Mikel Arteta paid tribute to Arsenal’s players for a “special night” as they thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 to record their biggest away victory in the Champions League.
Martin Ødegaard, the captain, was inspired as he scored twice with Riccardo Calafiori, on as a substitute, rounding off the rout with Arsenal’s seventh goal to surpassing the Gunners’ 5-1 victory at San Siro against Inter in 2003.
It means Arteta’s side are virtually assured of reaching the quarter‑finals for the second successive season. But having overcome their issues in front of goal in spectacular style after failing to score in three of their past four games, the Arsenal manager is hoping this can act as a springboard for the rest of the season as they prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“Thank you because it was a special night,” Arteta said of his team’s performance. “It’s obviously given us a lot of joy and confidence and belief. In football, it’s not what we did three days ago or today, it’s going to be what we do tomorrow.
“We go to Old Trafford; how we behave, how we play and are we able to win a game. That’s it, enjoy tonight because it was a very impressive performance and an unbelievable score. We deserve that and I’ll take it and keep improving as a team.”
On setting the record, he said: “It’s something that hasn’t been done, so it’s great to be part of that. But as a team we want to achieve many other things that are far more important than that. The happiest I am is because we are in a very strong position to go to the next round, which is where we want to be.”
Ethan Nwaneri became the third‑youngest goalscorer in the Champions League knockout stages with Arsenal’s second and now needs one more to match Wayne Rooney’s and Michael Owen’s record by a 17-year-old before his 18th birthday on 21 March. “I don’t think that he needs any pushing,” Arteta said.
“You see every time he has a [sight of] goal, what the intention is. If it comes, it comes and it’s great. I’m really impressed with the way he behaved and the way he played tonight. It’s about consistency and now doing it again three days later in another big stadium.”
