The positives & negatives from Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to PSV

I have decided to throw structure out of the window for this 3 positives and negatives column. It was a bad performance, no other way to put it, that’s just what it was.

Arsenal had more shots and accumulated more xG in the match, but it didn’t feel like it while watching.

A sub-par pitch didn’t help, but it was by no means the catalyst for this defeat. Arsenal just couldn’t get it right in Eindhoven.

The positives & negatives from Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to PSV

The good news with this is that Arsenal have been underperforming on output in the last few matches, but they’ve still looked good in the underlying stats. They’ll be okay despite some bad recent performances. The Gunners are still top of Group A, so that’s something! We control our own destiny, only needing a win against the team at the bottom, FC Zurich, at home to punch a ticket into the knockouts and avoid the round of 32.

And now for the bad, of which there was a lot. The lineup was interesting with Fabio Vieira and Martin Ødegaard starting together on the right-hand side. Unfortunately, that combination didn’t work too well for Arsenal. They were operating in many of the same areas and Fabio didn’t hold the width as well as he should have.

Despite a strong pairing of eights ahead of Sambi Lokonga, Arsenal struggled to maintain control in the match. The visitors struggled to retain possession in the PSV half and thus struggled to sustain any sort of pressure on the hosts.

Arsenal’s high line came in handy with three goals called being back for offside, but PSV kept creating opportunities that would eventually come in the form of their two goals. Rob Holding and Aaron Ramsdale had very tough matches, the latter getting turned a few times while Ramsdale was directly responsible for PSV’s second goal.

The attack felt very disconnected, Eddie Nketiah seemed more static than normal, not really finding space in the half spaces to make opportunities happen offensively. It was a poor match from him on Thursday, but he was far from the only one.

There was way more bad than good in this match because we were just outplayed. Arsenal have to bounce back in their remaining matches before the World Cup but all is very much not lost.