PSV Eindhoven boss Peter Bosz has admitted he was inspired by Mikel Arteta to change his team’s tactics this season.

PSV Eindhoven are in the last-16 of the Champions League, and they’ve won 16 out of their 16 Eredivisie fixtures this season to put them 10 points clear at the top of the league.

But manager Peter Bosz claims this is partly due to the changes they made after their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in September.

“I learned a lot from Arsenal,” Bosz told The Athletic. “Afterwards, I thought, ‘We played pretty well… but we lost 4-0?’

“In the build-up, we did well and we had our position game, but as soon as we got to their box it was over. How is that possible?

“Me and my coaches studied them. What is it that they do differently to us?

“The answer is that they are outstanding in the opposition box but also their own. They get a lot of players behind the ball as soon as possible. They do it with 10 or 11 but we only did it with six or seven and then the distances are bigger. It’s the transition.

“We showed the players and, in the games after, we started doing it with 10 or 11 like Arsenal, staying compact in attack and defence.”

PSV certainly appeared to show improvement in the reverse fixture against Arsenal earlier this month, drawing 1-1, albeit against a heavily-rotated Mikel Arteta team.

But with over 20 years of managerial experience, at the age of 60, it’s quite the compliment from Bosz to admit he’s learning from Arteta’s side.

PSV have now entered their winter break. They’ll return to action in 2024, looking to keep their 100% league record going before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last-16.