Arsenal beat PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate to progress to the Champions League quarter-final.
The tie was won in the first leg in Eindhoven, as Arsenal beat PSV 7-1 to take the quarter-final away from the Dutch side before a ball was kicked in the return fixture.
At the Emirates, it was a different story, as the Gunners drew 2-2 with Peter Bosz’s side, who were eager to test Mikel Arteta’s heavily rotated squad.
Goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice were enough to ensure Arsenal did not lose the second leg, with both goals created by surprise inclusion Raheem Sterling.
- READ MORE: Arsenal fans have all U-turned on Raheem Sterling after what he did in Champions League display
Dutch media single out Declan Rice and Raheem Sterling
It was only days ago that Arteta snubbed Sterling against Manchester United to see the winger make the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Against PSV, the Chelsea loanee enjoyed himself, completing 90 minutes and claiming two assists in what was a performance that rolled back the years.
The night ended frustratingly however as Sterling will be suspended for the quarter-final first leg, collecting his third yellow card in the Champions League this season.
Those in N5 certainly enjoyed what the Englishman produced at the Emirates and they weren’t the only ones, as the 30-year-old generated attention in the Netherlands too.
De Telegraaf singled out both Sterling and Rice as two players who tormented PSV early on, insisting their combination was ‘painful to watch’.
“The simple way in which Arsenal regained the lead was painful to watch. Raheem Sterling passed Tyrell Malacia as if he wasn’t there and found Declan Rice in front of goal, who enjoyed all the freedom of the PSV defenders.”
Sterling put the ball on a plate for Rice to restore the Gunners’ lead on the night, carving PSV apart with ease, which wasn’t appreciated by Dutch media.
What Mikel Arteta liked about Raheem Sterling’s performance vs PSV
It’s a shame that Sterling’s inspired performance ended negatively, picking up a costly late booking however, that didn’t impact Arteta’s assessment of the 30-year-old’s display.
In fact, the Arsenal manager revealed to the media that the winger’s desire to track back was something he wanted to see.
“Then he does the last final action as well that he can score. The keeper makes a save and the way he tracked back as well after the corner in the last action when he got booked, that’s the kind of player that we want to see.”
What is uncertain is what comes next for the loanee, who will be eager to build on his bright performance if he is given the chance to do so in the near future.
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