October 20, (THEWILL) – Arsenal defeated PSV 1-0 at home through a Granit Xhaka volley, which gave the Gunners qualification for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League with two games remaining.
Manager, Mikel Arteta, fielded a strong team as Arsenal sought to advance from Group A on Thursday, but PSV appeared poised to delay them after putting on a staunch defensive performance in the first half especially as the hosts were not clinical.
The visitors’ resolve lasted until the 70th minute as goalkeeper, Walter Benitez, skillfully held Arsenal at bay. However, Xhaka crowned an all-round brilliant display by deflecting a right-wing delivery into the bottom left corner to secure the victory for the Emirates team.
The result means Arsenal is now guaranteed a position in the knockout rounds and only need a point in the return leg the following week to ensure them top spot and a bye to the tournament’s round of 16.
On Sunday, Arsenal will travel to Southampton to try to keep up their impressive start to the English Premier League season going, while PSV will play in an Eredivisie match at Groningen.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
