PSV v Arsenal: could PSV possibly recover – even a bit?

 

• Is it really true that one more player is all Arsenal now need?
• Officials and FA up their attacks on football clubs

By Bulldog Drummond

This is Arsenal and even given one or two disasters in the past, it is impossible to imagine the club not going through to the next round.  Yet even the players seem quite happy, as with statements such as “William Saliba has insisted he is happy at Arsenal and believes he can achieve his dream of becoming the world’s best defender by helping them to win major trophies.”

Which means according to the media, that he is going to Real Madrid – the club that Arsenal might well face in the next round of the Champs League.   He added, “We can do it, we all believe that we can do it. We have to work and pray as well.”  Which in media terms means, “he’s off.”

But there is a turn up in the Guardian’s reporting, for they have noticed (and I think they are one of the first since Untold raised the issue) that Arsenal are the best defensive team in what is called by the media, “the toughest league in the world.”   

And this is without Saliba at his best, for he added, “I am not the best at the moment because, for me, this season I have not been so good. I have to review my season, I have to work on my game. But this season, I have not been so good. I have to watch especially my partner, Gabriel, who has been so, so good this season.”  

Of course, it is not fashionable to look at the defensive record at the moment because, well put simply, Arsenal are the best.  Here are the top three defences in the Premier League…

 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
2	Arsenal	28	15	10	3	52	24	28	55
1	Liverpool	29	21	7	1	69	27	42	70
3	Nottingham Forest	28	15	6	7	45	33	12	51

 

… and no one likes to say Arsenal are the best at anything, but there we are.   So the team ought to be able to stop PSV scoring seven and going through to the next round.

Meanwhile, in comparison, PSV (who remain second in their league) have conceded 30 goals in 25 games.   So they have played two fewer league games and conceded more goals than Arsenal in a weaker league.  But in terms of attack, they have been doing well, with 75 goals scored in those 25 games, which is quite amazing.  They are in fact far and away the best goal-scorers in the Dutch league 

However, PSV have played one match since being knocked about by Arsenal and that they won that 2-1 against Heerenveen.  Not quite their normal goal scoring level.

And indeed, when we come to consider their away record, they are not quite flying on so many cylinders.   As we can see in the comparative table below, away from home their results are back into a more normal level – they are still doing well, but not in the super-human league any more.   But yes, let us admit it is still almost three goals scored a game.   But with 1.58 goals a game conceded.

 

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
PSV Eindhoven away	12	7	1	4	33	19	+14	22
PSV Eindhoven home	13	10	3	0	42	11	+31	33

 

There is however a rather interesting story that has emerged from Holland of late which I am not sure much of the English media has picked up on although ESPN has run it.

The story is that PSV fans who actually do attend the game today in London (rather than give up on their ticket following the crushing defeat in Holland) will have their ticket cost refunded by PSV.    It is estimated that this will cost PSV around  €200,000 or £168,000.   In their statement announcing the decision, they said, “After the poor result at home last week, your support and presence are extra appreciated.” 

One other point of news from PSV of late is that in their match last week, American defender Sergiño Dest returned to the team after missing almost all of the last season with injury.

It is of course, possible to make a case for PSV in this match by looking at Arsenal’s last six games in all competitions, in which Arsenal have won just two, drawn two and lost two.  Those two defeats were against Newcastle away in the league cup, and West Ham at home in the league, while the victories were both away from home (0-2 against Leciester and in the game against PSV).

But even that doesn’t really feel like a bad omen.