In his haste to avoid two extra Europa League assignments, Mikel Arteta may now have to bring out the big guns for one more. He selected another strong team in the hope they would earn the point that guaranteed first place in Group A and progress straight to the round of 16 in March, but they flopped against a PSV Eindhoven side transformed by the half-time introduction of the former Newcastle and Barcelona striker Luuk De Jong. It was De Jong who capitalised on Aaron Ramsdale’s error to score the hosts’ second goal, eight minutes after he had teed up Joey Veerman to break the deadlock, and although Arteta threw the kitchen sink in response there was no way back.
The upshot is that Arsenal must beat FC Zurich, the group’s whipping boys, at the Emirates next Thursday if they are to be sure of finishing in top spot and avoiding an awkward playoff round in February. The Swiss team are weak at this level but it gives Arteta an unwelcome dilemma: he would surely have loved to play a scratch XI in that fixture, which comes three days before a visit to Chelsea, but may no longer feel he can afford the luxury.
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