Granit Xhaka’s transformation from pariah to poster boy has been one of the stories of this year for Arsenal and he continues to write new chapters. He has become a persistent threat in the final third and this time his recently acquired taste for goalscoring saw them home. A dogged PSV Eindhoven side were overcome by the kind of finish associated more closely with the attacking talent around him and it was a flourish that could yet have far-reaching consequences.
It confirmed that Arsenal, who have qualified from Group A with two games left, need only a point from the return fixture to ensure they top the pile. That would spare them the inconvenience of an appearance in the February playoff round, which will be studded with drop-outs from the Champions League, and slightly alleviate a relentless schedule.
