Once regular occupants of the UCL knockout stages in the 2000s, both clubs have recently had longer than desired absences from the UCL group stage.
The logjam at the top of the Premier League (PL) table meant that Mikel Arteta had to limit his squad rotation to ensure full points were earned at Everton on Sunday.
The team was rewarded for prioritising league football with a crucial 1-0 away win that saw them join three other clubs in retaining unbeaten PL records after five rounds.
It was their third consecutive game to see a substitute score, which if continued could subdue the impact of the potential injury sustained in the first half at Goodison Park to Gabriel Martinelli.
After two consecutive UEL group stages in which they could not progress beyond the last 32, PSV have been tipped by bookmakers as the third-most likely side to win Group B behind Sevilla, who denied them progression to the Round of 16 of the previous UEL, and group favourites Arsenal.
But they could hardly come into this group stage in better form, piling on 13 goals in three wins including a 5-1 home demolition of Scotland’s Rangers in the final qualification round of this competition.
It’ll be the third UCL group stage journey for manager Peter Bosz, who has found Europe’s top competition tough going, having once been unceremoniously sacked within a week of completing a winless group stage at Borussia Dortmund in 2017/18 (D2, L4).
But having since taken Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon to the quarter-finals of the UEL, he and his Dutch club could be ready to take the next step up.
Players to watch: In addition to goals in two home PL matches this season, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah also struck in their first two UEL group stage games last term. For PSV, it’s impossible to look anywhere other than at forward Luuk de Jong, who has found the net in seven of his previous eight competitive appearances, including all four in the UCL qualifying rounds.
Hot stat: All but one of PSV’s last eight competitive matches produced more than 3.5 total goals.
