by a combined 13-1 but Arsenal is obviously a step up in competition.
Luuk de Jong leads PSV with four goals, while Noa Lang — deemed fit to face the Gunners — has struck thrice. Joey Veerman has a goal and four assists for former Ajax, Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lyon boss Peter Bosz.