Arsenal show they can be one of big beasts as goals rain down on PSV

ARSENAL'S return to the Champions League was met with a torrential downpour in north London last night, but Mikel Arteta's side were home and dry inside 40 minutes.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Arsenal                4 
Saka 8, Trossard 20, Jesus 38, Odegaard 70

PSV Eindhoven    0

If there were any doubts about how the young squad would cope with this vaunted stage, they were quickly dismissed in a ruthless display of attacking verve to see off PSV Eindhoven.

The scoreline should have been even more one-sided but, by half-time, Arteta and his starting XI had already begun looking towards the north London derby back here on Sunday, following goals from Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.

A raft of second-half substitutions gave the hosts a second wind, and captain Martin Odegaard added deserved gloss to the display with a magnificent fourth goal.

Arsenal came into this game having not played in the Champions League for six years, since a 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich, and with a group of players inexperienced at this level; only 11 of Arteta's squad had played in the Champions League and just one - Mohamed Elneny for the Gunners.

While clear favourites, the sense of occasion might have got to a lesser team on an emotionally-charged night, and even the steely Arteta admitted to prematch butterflies. 

"I was [emotional], yeah," said the manager. "I was really excited about it. I wanted to control it and not show that too much, but I was really excited.