On the Whistle: PSV 1-1 Arsenal - "Nelson shines in heavily rotated XI"

Hello guys, full time in Eindhoven. Full time in fact on the Champions League group stage for Arsenal. We knew that they had topped the group already heading into this one. What we didn't know was that they would get a 1-1 draw there, which I think is pretty commendable given the amount of changes they made and given the fact this was a game PSV desperately would have wanted to win. I think having lost at the weekend to Aston Villa, albeit with a fairly decent performance for the most part, I think it was important to stabilise a little bit here. I don't think you'd want to go into the Brighton game, the Liverpool game off the back of a couple of defeats. So to go away and get ourselves a point, get ourselves a draw, and in fact very nearly win it. A couple of very marginal moments at the end which stopped us getting the winner. I think Mikloteć would be very satisfied. I think there were eight changes in the starting line-up so he did rotate heavily. No youngsters in the starting line-up. I think maybe the best thing to do with these kind of hodgepodge teams is sort of talk about them individually. So Aaron Ramsdale came in in goal, I think looked more confident, more assured certainly than he did against Brentford. I noticed he tried a couple of long 60, 70-yard passes which shows that his confidence is still there or coming back. I think he had no chance on the goal. There were two brilliant finishes in the game and I think everything he had to do he did pretty competently. At the back, Saliba and Gabriel both started. We don't have very many options at this point in time. It's interesting because I thought by and large that triangle at the back of Ramsdale, Gabriel, Saliba gave us a really good kind of foothold in the game. Gave some foundations to this performance but both men had slightly dodgy moments. Saliba on the goal, the equalising goal. Gabriel when he missed a ball in the first half and appears to be threatened to go through on goal that time. So they each had their moments. They did also both contribute to a brilliant block, goal-saving action in the first 10 minutes of the game. So credit to them for that. They're going to have to play a lot of football over the next few weeks and I thought it was interesting that late in the game Michel Artista brought on Declan Rice for William Saliba. Actually not that late in the game, there's about half an hour to go. I think he said it in his press conference, he just needs to have a look at that option. He needs to see what he makes of it because there's very real chance we could rely on it in an emergency. A full-back Jakob Kivio played on the left. I thought he was good on the ball. I thought he had a tough task to be honest up against Bakayoko who looks like a very interesting player. A young player coming through at PSV. Seems like another one off the production line. Another one who you think well he could be a nice alternative to Bakayosaka potentially one day. I thought Kivio had a lot of trouble with him from the defensive perspective but looked quite composed on the ball. Very nearly scored the winning goal. Obviously ruled out for Gabriel's involvement. I think probably the right decision. Gabriel definitely went to play the ball and was a concern for the PSV defence so I think that offside call was right but very much Kivio's goal and he had another chance later on as well. It's a bit of a mixed bag I think from him. Cedric on the right hand side, the lesser spotted Cedric Suarez. Listen, seemed to be caught out on the equalising goal but also had a pretty competent game. I mean showed his experience. Showed that you know he is at least a body. He's an option for Arsenal in a crisis. I don't think the manager will be desperate to play him but I don't think he did his chances any harm today of getting some run outs maybe in the FA Cup. Who knows. In midfield we had Jorginho whose experience is so valuable I think on a night like this. Kai Havertz who continued a pretty effective run of performances. I just think he looks like he's got an extra spring in his step literally. I think he's much more physically dynamic since he's got those goals and let's see if he's fit to play at the weekend again. I hope so because at the moment he's quite an important part of what we're doing. Mohamed Elneny played and threatened to score in the first half with a driving run and shot from the edge of the box. He does have those in his locker. Seems to go off with a hamstring problem. We'll see. I mean look we don't want any more injuries but if we're going to lose anybody I guess it might as well be someone like Mohamed Elneny who of course is really a fringe player at this point in time. Front three was Trossard on the left who had his moments again. Might have won it late on. Really nice play from him to create the shooting opportunity for himself and then just went for power on his left foot. Probably didn't trust it to the same extent he might as right and I think if he'd been a bit more composed there he could have well ended up with the winner. Reece Nelson who I thought had a good night all round. Worked very hard. Was productive. Was threatening. Had a chance to win it himself as well cutting inside. Not a dissimilar opportunity to what Trossard had. And then Eddie Nketiah who scored an excellent goal. Well set up by Nelson. One touch. Shot off the left foot. In off the post. Really efficient penalty box play from Eddie Nketiah. I think that's what we want to see more of to be honest with you. I know that he's worked really hard on his all round game. But if you ask me he's never going to be an all rounder in the way a Gabriel Jesus is. I don't think he's got that depth to his game. I think Eddie would really benefit from focusing on where he is strong and that is within that 18 yard box. I'm not sure he's going to be the kind of all rounder starter centre forward at Arsenal. But I've used the comparison before. Can he be a chicharito? Can he be a guy you bring on when you need a goal? Can he be a guy who snaffles up the chances in the penalty box? I think he showed in his younger days that was really where he excelled. I think he was kind of the best of his age group really. Certainly among the English talent inside that 18 yard box. He showed that with that goal tonight. If he can make that a speciality I don't think it's going to make him starter at Arsenal. But I think it's going to make him a really important squad member. You know telling isn't it that we were chasing the goal at Villa Park and it took so long to get him on. He needs to work on that end product because I think that's really where he can excel. That's what can be his USP. Other than that really only thing to say is that you know the senior players came on. Ben White came on. I spoke about Declan Rice. Martin Odegaard came on. Gabriel Jesus came on. Had a nice little cameo. There were no opportunities for the likes of Ethan Ranieri, Lino Sousa, Roel Walters. I know a lot of fans are frustrated about that. I wasn't too surprised. I think had Arsenal won at Aston Villa things might have been different. But Mikel Arteta he's not someone who throws young players in. He seems to want to pick his moment. And I guess a delicately poised game at 1-1 he did not deem that to be the moment. It would have been a great experience for them to be away with the first team, training with the first team, being part of a Champions League group. I don't think we have to worry that there's no pathway for them. They're still really young guys and I think there will be opportunities to come. I would have liked to see Walters play. If any of them it would have been Roel Walters. Just because we've got that lack of depth at the back, particularly on the right-hand side with Timber and Tommy Asu injured. I would like to see what he could offer even off the bench. I think that would have been really interesting. But yeah clearly the manager watches him day in day out and he evidently doesn't feel he's ready. Maybe he thinks he needs to go into the transfer market and maybe to an extent he needs to make that point to his owners, to his chief executive, to his technical director. I don't know but I'm sure that all of those young players will get their chance because there's some massive talent there. They just may have to be patient. But as I say I was pretty pleased with this all in all and I rounded off the evening by watching Manchester United lose to Bayern Munich and go out of Europe entirely. It's a funny one isn't it? I'd probably rather see them go to the Premier League in the Europa League. Suffer the fixture congestion but I think fairly humiliating for them to go at the bottom of the group so I did enjoy that. I've got a bit of a cold as you might hear guys so hopefully I'll feel better by Sunday. I'm due to be there in my season ticket as a fan. Really looking forward to it. Arsenal vs Brighton. Should be a really entertaining game. Two good footballing teams and a big game for Arsenal after Estavilla. They need to bounce back. In a way they did tonight. I think they surpassed expectations in some ways. When you make that many changes, PSV need to win. I thought we might lose. To come away with a draw, I'm very content with that. Very content with that indeed. I'll speak to you on Sunday. Take care guys. Hope you're enjoying the festive season. Bye bye.