Arsenal returned to the Champions League in style as they started their first campaign in six years with an impressive win over PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners wrapped up victory in their opening Group B game with a scintillating first half display that saw them race into a 3-0 lead on a rain-soaked night in north London.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring after eight minutes, pouncing on a rebound when PSV keeper Walter Benitez could only push Martin Odegaard's into the England winger's path.
Saka was involved again when Arsenal doubled their advantage 12 minutes later, laying the ball perfectly into Leandro Trossard's pass for a smooth low finish after Gabriel Jesus had broken clear.
Jesus was outstanding and thoroughly deserved to add Arsenal's third seven minutes before half-time with a rising drive that gave Benitez no chance.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a host of second-half changes with Sunday's derby at home to in-form Tottenham in mind, but his side still retained complete control, and Odegaard made it 4-0 with a powerful 20-yard strike with 20 minutes left.
Elsewhere in Group B, French side Lens held Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in Spain as they played in their first Champions League match in 20 years.
Gunners' perfect night will delight Arteta
Arsenal had been waiting for this day since 2017, and the home crowd celebrated their return to the Champions League with a thunderous roar before kick-off as the tournament's anthem rang around Emirates Stadium.
And manager Arteta could hardly have wished for a better outcome as Arsenal dominated from the outset, those two early goals emphasising their superiority over PSV and a giving them a control they never looked like relinquishing.
Striker Jesus was a perfect leader of the line, scoring one, helping to create another with a surging break, and also forcing a superb diving save out of keeper Benitez after some outstanding footwork.
David Raya was again chosen ahead of Aaron Ramsdale in goal, and while he was hardly examined, he showed again why Arteta rates him so highly by demonstrating safe handling in conditions difficult as well as some excellent distribution with the ball at his feet.
The added bonus for Arteta was that Arsenal's victory was so comfortable that he was able to make changes early to keep players fresh for that fixture against Spurs on Sunday.
Saka, Jesus, Trossard, Declan Rice, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all given an early night to conserve energies for what is shaping up as one of the biggest games of the Premier League season.
The Gunners' spirits could not be higher after following up their vital win at Everton last weekend with a display full of enough of their trademark fluency to outclass their Dutch opponents.
Player of the match
SakaBukayo Saka
with an average of 8.79Arsenal
Squad number7Player nameSakaAverage rating8.79
Squad number8Player nameØdegaardAverage rating8.42
Squad number19Player nameTrossardAverage rating8.37
Squad number9Player nameGabriel JesusAverage rating8.30
Squad number2Player nameSalibaAverage rating7.99
Squad number41Player nameRiceAverage rating7.97
Squad number10Player nameSmith RoweAverage rating7.79
Squad number6Player nameGabriel MagalhãesAverage rating7.77
Squad number35Player nameZinchenkoAverage rating7.72
Squad number24Player nameNelsonAverage rating7.71
Squad number21Player nameFábio VieiraAverage rating7.69
Squad number4Player nameWhiteAverage rating7.66
Squad number18Player nameTomiyasuAverage rating7.55
Squad number20Player nameJorginhoAverage rating7.48
Squad number22Player nameRayaAverage rating7.32
Squad number29Player nameHavertzAverage rating7.15
PSV Eindhoven
Squad number11Player nameBakayoko
Average rating4.58
Squad number6Player nameBella-Kotchap
Average rating4.56
Squad number8Player nameDest
Average rating4.53
Squad number9Player nameL de Jong
Average rating4.52
Squad number7Player nameLang
Average rating4.42
Squad number18Player nameBoscagli
Average rating4.42
Squad number1Player nameBenítez
Average rating4.39
Squad number34Player nameSaibari
Average rating4.38
Squad number22Player nameSchouten
Average rating4.34
Squad number3Player nameTeze
Average rating4.31
Squad number23Player nameVeerman
Average rating4.29
Squad number27Player nameLozano
Average rating4.13
Squad number14Player namePepi
Average rating4.10
Squad number32Player nameVertessen
Average rating4.03
Squad number10Player nameTillman
Average rating4.00
Squad number5Player nameAndré Ramalho
Average rating3.72
Line-ups
Arsenal
Formation 4-3-3
22Raya
4White2Saliba6Gabriel35Zinchenko
8Ødegaard41Rice29Havertz
7Saka9Gabriel Jesus19Trossard
- 22Raya
- 4WhiteBooked at 42mins
- 2Saliba
- 6Gabriel
- 35ZinchenkoSubstituted forTomiyasuat 58'minutes
- 8Ødegaard
- 41RiceSubstituted forJorginhoat 76'minutes
- 29Havertz
- 7SakaSubstituted forFábio Vieiraat 69'minutes
- 9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forSmith Roweat 69'minutes
- 19TrossardSubstituted forNelsonat 58'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Ramsdale
- 10Smith Rowe
- 14Nketiah
- 15Kiwior
- 17Cédric Soares
- 18Tomiyasu
- 20Jorginho
- 21Fábio Vieira
- 24Nelson
- 25Elneny
- 31Hein
PSV Eindhoven
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Benítez
3Teze6Bella-Kotchap18Boscagli8Dest
22Schouten23Veerman
11Bakayoko34Saibari7Lang
9L de Jong
- 1Benítez
- 3Teze
- 6Bella-KotchapSubstituted forRamalho Silvaat 76'minutes
- 18BoscagliBooked at 48mins
- 8Dest
- 22SchoutenBooked at 87mins
- 23Veerman
- 11BakayokoSubstituted forLozanoat 66'minutes
- 34SaibariSubstituted forTillmanat 66'minutesBooked at 80mins
- 7LangSubstituted forVertessenat 76'minutes
- 9L de JongSubstituted forPepiat 90'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Sambo
- 5Ramalho Silva
- 10Tillman
- 14Pepi
- 16Drommel
- 20Til
- 24Waterman
- 26Babadi
- 27Lozano
- 30van Aanholt
- 32Vertessen
Referee:Felix Zwayer
Attendance:58,860
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Arsenal 4, PSV Eindhoven 0.
Second Half ends, Arsenal 4, PSV Eindhoven 0.
Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven).
Corner, PSV Eindhoven. Conceded by Ben White.
Substitution, PSV Eindhoven. Ricardo Pepi replaces Luuk de Jong.
Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven).
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jerdy Schouten.
Attempt blocked. Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe.
Jerdy Schouten (PSV Eindhoven) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Kai Havertz (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jerdy Schouten (PSV Eindhoven).
Attempt missed. Fábio Vieira (Arsenal) header from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Reiss Nelson with a cross.
Offside, Arsenal. Fábio Vieira tries a through ball, but Ben White is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe.
Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jorginho (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven).
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