Europa League: What Arsenal Need To Do Against PSV To Qualify From Group

Arsenal hosts PSV at the Emirates in a rescheduled Europa League tie tonight looking to seal their spot in the knockout stages.

The Gunners have won all of their matches in Europe so far this season, sitting top of Group A ahead of the match against  Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s men despite the two sides playing only three games each so far.

That’s due to this fixture being postponed after the Queen’s death last month, with it squeezed into the calendar for tonight after Arsenal’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City was moved to make room for the game.

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While Mikel Arteta’s side have been incredibly impressive so far this campaign, they produced perhaps their worst display of the season against Leeds last time out, fortunate to come away from Elland Road with three points.

Last week’s 1-0 win in Norway against Bodø/Glimt continued the Gunners’ 100% record in Europe. With results elsewhere, tomorrow’s home tie with PSV gives Arsenal a chance to secure qualification for next year’s knockout phase.

Bodø/Glimt and Zurich have both played four games, with the clash at the Emirates Stadium originally scheduled to take place last month. However, due to the severe limitations on police resources and organizational issues related to the national mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

So, what do Arsenal need tonight to secure their place in the knockout stages?

Three points. The Gunners are currently five points clear of third-placed Bodø/Glimt and boast the better head-to-head record against the Norwegian side. Victory over PSV would lift them eight points clear of them with two games remaining.

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However, a draw would also be enough. Unlike the Premier League, the Europa League table is decided by head-to-head rather than goal difference, meaning the back-to-back victories over Bodø would be enough to confirm their qualification.

With the Emirates crowd behind them after a few days of recovery, Arteta will expect his reshuffled side to be back to their best to seal a place in the knockout rounds, but PSV can feel confident of taking a point back to base following an entertaining spectacle.