Arsenal in Champions League rout of PSV Eindhoven

Record-breaking Arsenal all but secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a stunning 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 clash at the Philips Stadion.

Jurrien Timber opened the scoring after 18 minutes before teenager Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino extended Arsenal’s advantage inside half an hour.

Noa Lang gave PSV hope from the penalty spot only for Martin Odegaard to score 60 seconds after the restart, with Leandro Trossard landing a fifth one minute later.

Odegaard doubled his tally with 17 minutes remaining and Riccardo Calafiori completed the devastating rout, Arsenal’s biggest in a Champions League away fixture, in the closing minutes.

The Gunners, without a recognised striker, have been abject and short of goals in the Premier League as their title chances have evaporated.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men answered Timber’s pre-match call to change the narrative with an electric performance on the European stage – admittedly against a poor PSV side – to put them on a brink of a last-eight match-up against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.

After Odegaard saw a penalty appeal waved away and Declan Rice had a goal ruled out for offside inside the first dozen minutes, it was PSV who actually came within inches of opening the scoring when David Raya could only get his fingertips to Ivan Perisic’s cross and Ismael Saibari struck the follow-up against the upright.

Less than two minutes later, the visitors had their breakthrough. Myles Lewis-Skelly did well in the middle of the park to find Trossard who played in Rice. A fine swivel and cross from the England man allowed ex-Ajax defender Timber to head Arsenal into the lead at the back post.

PSV had barely got their