Much-changed Arsenal still too strong for stubborn PSV 

The Gunners impressed as they took a big step towards the knockout stages. 

X MARKS THE SPOT: Arsenal's Granit Xhaka celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's goal. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.

Arsenal 1

PSV Eindhoven 0

Granit Xhaka scored the goal to send Arsenal all but through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Mikel Arteta's side were good value for their 13th win from their 14th match of the season, but their Dutch opponents and coach Ruud van Nistelrooy were remarkably stubborn opponents.

Arsenal now need only a point from their remaining two matches – away to PSV next week and at home to FC Zurich – to top their group and avoid a two-legged tie against Champions League drop out opponents that could include Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus or AC Milan.

Arteta made six changes from the one that scraped past Leeds, but the inclusion of star striker Gabriel Jesus in his starting lineup was an indication of how seriously he was taking both this fixture and their previously unbeaten opposition.

Arsenal came into the match as the only team in the country to have ever recorded a 100 per cent winning record throughout the entire reign of a British Prime Minister, but looked like they might fail to get this one over the line for long, frustrating spells.

Unfortunately, for Arsenal and their supporters, Jesus's impressive build-up play too often ended in them trying to walk the ball over the line and Argentine keeper Walter Benitez hardly made a save of note.

Benitez might beg to differ and point to the low save to his right as a quality stop from the Brazil striker, but it was one he would have been disappointed to see fly past him.

At least the PSV No. 1 got his jersey dirty and broke into a sweat as Matt Turner, in the Arsenal goal, hardly had a touch of the ball all night.

But the sight Arsenal really wanted to see was Benitez picking the ball from the back of his net after Xhaka's sweet 70th minute strike.

The Swiss midfielder, captain for the night, connected with a Takehiro Tomiyasu cross and he managed to keep his shot low and on target to beat the diving PSV keeper from 15 yards.

Arsenal: Turner 6, Tierney 6, Gabriel 6, Holding 6, Tomiyasu 6 (White 76), Xhaka 7, Sambi Lokonga 5 (Partey 67), Vieira 6 (Odegaard 67), Nketiah 6, Saka 7 (Nelson 85), Jesus 7 (Martinelli 76). Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Saliba, Cedric, Girjan, Edwards, Marquinhos.

PSV Eindhoven: Benitez 7, Max 6 (Teze 66), Obispo 6, Ramalho 6, Mwene 6, Gutierrez 7, Sangare 7, Gakpo 6, Veerman 6 (De Jong 77), Simons 7 (Ledezma 90), Til 5 (Madueke 65). Subs: Drommel, Waterman, Hoever, El Ghazi, Branthwaite, Bakayoko, Mauro Jr.

Ref: Alejandro Hernandez (Spain) 6 Ends…