MAX SPORTS: PSV

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Friday, 28 November 2025

THERE "IN A HOLE!" | LIVERPOOL FALL TO PSV MASSIVELY

Monday, 19 May 2025

FARIOLI RESIGNS AS COACH AFTER AJAX LOSES DUTCH SOCCER TITLE IN LATE-SEASON COLLAPSE

AMSTERDAM (AP) - Ajax coach Francesco Farioli resigned on Monday, following his team´s late-season collapse that saw bitter rival PSV Eindhoven crowned Dutch champion.

Ajax had seemed all but certain to win the league as it held a nine-point lead with five games remaining, but a dire run allowed PSV to make up the deficit in dramatic fashion and clinch a 26th Eredivisie title on Sunday.

"The management and I have the same goals for the future of Ajax, but we have different visions and timeframes about the way we should work and operate to achieve those goals," said Farioli, who was in tears after Sunday´s match.

"Given these differences in the principles and foundations of the project, I feel deep in my heart that this is the best moment to part ways."

Farioli became Ajax´s first Italian coach - and first non-Dutch one since 1998 - when he was appointed almost exactly a year ago.

The 36-year-old had a contract until the end of June 2027.

"I find this incredibly disappointing ... we achieved our goal: qualifying for next season´s Champions League," Ajax Technical Director Alex Kroes said. "Francesco also played a key role in enhancing the high-performance culture at Ajax, for which we are extremely grateful.

"This summer was already set to be a challenging transfer window, and it has now become even more so. It is up to us to ensure that a strong new coaching team is in place when pre-season preparations begin on 26 June."

- Associated Press

PSV | HIGHLIGHTS | BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS

PSV CROWNED EREDEVISIE CHAMPIONS FOR 26TH TIME AFTER HISTORIC AJAX COLLAPSE

PSV's 3-1 away win over Sparta Rotterdam was enough to clinch the title after rivals Ajax squandered a 9-point lead with a late-season collapse. After beating PSV 2-0 in Eindhoven at the end of March, Ajax won just three of their eight league games, beat FC Twente 3-1 on the final day of the season but wasted a lead in the 99th minute against FC Groningen in the second-to-last game of the season, thus wasting a golden opportunity to win a record-extending 37th league title.

Peter Bosz's side won their 13th league title this century, at least four more than any other Eredivisie team, as Ajax follow with nine.

Read all about PSV's title-clinching win over Sparta here

The road to their 26th league title was rocky as PSV won just one of their first seven league games at the start of 2025. However, a gritty 2-1 win over sc Heerenveen kickstarted an imperious run towards the finish line, as PSV won nine of their final 10 games of the Eredivisie season.

PSV stuffed the score sheets this season by scoring over 100 goals. Fifteen different players contributed with goals, an impressive eight of which scored eight or more goals: Luuk de Jong (13), Noa Lang (11), Ricardo Pepi (11), Malik Tillman (11), Guus Til (10), Ismael Saibari (10), Johan Bakayoko (9), and Ivan Perisic (9).

This year's title prolongation marks the fourth time PSV have done this since the turn of the century, winning two straight titles in 2000 and 2001, four titles between 2005 and 2008, and going back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.

Their 2016 victory shares striking similarities to this year's. Ajax dominated most of the second half of the season but threw away their lead in the final game after a 1-1 draw away at De Graafschap.

- Paul Winters

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

RECORD-BREAKING ARSENAL ENJOY CARNIVAL SEASON IN EINDHOVEN

Reuters

Eindhoven has been packed with carnival-goers in recent days but on Tuesday it was Arsenal enjoying their own party in the city, getting over their goalscoring crisis and setting a Champions League record in the process.

Mikel Arteta's side became the first team in Champions League history to score seven goals away from home in the knockout stages of the competition as they romped to a 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.

It was the most goals the Gunners have scored in a single game since beating Newcastle 7-3 in the Premier League 13 years ago.

The Arsenal manager said the win had given his players "joy and confidence and belief", but was not getting carried away when questions were put to him about the records that his team had broken.

"For sure, it's something that hasn't been done, so great to be part of that," Arteta said. "But as a team we want to achieve many other things that are far more important than that.

"The happiest thing is we are in a very strong position to go to the next round, which is where we want to be.

"But there's still a job to do in London in a week's time."

After failing to score in their past two games, a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest and 1-0 defeat by West Ham, Arteta may not have seen a victory like this coming.

"This will give them great confidence for the rest of the season. Right from the start Arsenal had control of the game," said Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Arsenal were ruthless with their finishing, some of the combination play in the final third was sensational.

"Martin Odegaard looked back to his best. To a man they were really strong and that centre-back pairing [Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba] is phenomenal.

"Arsenal will take some stopping in this competition."

England and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was one of the players singled out for his performance during the game and said that the Gunners have got the reward for their hard work in recent weeks.

Rice, who had a goal ruled out for offside, said Arsenal were "fluid" and possessed the "enthusiasm, drive and hunger" that the knockout stages demand.

"But we've been playing like this all season," he added. "We feel we've been playing well as a team. Sometimes we score five, sometimes two, sometimes we don't score but [on Tuesday] we did well. It all clicked."

Arsenal's lack of a recognised striker has been well documented, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both injured. But six different players contributed to the rout on Tuesday - Odegaard scored twice, along with goals for Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori.

The emphatic win means that Arsenal can start planning for a trip to Madrid, as they are set to take on the winner of the tie between Real and Atletico, which finished 2-1 to Carlo Ancelotti's side. Next week's second leg takes place at Atletico.

Nwaneri shows why he's earned Arteta's trust

Arsenal's excellent 17-year-old Nwaneri again showed why there is so much hype and excitement about his future in the game.

The academy graduate has been given the task of filling in for Bukayo Saka on the right hand side of Arsenal's attack while the England international is out injured. The teenager has repaid that faith in him with eight goals in 28 games in all competitions.

That goal return puts him alongside some of England's most iconic young players.

Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney scored nine goals each in all competitions when they were aged 17 or younger and Nwaneri now has 16 days before his 18th birthday to try to match or beat that record.

"I don't think that he needs any pushing. You see every time what the intention is," Arteta said. "If it comes, it comes and it's great.

"I'm really impressed with the way he behaved and the way he played. It's about consistency and now doing it again three days later in another big stadium."

Nwaneri also became the third youngest player to score a goal in a knockout stage match in the Champions League after Bojan in April 2008 (17 and 217 days) and Jude Bellingham in April 2021 (17 and 289 days).

"He's 17 years old and he's on the biggest stage," Rice said.

"We've taken [the youngsters] under our wing and they deserve to be playing. You should see them train they way they have no fear and want to perform.

"Even if Saka was here Ethan would be still getting minutes because he's that good and works so hard in training. We have so many top young players."

Nwaneri was joined in the starting XI by his team-mate from the academy Myles Lewis-Skelly and the 18-year-old also impressed despite being withdrawn in the first half to avoid him getting sent off.

Lewis-Skelly, who had been booked earlier, put in a late tackle on Richard Ledezma and although he was unpunished, Arteta substituted him moments later.

"They play like they have been here for many years," captain Odegaard said.

"So much quality and confidence, they're ready for it. I'm not worried about them, we enjoy having them in the team and they have a great attitude."

Odegaard, who himself started playing senior football at 15 years old, believes that Lewis-Skelly can use his early withdrawal as a learning experience.

"He took that really well," he added. "He knew it was a tricky position to be in. He was on a yellow and had a tough challenge too. He took it well and we're all there to support and I'm sure he will learn from that too."

- Alex Howell, BBC Sport football news reporter in Eindhoven

ARSENAL HAVE MADE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY

Tuesday, 4 March 2025

WHY ARSENAL SHOULD BELIEVE THE CAN WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

As the Gunners head to PSV for the last-16 encounter, Mikel Arteta warned that his injury-hit squad still have the ‘gears to reach a different level’

Inside the Philips Stadion, there are reminders of PSV Eindhoven’s past, celebrations of former centre-forwards such as Romario, Ronaldo Nazario and Ruud van Nistelrooy who have graced the club and tormented defenders. As he walked along the corridors between the executive suites, Mikel Arteta could have been given a reminder of what he is missing.

It is carnival week in Eindhoven and plenty of people are descending on the Dutch city in fancy dress. Whether any have come in the garb of an Arsenal goalscorer or will impersonate a striker, even for a night, remains to be seen. The probability is that Mikel Merino will be leading the line for Arsenal in the Netherlands; the scorer of the Gunners’ only goals in their last four games but a midfielder by trade. With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus injured, with Gabriel Martinelli only on the way back, with Raheem Sterling’s only goal this season coming against Preston, it may be Merino in attack.

“It is a beautiful challenge, especially up front,” said Jurrien Timber. It is an optimistic way of putting it. Another is to point out that PSV have defensive difficulties: since springing one of the surprises in the knockout play-off round, they have faced Go Ahead Eagles twice, losing both matches and conceding five goals to a side only seventh in the Eredivisie. “What I see is ahead is a team that has eliminated Juventus, with a history, so I know the difficulty,” said Arteta, paying PSV due respect.

It was a painful February for Arsenal as dropped points added to forward absences. Getty

If Arsenal’s attack is the resistible force, perhaps PSV’s defence is the movable object. A tie of teams meeting for the third consecutive year may be a clash of opposites. The Dutch champions can both score and concede; the perennial English runners-up sometimes do neither.

But there may be a path to progress amid the lack of drama. “For any team, I think when you look at the history of the team, that they’ve been very successful, the defensive record is critical,” said Arteta. England’s last two Champions League winners had identical records in that respect: Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea conceded just three goals in seven knockout matches in 2021, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City a mere three at the equivalent stage in 2023.

The Arsenal rearguard has earned many a compliment for its organisation and obduracy in recent years. There is statistical proof of its excellence. The north Londoners had the second-best defensive record in group stages, bettered only by Inter. “We have only conceded three goals and the lowest expected goals,” added Arteta. “That is great and a big platform.”

They kicked off the group stage with clean sheets against Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain. Even as Arteta’s attacking options have been reduced, his defensive ones have increased. Timber welcomed the added competition from Ben White’s return to fitness although, with only two substitute appearances, the Englishman may be unlikely to make a first start in almost four months on Tuesday. On the other flank, meanwhile, Myles Lewis-Skelly, suspended for the stalemate at Nottingham Forest, is available again.

That was a draining, depressing night for Arsenal; along with the defeat to West Ham, the end of an ambition, at least for a year, to win the Premier League. A different competition offers a different incentive. “A game to change the narrative,” said Timber. If Arsenal have been labouring and toiling domestically, Arteta feels they could have a spring in their step. “It’s a game that really brings a different energy,” he said. “It’s a competition that puts everybody on their toes.”

It is a competition in which Arsenal have acquitted themselves well since Arteta ended their exile. They were knocked out by Bayern Munich last season; avoid defeat in the Netherlands and a home record of eight wins and a draw in nine home Champions League games bodes well.

Arsenal’s defensive record can give them confidence as they turn to knockout football. Getty

It could be a very open competition. Coming third in the group stage does not necessarily make Arsenal third favourites but there is a plausible route to the quarter-finals for them, whereas Manchester City have already fallen by the wayside and either Bayern or Bayer Leverkusen, Real or Atletico Madrid, and PSG or Liverpool will follow suit. Can Arsenal win the competition? “It’s an ambition,” added Arteta, while stressing his focus was purely on PSV.

There is a sense in which Arsenal have untapped potential: not so much defensively, but if they can add goals, if they can produce the sort of performances they mustered against PSG and Manchester City in knockout football. “And the fact that we have still gears, even with the players that we have, to take the game to a different level,” said Arteta. “When it comes to that stage, it’s about lifting the level and the standards.” Defensively, Arsenal can set the standards. They just need a goal or two.

- Richard Jolly, Senior Football Correspondent