Arsenal Set Up Champions League Quarter-Final Against Real Madrid
Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid. The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality. Arsenal, who made seven changes from Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko. Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a fine finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.
PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week's humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a well-taken goal from Couhaib Driouech.
Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, will play 15-time winners Real Madrid in the last eight after Carlo Ancelotti's side squeaked past Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
The two sides have met just twice previously, with Arsenal winning 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in the 2005/06 season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the club should enjoy the achievement of reaching back-to-back quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, when Arsene Wenger was manager of the club.
"That tells you the difficulty of it," said the Spaniard. "We have to value that and recognise that it is very difficult to do it.
"We've done it consistently and now we want to make the next step, which is going to be really difficult, but we are very capable of that."
Arteta's men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV on Wednesday.
Raheem Sterling received