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Arsenal dominated PSV and slammed home seven goals to all but book its spot in the next round of the Champions League.
To say that this win was badly needed was an understatement, and for Arsenal, managing seven goals on the road in the Champions League would constitute as the perfect European night.
With Arsenal's goal-scoring issues well documented thanks to the crippling injury list that consists of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, against PSV, it didn't seem to matter...for the first time in months.
A brace from Martin Odegaard along with goals from Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard, and Riccardo Calafiori put all of Arsenal's goal-scoring demons to bed.
Now, this won't be the "norm" for the club going forward, but what it does do is lift the mental block that many feel the Gunners had trouble breaking through. Back-to-back games of not scoring is almost unheard of for Arsenal, but now, the pressure valve has been released.
And to say that it came at the right moment for the club is an understatement with the Premier League title challenge over, the Champions League is the last chance for silverware
Now, with the confidence gained from such a dominating performance, the task in front of Arsenal is to now replicate it.
"Well, it obviously gives us a lot of joy, confidence and belief, and then in football, it’s not what we did three days ago, or today, it’s about what we’re going to do tomorrow, or at Old Trafford, how we behave and able to win again, and that’s it," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "Enjoy tonight because it was a very impressive performance, an unbelievable score, so we deserve that, and now take that, and keep improving as a team."
That will now be the message forward - do it again.
Plus, the Gunners now know that it can be done. There were flashes of what the attack could look like with Merino up top, but now the club has tangible results to fall back on, and this impressive display could be what kickstarts the Gunners' fast finish to end the year.
Of course, it is only one game, and we said as much after the Leicester win, but Arsenal has finally clicked in a way many have wanted for months, and with Manchester United up next at Old Trafford, one could say this goal-scoring return has come at the perfect time.
Mental handbrake lifted.