Arsenal fans are all saying the same thing following their Champions League round of 16 first-leg triumph over PSV.
Mikel Arteta’s side dominated their Dutch opponents, delivering a commanding performance at the Philips Stadion.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 18th minute, and just three minutes later, Ethan Nwaneri doubled Arsenal’s lead with an assist from Myles Lewis-Skelly. By the 31st minute, the Gunners were in complete control as Mikel Merino added a third. However, Noa Lang pulled one back for PSV from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute.
After the break, Arsenal quickly regained their three-goal cushion when Martin Odegaard found the net. Leandro Trossard and Odegaard added to the tally before Riccardo Calafiori sealed the 7-1 victory with Arsenal’s final goal of the night.
Amidst the goal fest, fans noticed something intriguing.
Many Arsenal supporters believe Arteta implemented an unconventional tactical move that he had hinted at weeks earlier.
Before Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win against Leicester on February 15, Arteta had a discussion with former defender Martin Keown, who jokingly suggested that Calafiori could be deployed as a striker after his impressive goals against Manchester City and Wolves.
Speaking to TNT Sports at the time, Arteta responded: “It’s been done in the past, you know. Defenders have the ability to become an attacking threat, especially against low blocks—it’s an option we have.”
Now, fans on social media believe Arteta actually put this idea into practice, using Calafiori in a more attacking role.
One fan remarked: “We’ve got center-backs playing like strikers. Just look at that finish from Riccardo Calafiori!”
Another joked: “Calafiori is more dangerous than Sterling in the final third—what a goal!”
A third fan questioned: “How do I explain that Calafiori plays more like a forward than a defender?”
Following the emphatic win, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard shared his thoughts on the performance.
“I really enjoyed that one,” he told UEFA. “Playing at this stage is always tough, especially away from home, so getting a result like this is incredible. We worked hard after the last two games, and today we showed what we’re capable of. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going.”
Arteta, 42, also reflected on the victory.
“I’m so happy for the boys. In the last two games, we hadn’t scored, and we knew there was a lot of talk about that,” he told Prime Video. “This is a massive result away from home in a competition we love and have missed for many years. Tonight was a really special night for us.”
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