Arsenal 1-0 PSV: Sweet Xhaka's arrival sees Gunners pass tough European test with flying colors

Granit Xhaka's sublime second-half finish was enough for Arsenal to beat PSV to record their eighth consecutive win in all competitions.

The Gunners are top of the Premier League and Xhaka's goal earns them four wins from four in their Europa League group.

Mikel Arteta's side now need a result next week in Holland to qualify as group winners. This will earn them a bye to the round of 16.

It has now been 46 days since Arsenal failed to win a game - a streak longer than that of outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss - as Xhaka became the first Arsenal player to score a goal at home against PSV.

This match was initially postponed following the Queen's death and the Manchester City clash which would have seen the Premier League top two face off had to make way this time around.

Arsenal want to return to the Champions League and their strong start to the Premier League campaign means they have a good chance of doing so – but for most of the game they lacked the ruthlessness in front of goal that their women's side showed by beating defending Women's Champions League holders Lyon 5-1 less than 24 hours earlier.

Ruud van Nistelrooy faced Arsenal as Manchester United's main striker at a time when both sides were untouchable at the top of the Premier League.

He was named PSV boss in the summer and has certainly added his goalscoring prowess, with his side scoring 17 goals in the four games before their trip to the Emirates Stadium.

His last-gasp penalty miss was the closest Arsenal have lost in their 'Invincible' season and it would be a van Nistelrooy-led United that ended that run at 49 matches the following year.

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Here though, his side were second best throughout, but the hosts couldn't find a breakthrough in a frustrating first half, with Gabriel Jesus firing wide and Fabio Vieira coming close with a free-kick then that Bukayo Saka was once again the standout performer on Arteta's side.

Such is the reliance on Saka's contribution, he was retained in the starting XI, having missed just 179 minutes of football for Arsenal before the match.

There was more of an edge at home after the restart, with Saka forcing a smart save from Walter Benitez, who then did well to fend off a Jesus strike.

Eddie Nketiah fired a shot from just wide as Arteta dispatched Thomas Partey and captain Martin Odegaard with a quarter of the game to go.

It would be their fellow midfielder who finally found the back of the net, however, Xhaka's half-volley off Takehiro Tomiyasu's cross planted just out of Benitez's reach.

Xhaka has already scored as many goals as he has in his last three seasons combined and, sporting the captain's armband, has once again shown that he is now a firm favorite with the Arsenal fans he has been with such a difficult relationship before.

There was a moment of concern for Arsenal and England when Saka went down injured, but he persevered as the hosts saw the knockout stages to seal their place in the knockout stages.

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