After enjoying a bye into the Champions League last 16 courtesy of a third-place finish in the expanded group phase, Arsenal have been drawn against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
The Gunners will travel to Holland for the first leg on 4/5 March before hosting the return leg at the Emirates the week after.
As a result of being designated to one side of the competition’s bracket, we also know our possible opponents through the quarter and semi-final stages.
If we make it past PSV, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid are waiting in the next round. Arsenal would be home in the first leg, 8/9 April, before travelling to the Spanish capital, 15/16 April.
A win against the Madrid sides would set up a semi-final against one of PSG, Liverpool, Brugge or Aston Villa. Again Arsenal would be at home in the first leg, 29/30 April, before the away leg on 6/7 May.
Arsenal have faced PSV 10 times in European competitions in the last 23 years, winning four, drawing four, and losing twice. We faced them in last year’s group stage, winning 4-0 at home and collecting a creditable 1-1 draw in a dead rubber at the Philips Stadion.
Last 16 draw
PSG vs Liverpool
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
PSV vs Arsenal
Feyenoord vs Inter
Bayern Munich vs Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund vs Lille
Benfica vs Barcelona
What a shit draw. Why (assuming we get through) have to play at home in the first leg of the quarter final? What was the benefit of finishing higher in the table than any of our potential opponents?
Doesn’t matter. Smash PSV, smash Madrid, smash PSG like we did in the group stage, smash whoever we get in the final. Seems pretty simple to me.
I’ll take a scrappy 1-0 in the first leg of each game, followed by a stalemate in the second leg.
Too stressful. I want 5 nil at home all the way to the final
Smashing.
Atlético we can maybe smash if we’re at our best but Real would be fucking hard, by then Saka should be back hopefully but we’ll still be without a striker against Mbappe, Bellingham and Co. That’s literally the team I least fancy our chances against, and we get them as our likely opponent in the QF (should we get there) after finishing almost top with 2nd leg at the Bernabeu in front of 80,000 tapas munchers. Stupid seeding system.
I think the seeding system assumed that clubs like PSG, Madrid, and City would finish high in the “league” stage, not struggle to avoid elimination.
I get that, but at the very least you should get 2nd leg at home till at least the quarters if you finish top 4 out of 32. And imo the seeding should be based on a three or five year average like the CL and Europa League spots are allocated in the first place, not just what you did this season in 8 fairly random group matches. City were shit in the group stage this year but I don’t think a single one of us would rather see them than PSV.
Atletico is the one team I want to avoid
Great draw. Beat PSV, then Real Madrid, then Liverpool or PSG. We will have Saka and Martinelli back. Don’t think like a small team. Check our record for last time Liverpool, city, United, Chelsea beat us. Believe, we can win this.
You just assume Real will beat Atlrtico. In these cup games anything can happen.
The benefit was avoiding the play off for the R16.
No, that was the benefit for finishing in the top 8.
I thought exactly this when I saw the draw. Its such an advantage playing at home last. We always seem to be playing at home first in the crunch games but maybe I’m just making excuses.
Anyway as Super Mik says, one game at a time. PSV away lets gooooooooo
Don’t you mean Forest away? 😉
Don’t you mean West Ham at home? 😉
It was always the plan that top 8 were home second in last 16 only.
From then on it down to a draw.
Many are saying the same as you finishing in 8 doesn’t gain you much other than avoiding a play off but that’s a big bonus imo.
Plus if all top 8 are guaranteed playing home in all further rounds what would happen if it’s Althletic in quarter final??
Because Florentino Perez got involved with the script-writing.
At this stage, im not suprised, nor does it bother me. They have thrown everything they can at us
BUT WE ARE STILL HERE!
STANDING PROUD WITH A TWO FINGER SALUTE TO ALL THE HATERS
Start engraving the cannon into
‘Ol big ears’
picture a Saka winner at the Bernabeu <3
Merino hat trick you mean.
Tears in my eyes
Thierry Henry-esque that would be
I have its crazy good seeing red and white bouncing in their stadium …..then 11minutes later, Ethan Nwaneri hits a low drive daisy cutter under the failing arms of Thibaut Courtois.
Ecstasy!!! 0-2 the Arsenal
Bye bye Madrid
Amigos para siempre and all that jazz
I’m confident about PSV, nervous when it comes to the next round. But I back our boys to give it 100% 🔴⚪
We can win this, come on!
I’m delighted! Providing we make it past PSV, which is certainly no guarantee, a game against potential Real! It’s what the champions league is all about, big teams!
urgh how dull. PSV is a somehow uninspiring draw (maybe because we have a spotty history against them). Would have loved Feyenoord simply because one of my best friends is a big Feyenoord fan and we would have gone to the games together. So, it’s PSV in the round of 16, if we get through likely followed by Real Madrid, followed by Liverpool in the semis. Tough route to the final but tbf both sides of the draws are pretty even.
Brugge in semis.
PSG are in better form than Liverpool right now.
I thought we will go to Italy (before the games!) and it turned out to be Holland. The unpredictable.
Let’s focus on PSV and forget about the next round. We will have Saka back for that.
It’s fine, we have no fear.
when is the game? on the 4th/ 5th of april and 11 /12 of march?
Was this draw set up to assure Barca or Kane make the final?
Hah looks like
I rewatched the 94 cup winners cup final against Parma recently. Still makes me a little weepy and gives me goosebumps. It was the first year I had become a proper Arsenal fan (because of my late dad) and I remember my 10 year old self watching it on a black and white telly in my tiny bedroom, screaming my lungs out for the final whistle and crying with joy at the end. I had school the next day so my dad said I could watch the first half and then I had to switch it off go to bed.… Read more »
Love that
Smith under rated – great player .
Nice childhood memories there!
Ah great memories that you shared 👍 thank you
I don’t know about you guys, but I was cynical as hell about this draw, but the Madrid’s and Germans playing each other is quite refreshing.
I like Madrid drawing Atletico too. They’ll make it spicy and if any of the so called weaker teams could cause an upset, it’ll be them.
I would have preferred Feyenoord but PSV is ok. They need to be respected and will give us a tough game, but we should beat them.
Real Madrid will knock us out without too much trouble. No attack = no Champions League trophy.
Whose a little ray of sunshine then?
I can see Atletico beating Real in their matches.
We can’t look past PSV, one game at a time territory for the lads.
We will have Saka back for Madrid (if we beat PSV) Saka has created more chances that any player in Europe top 5 leagues. Martinelli back too. And don’t forget Mikel John Radford Merino. Come on you gunners. Enjoy the ride fats.
Someone get me some vitamin C, stat! Confidence.
Without natural forwards, even getting past PSV isn’t a given. I’m prepared for anything.
Uhm, guys, it IS the Champions League after all. We’re bound to face someone difficult at some point. Let’s get over it, show our mettle and think big. Gosh what’s with this dilly dally support?
Other side of the draw was potentially Feyenoord- Bayern-Barca. That’s easier but still fairly tough. And I’m kinda glad not to play Bayern this year. Tired of playing against them. Double legged tie against Real is such a treat.
smooth sailing pathway for Barcelona to the finals…
Only for the casual and ignorant fans who don’t know how good Bayer and Inter are, and how Dortmund and Bayern are used to Europe as well.
Barcelona who is also third behind Atletico and also struggled against Atalanta and Benfica earlier in the season. But sure, casual FMT, very smooth clearly.
Why are we on the same side of the Draw as Liverpool? One side of the draw has all the English teams.
Nice observation, all Germany and Spanish teams too are also on one side of the pool.
Just enjoying being back ,being threatening and think we have a great chance , arteta is a Don trust he wants it like a fan ,he loved our team like he’s country and he is not stopping till he brings something he and all the fans want ,like I said geeza