Mikel Arteta speaks out on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s return to Arsenal

The Gunners kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 3-1 victory against FC Zurich in Switzerland.

PSV Eindhoven were set to be Arsenal’s second fixture in the group stages, but due to the cancellation of the fixture following the death of Queen Elizabeth II it means the clash is now the fourth match in the group stage.

Arsenal then beat Bodo Glimt 1-0 away from home and then 3-0 last week in their home leg.

They now have Thursday’s clash with PSV and their away match with FC Zurich to contend with before securing their spot in the knockout rounds.

Arsenal are top of their group with nine points from three games, whilst third-place Bodo/Glimt are on four points, meaning a win against PSV would secure their spot in the knockout round and most likely top spot in Group A.

When PSV visit the Emirates Stadium tonight, it’ll be the first time Ruud van Nistelrooy has faced Arsenal since 2006. Back in his playing days, the Dutch striker was involved in a couple of famous encounters involving Arsenal, scoring two goals in 12 appearances and missing that penalty in September 2003.

Prior to van Nistelrooy’s return to Arsenal, Arteta was questioned on whether he believes the PSV boss will be greeted with a tough reception. However, he was coy with his response. He said: “I wasn’t involved at the time at the club, obviously. “You can tell the history of these two clubs and the rivalry that was generated at the time because they were two excellent teams, but I don’t know.”

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