MIKEL'S GONE SO LEFT FIELD

It's backs to the future as Arteta men stroll on

- JOHN CROSS

HOW many left-backs does it take to see off PSV Eindhoven?

Answer: five. One to score a brilliant opening goal, one to fill in on the left wing, another to play at centre-half, another to come off the bench and one to actually play at left-back.

At the start of the season, you can be sure that Mikel Arteta would never have guessed he would be fielding this line-up to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Oleksandr Zinchenko opened the scoring with a cracker as he played as a No.10, while Kieran Tierney played on the left-wing, Jakub Kiwior in central defence and, believe it or not, Myles Lewis-Skelly actually played at left-back.

They even brought on a fifth, Riccardo Calafiori, as a substitute for good measure. What a shame Arteta does not like signing strikers as much as left-backs.

Mind you, the aggregate scoreline was only one short of equalling the Champions League record goal haul over two legs in a knockout tie.