Knockout European football is back on our agenda as we head into the second leg of our Champions League last-16 clash against PSV Eindhoven, who have been a familiar foe across recent decades, and especially in the past three campaigns.
However, if you're unfamiliar with the Dutch side's history, or just want to know how they've been getting on this season, then we have everything you need to know about our opponents:
The history
One of the Netherlands’ biggest clubs, PSV have won 25 league titles as well as both the European Cup (1987/88) and UEFA Cup (1977/78). They have appeared in Europe in every season since 1975/76, meaning this will be their 51st straight campaign doing so.
Established in 1913 for the workers of the local Philips electronics factory, 13 years later PSV reached the top-flight where they have remained ever since. A first league title arrived in 1929, but further successes were fleeting until the mid-1970s when manager Kees Rijvers led his team to three league titles - including a Double - and the UEFA Cup in four seasons.
Better things were to come in the late 1980s when under Guus Hiddink they completed a Treble by beating Benfica for the European Cup in 1988 - one of six league titles the legendary boss won across two spells. Bobby Robson continued the success into the 1990s, while their last golden period came under Philip Cocu’s leadership when they won three out of four championships between 2015 and 2018.
The stadium
PSV play at the 36,500-capacity Philips Stadion, which is the third-largest football stadium in the country. A ground has been on the site since 1910, with its last major works completed in 2002.
It has hosted numerous Dutch national team matches, as well as three matches at Euro 2000 including England’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal. It was also the venue for the 2006 UEFA Cup final when Middlesbrough were beaten 4-0 by Sevilla, and the 2022/23 Women's Champions League final.
Last season
PSV romped to their first league title in six years in superb fashion. Starting the season with a record-equalling 17 straight wins, their unbeaten run ran until March when they suffered their only league loss to NEC Breda. However that was the only bump in the road as they finished eight points clear of holders Feyenoord to clinch title number 25. The Rotterdam club were also beaten in the season-opening Johan Cruyff Shield, but they did gain revenge by dumping PSV out of the Dutch Cup in the round of 16.
111 goals were netted on course to the league title, with veteran striker Luuk de Jong grabbing 29 of them to earn a share of the Golden Boot. He hit 36 in all competitions to earn the league's Player of the Year honours, while young Belgian international winger Johan Bakayoko was named Talent of the Year after bagging 14.
Having finished in second spot behind us in the Champions League group stages, they were paired with Borussia Dortmund in the last-16 but despite holding the German club to a 1-1 draw in the Eindhoven, a 2-0 reverse in Germany ended their hopes.
The manager
Peter Bosz replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy in the PSV hotseat in the summer of 2023, who notably represented Waalwijk and Feyenoord during his playing days. His first major managerial achievement came when he guided Heracles into the Eredivise in 2005, and he led Ajax to the 2016 Europa League final in his one season in Amsterdam.
He opted to move to Borussia Dortmund after that, but was sacked after six months. He then pitched up at Bayer Leverkusen where he nurtured a young Kai Havertz and guided them into the Champions League in 2019. After an 18-month stint at Lyon, he returned to Dutch football and clinched the first championship of his career in his debut campaign at the Philips Stadion.
The squad
PSV have managed to retain all the key components of their title-winning squad. Having impressed on loan last year, Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman were signed permanently from Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively, while their ranks have further been boosted with the acquisitions of centre-back Ryan Flamingo from Sassuolo, Dutch international right-back Rick Karsdorp from Roma and veteran Croatian winger Ivan Perisic.
As well as De Jong and Bakayoko [above], additional goal threat is offered by Oranje internationals Noa Lang and attacking midfielder Guus Til. Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari has hit double figures this term, but top scorer Riccardo Pepi is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, while his USA teammate Tillman has undergone ankle surgery.
Walter Benitez's performances between the posts over the past three seasons in Eindhoven have seen him rewarded with a first Argentina cap last year, while Tyrell Malacia was loaned from Manchester United in January. Former Gunner Lucas Perez was also added to the squad on a free transfer but he hasn't been included in the Champions League squad.
The season so far
PSV's campaign once again began immaculately as they won all of their first 10 matches to top the table. A 3-2 defeat at Ajax seemed to be a mere blip as they won five of the next six, including a 3-0 win against Feyenoord to head into the winter break six points clear of Ajax.
However things have gone badly from that point. Just two league wins have come from eight games, which have seen home draws against AZ Alkmaar, Willem II and Utrecht plus a loss at PEC Zwoll. They also lost at the Philips Stadion for the first time since November 2022 when Go Ahead Eagles knocked them out of the Dutch Cup, before the same side beat them 3-2 in the league. That run saw Ajax surge into an eight-point lead, but Sunday saw PSV finally win again when they beat Heerenveen 2-1.
As for the Champions League, Bosz guided his team into the last-16 by finishing 14th in the table with four wins and two draws from their eight matches, including a 3-2 success over Liverpool. They also scored three times from the 87th minute onwards to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Shakhtar Donetsk, and gained a credible 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain.
They then overcame a 2-1 last-16 first-leg loss at Juventus by winning 3-1 after extra-time in the return fixture. Perisic rolled back the years to score in both legs while Flamingo grabbed the all-important winner to see off the Italians.
The previous meetings
Last week's 7-1 success was the 11th time we have locked horns with PSV and we have done so in each of the past three seasons.
In 2002/03, goals from Gilberto Silva, Freddie Ljungberg and a Thierry Henry brace secured a 4-0 win in Eindhoven, before a 0-0 draw at Highbury in the group stages; the same stage that we faced each other in 2004/05 when an own goal secured us a home win before a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands, when Lauren and Patrick Vieira both received red cards.
We were drawn against each other again in 2006/07 in the round of 16. PSV won the first leg 1-0 at home, before securing a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium after Alex scored at both ends to eliminate us from the competition.
All those games were in the Champions League, but 2022/23 saw us paired in the Europa League group stages. A Granit Xhaka strike saw us secure a 1-0 win at home, but we fell to a 2-0 loss a week later out in Eindhoven when Joey Veerman and De Jong netted.
Last season saw us mark our return to the Champions League in style with a 4-0 thrashing of the Dutch giants on matchday one when Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard all found the net, while we drew 1-1 out in Eindhoven when Eddie Nketiah’s opener was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen.
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