After failing to score in their previous two matches, the Gunners netted seven times in Eindhoven, achieving the club’s largest-ever away victory in the Champions League. ..Continue Reading
Despite Noah Lang converting a penalty for the underperforming hosts, the 7-1 result remains the joint-heaviest defeat in PSV’s 112-year history.
“It was a special night,” Arteta gushed. “It’s obviously given us a lot of joy and confidence and belief. In football, it’s not what we did three days ago or today, it’s going to be what we do tomorrow.”
The north London side travel to Manchester United on Sunday and Arteta was keen to replicate Arsenal’s energetic display in this historic Premier League rivalry.
“We go to Old Trafford,” the Spanish boss warned, “how we behave, how we play and are we able to win a game. That’s it, enjoy tonight because it was a very impressive performance and an unbelievable score. We deserve that and I’ll take it and keep improving as a team.”
Arsenal became the first away team in Champions League history to score as many as seven goals in the knockout stages of the European competition.
“It’s something that hasn’t been done, so it’s great to be part of that,” Arteta briefly noted before shifting his focus to the team’s real goal; titles.
“But as a team we want to achieve many other things that are far more important than that. The happiest I am is because we are in a very strong position to go to the next round, which is where we want to be.”
For the fourth consecutive game, Arteta opted for a lineup without a traditional striker. This strategy previously saw a victory against Leicester City, followed by a loss to West Ham United and a lackluster goalless draw with Nottingham Forest last week.
Arteta emphasized the unpredictability of the outcome on Tuesday.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Arteta told his post-match press conference, “nobody in this room, if I give you an envelope and say, ‘can you predict what’s going to happen tomorrow and who is going to score,’ [nobody would say 7-1] that’s the beauty of football.”
