Eddie Nketiah's first-half goal ensured Arsenal escaped their final Champions League group-stage game with a 1-1 draw against PSV on Tuesday. With qualification as group winners already secured, Mikel Arteta made eight changes to the starting XI that lost 1-0 to Aston Villa on Saturday, and his team were rather disjointed at times and second best throughout the clash in Eindhoven.
Jakub Kiwior was an obvious weak point that left them in danger of going behind, while Leandro Trossard, unable to produce anything of note, was behind the pace of the game all the way through. There were even some dodgy moments for ever-reliable William Saliba and his centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes.
After a couple of close calls for the home side, it was the Gunners who took the lead when the promising combination of Reiss Nelson and Cedric Soares on the right side finally produced a decisive moment, sending the ball into the box where Nketiah's movement, touch and finish produced a fine goal.
PSV had looked bright for the most part and managed to find the equaliser just five minutes into the second half, with Ricardo Pepi finding Yorbe Vertessen, who capitalised on Saliba's sloppiness to find the net. The runaway Eredivisie leaders pushed for the winner, but will be happy with a point and a much more assured performance against the team that totally outclassed them in north London at the start of the campaign.
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