Arsenal dominate Europa League, but Turner has little to do in final pre-World Cup reps

LONDON -- Arsenal bushed PSV Eindhoven, 1-0, connected Thursday and stayed cleanable successful their Europa League quest, continuing their bully signifier that has them apical of the Premier League.

- Report: Arsenal vs. PSV | Europa League table | Upcoming fixtures

Although the lucifer stayed deadlocked overmuch of the nighttime arsenic Arsenal failed to enactment distant chances, Granit Xhaka scored the game-winner successful the 70th minute.

ESPN's Connor O'Halloran has absorption and investigation from Emirates Stadium.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Arsenal poised to triumph Europa League group

Arsenal's past decision successful immoderate contention came against Manchester United connected Sept. 4. In fact, it's the lone crippled they haven't won each season.

The bully times are present successful the reddish fractional of northbound London: they person achieved their best-ever commencement to a Premier League play aft 10 games, and stay flawless successful the Europa League with 4 wins from four, clinching a spot successful the knockout circular with 2 radical games to spare.

As such, they are 5 points wide of PSV and wrong inches of winning the group, bypassing the archetypal knockout circular -- which are squeezed days aft the radical signifier extremity connected Nov. 7.

Dropping points against PSV connected Thursday would person been a information -- not conscionable due to the fact that they would look the menace of coming 2nd and staring down Champions League opposition, but it would besides mean 2 much games successful a play sandwiched either broadside of the World Cup. To beryllium superior rubric contenders to Manchester City, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's broadside indispensable debar playing an other game, and against PSV they ensured conscionable that.

2. Turner's reps earlier World Cup bash small to boost stock

U.S. men's nationalist squad goalkeeper Matt Turner plays 2nd fiddle astatine Arsenal to starter Aaron Ramsdale, who helium volition conscionable erstwhile the U.S. look Group B foes England astatine the World Cup successful Qatar. In a pre-match quality conference, Turner described his determination to from the New England Revolution to Arsenal this summertime arsenic a "necessary risk."

"It was a hazard to spell from being a shoo-in starter to a spot wherever I wasn't guaranteed to beryllium a regular starter, but it felt similar a indispensable hazard that I had to take," Turner said.

It means helium indispensable instrumentality his chances and maximise his reps erstwhile they arrive, and this play they person travel successful the Europa League. He enactment successful an outstanding show past clip retired against Bodo/Glimt, the main crushed Arsenal escaped with a constrictive win. But the brace of Europa League clashes with PSV, intelligibly second-best squad successful Group A, correspond his champion chances to boost assurance and summation reps earlier the bedlam of Qatar kicks off.

Yet, helium had small to bash successful this one, and it was a missed accidental for the goalkeeper who is the favourite nether Gregg Berhalter to commencement for the U.S. up of Zack Steffen. Injuries permitting, Turner volition apt person 1 much tally retired successful the reverse fixture successful the Netherlands.

Turner whitethorn person lacked reps, but helium knew that erstwhile helium joined Arsenal. He indispensable present anticipation helium is acceptable for Qatar.

3. Arsenal support uncovering a way, but look toothless

Arsenal dominated some halves connected Thursday with PSV hardly enjoying a footwear arsenic Arteta's broadside remained successful changeless power -- 62% possession and 25 shots shows arsenic much.

What they mostly failed to bash was find a last pass: Kieran Tierney blazed a accidental successful the opening minutes, followed soon by a lacklustre effort from Granit Xhaka. Gabriel Jesus fluffed a decent accidental arsenic helium recovered abstraction betwixt 2 defenders. Bukayo Saka missed a one-on-one aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

More waves of possession went without punishment earlier Xhaka yet broke the deadlock with a beautifully taken half-volley connected 70 minutes, but it should person been more. Even aft that, a mates of superb saves from PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez meant the pb stayed astatine one.

There is small to interest astir astatine Arsenal close now, but 3 successive outings with lone a extremity to amusement for their troubles won't thrill Arteta. Three wins might, though.

Player ratings

Arsenal: Turner 6; Tomiyasu 7, Holding 7, Gabriel 7, Tierney 7; Lokonga 6, Xhaka 8, Vieira 6; Saka 7, Jesus 8, Nketiah 6

Subs: Partey 6, Odegaard 6, White N/A, Martinelli N/A, Nelson N/A

PSV: Benitez 8, Mwene 6, Ramalho 7, Obispo 6, Max 6, Gutierrez 6, Sangare 6, Simons 5, Veerman 5, Gakpo 5, Til 5

Subs: Madueke 6, Teze 5, De Jong N/A, Ledezma N/A

Best and worst performers

BEST: Granit Xhaka, Arsenal

Looked assured connected the shot each night, spraying passes and moving into the last third, and his extremity earned Arsenal different constrictive triumph arsenic helium continues his revival nether Arteta.

WORST: Cody Gakpo, PSV

Gakpo earned the involvement of Manchester United past summer, but helium did small to showcase that endowment connected Thursday arsenic helium was mostly marked retired of the crippled by Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Highlights and notable moments

Arsenal dominated but couldn't marque bully connected their chances, with the archetypal fractional coming and going without a goal.

Arsenal had a mates of large opportunities successful the 54th minute, but PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez denied Granit Xhaka and scooped up a missed accidental from Gabriel Jesus.

A immense prevention from Walter Benítez to support the people level. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/uHZdh5hrcA

Arsenal yet recovered their breakthrough, however, with an fantabulous one-time onslaught from Xhaka, who swiveled astir and placed his changeable good retired of Benitez's reach.

The extremity was a beauty.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Arteta connected Xhaka, astir 3 years to the time aft helium was infamously booed off: "He deserves that -- I deliberation helium has faced adversity, and successful hard moments helium has enactment his limb up erstwhile helium had thing antithetic to do. His worthy ethic, the mode helium is arsenic a person, the mode helium treats everybody astir the club, and the emotion for this shot nine and the assemblage is unquestionable, and I deliberation helium afloat deserves that."

Arteta connected Saka playing crippled aft game: "Look astatine the apical players successful the world. They play 70 matches, playing each 3 days, and marque the quality and triumph the game. You privation to beryllium astatine the top, you person to beryllium capable to bash that, and if we commencement to enactment thing antithetic successful the minds of our young players past that's a immense mistake... I privation it to beryllium ruthless 3 days, they volition beryllium knocking astatine my doorway [saying] 'I privation to play.'"

PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy connected Arsenal dominance: "In the archetypal fractional we weren't successful the crippled astatine all, we were conscionable defending and surviving, which we did and had a cleanable expanse astatine half-time. We had immoderate moments wherever we created half-a-chance oregon 2 but that wasn't enough."

Key stats

• Granit Xhaka has scored arsenic galore goals this season, three, arsenic successful his erstwhile 3 seasons combined. His extremity against PSV was the archetypal of his 17 for Arsenal not to beryllium scored with his near foot.

Up next

Arsenal: The Gunners caput to Southampton for Premier League enactment connected Sunday astatine 9 a.m. ET. Then they caput to the Netherlands for the instrumentality limb of this Europa League tie, facing PSV again connected Thursday, Oct. 27 astatine 12:45 p.m. ET.

PSV Eindhoven: PSV instrumentality to Eredivisie enactment erstwhile they caput to FC Groningen connected Sunday astatine 8:30 a.m. ET. Then, they big Arsenal for the instrumentality limb of this Europa League necktie connected Thursday, Oct. 27 astatine 12:45 p.m. ET.