Mikel Arteta acknowledges the Champions League as Arsenal's opportunity to rescue their season

Mikel Arteta, is optimistic that the allure of the Champions League can inspire his injury-plagued squad to overcome their struggles in the Premier League.

The Gunners' aspirations for their first league title in 21 years seem to have diminished, as they find themselves 13 points adrift of the dominant Liverpool.

Achieving success in Europe now stands as their sole opportunity to break a five-year trophy drought, and a favorable draw against PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 could provide Arteta with the necessary time to reintegrate some of his crucial attacking players.

Unfortunately, both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have been sidelined for the remainder of the season due to severe hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.

However, there is hope that Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli may return in time for the quarter-finals next month, contingent upon Arsenal's progression in the tournament.

The impact of the absence of these four forwards has been significant, as Arsenal has struggled to find the net in their last two Premier League matches against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, effectively diminishing their title hopes.

Midfielder Mikel Merino has stepped in as an emergency striker, while Arteta has had to depend on the young Ethan Nwaneri to fill Saka's usual position on the right flank.

"I know that what's lacking is that piece up there," said Arteta. "There's a lot to play for and we need to find the solution to unlock it.

"We have the Champions League, we have a beautiful competition in front of us and we have to ready for Tuesday."

Arsenal has frequently exhibited a deficiency in creativity and innovation during the final third throughout the season. In their recent match against Forest, the visitors recorded only one shot on target, resulting in a 0-0 stalemate. This marked the ninth occasion this season in which they have been unable to find the back of the net.

Captain Martin Odegaard has struggled to hit the heights of the previous two seasons since recovering from an ankle injury that kept him out for two months earlier in the campaign.

Arteta has been one of many managers hit by mounting injury problems to point to the strain a congested calendar is putting on the top players.

"He came back in such a strong way and performed at a very, very high level," said the Spaniard on Odegaard's inconsistent form.

"Then just sustaining that over a period of time, like we are demanding the players to do constantly, especially the creative players, is very difficult."

Arsenal's premature departure from the FA Cup has afforded Arteta's squad six days to prepare for their upcoming match in the Netherlands.

In the absence of a dynamic attacking style, they can rely on the Premier League's most formidable defense, which has also proven to be one of the best in this season's Champions League.

Only Inter Milan has allowed fewer goals than Arsenal's three during the eight-match league phase, which featured clean sheets against both Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta.

PSV manager Peter Bosz expressed admiration for Arsenal's defensive capabilities after witnessing his team suffer a 4-0 defeat at the Emirates during last season's Champions League group stage.

"As soon as we got to their box, (the attack) was over. How is that possible?" Bosz said at the time.

The domestic difficulties faced by the Dutch champions provide additional optimism for the London club.

PSV has suffered two defeats to Go Ahead Eagles within the last week and remains without a victory in four league matches, aside from a notable 3-1 triumph over Juventus that secured their place in the last 16.

Although Arsenal has encountered challenges in scoring, they will anticipate advancing to the quarter-finals, where they will rely on Saka and Martinelli to deliver the essential offensive strength for a potential clash against Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.