Rampant Arsenal thrash PSV 7-1 away in Champions League rout

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands :Fired-up Arsenal thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 away in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday after rattling in three goals in a 13-minute spell in the first half and then ruthlessly added four more after the break.

Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 18th minute, followed by a strike from teenager Ethan Nwaneri before Mikel Merino added the third in the 31st.

The Dutch champions pulled one back with a Noa Lang penalty for a 3-1 halftime deficit but two goals in the opening three minutes after the break reinforced Arsenal’s dominance, with captain Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring.

Odegaard got his second goal in the 73rd minute before substitute Riccardo Calafiori netted the seventh five minutes from time to complete the rout at the Philips Stadion.

Arsenal registered their biggest away win in European club competition and put themselves in a virtually unassailable position to advance to the quarter-finals where they will meet either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid.

They dominated from the start, although the hosts should have taken the lead in the 16th minute when a cross from Ivan Perisic was palmed away by goalkeeper David Raya into the path of Ismael Saibari, who rattled the crossbar from close range.

Two minutes later, a clever turn and left-foot cross from Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice saw Timber tower above Lang at the back post to head home and begin the deluge.

The left side of the Gunners' attack also provided the second goal as Myles Lewis-Skelly played in a square pass that Nwaneri ran onto and slammed home from point-blank range.

Lewis-Skelly was then fortunate to avoid being sent off for a second yellow card after a clumsy challenge that provoked furious