This was billed as a meaningless game, but turned out to be a useful experiment for Mikel Arteta.
Having already secured top spot in Group B and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, the Arsenal manager was always going to rotate his squad here in Eindhoven.
Arteta made eight changes — and Eddie Nketiah, one of the players who came in to the team, put Arsenal ahead just before half-time.
PSV equalised five minutes after the break through Yorbe Vertessen and, as the game ticked into the final half an hour, the expectation was Arteta would throw on one or two of the three academy players he included in his squad.
Instead, though, he used last night as a chance to experiment, and Declan Rice was brought on at centre-back in place of William Saliba.
Arsenal’s title charge collapsed last season when Saliba injured his back in March and missed their final 11 Premier League games.
Arteta’s plan then was to play Jakub Kiwior or Rob Holding, but Rice is now an “emergency” option.
“We are very short at the back and I really wanted to try if something happens, how we’re going to resolve that situation,” said Arteta.
Arsenal tried to address their reliance on Saliba in the summer by signing Jurrien Timber for £38million from Ajax. The 22-year-old, who can play anywhere across the defence, injured his knee on the opening weekend of the season and faces a fight to play again this campaign.
Since then, Arsenal have been stretched further with Takehiro Tomiyasu out for the next five weeks due to a calf problem and then at the Asian Cup with Japan. Thomas Partey, who could ease the load at right-back, is out until next year with a thigh issue and will then be at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.
Rice has played at centre-back before, when he was coming through the ranks at Chelsea and West Ham, and he may have to do so again in the coming weeks. He, understandably, looked a bit rusty at first when he was turned inside out by Vertessen minutes after coming on. But Rice settled down after that and by the end was showing the kind of composure he brings to the midfield.
“He was really good,” said Arteta. “We have to try as if we have an emergency, and to be sure that we can fill that gap in the right way. He has a lot of composure on the ball, he wins a lot of duels for a player of his size and he has done it in the past. He is a good option.”
Rice is clearly talented enough to be a capable centre-back, but it would come at a cost for Arsenal. He brings size and power in midfield, something Arsenal lacked last season, and last night showed how that cannot be replaced unless Partey comes in for Rice there.
Jorginho is good with the ball at his feet, but his lack of dynamism means the Arsenal midfield is bypassed too easily — as was the case for PSV’s goal.
The Dutch side had their tails up after that but Arsenal held firm. Rice’s role in that will have given him food for thought.
“What I have seen is that we can compete at this level and we finished top of the group which is very important and not easy ,” said Arteta.
“Now we close that chapter until February and make sure that when that chapter opens up again we’re in the best place to compete against another top side.”
