A Point Absolutely Earned! A Teaser at the End…..

September 13, 2011: Signal Iduna Park (aka Westfalenstadion)

After the relief of our win at Udinese a couple of weeks ago, we only had a little time to exhale prior to the start of the competition proper. And so this evening we opened this season’s Champions League group phase with a visit to the home of the reigning Bundesliga Champions – probably our most difficult (at least on paper) single fixture of this particular group.

While Jurgen Klopp’s young side may bear little resemblance to Ottmar Hitzfeld’s 1997 European Cup winning Dortmund side, they are still one of the better sides in Europe, and are particularly formidable at home.

If our Arsenal side had one advantage going in, it is the experience of 13 consecutive Champions League campaigns coming into tonight. None of Klopp’s side can boast of such sustained experience at this level of European competition…

In fact, Dortmund’s last appearance in this competition was in the 2002-3 season, where – featuring Jens Lehmann and Rosicky in their side – they were drawn in the first round group with us. We beat them 2-0 at Highbury, and lost 2-1 at the Westfalen, Rosicky scoring both their goals in the tie…

Incidentally, we went through as group winners, and they joined us as runners up; a repeat of these positions would be most welcome…

On the back of our first league win of this season, we looked to chalk up a win and get our group stage campaign up on a positive note.

The injury news was not great coming in: Ramsey and Rosicky were both ruled out for this fixture, joining long-term absentees Jack, Verm, Diaby, and Squil as unavailable for selection.

Compounding that injury list was Arsene’s two game suspension for the communication antics in the first leg versus Udinese, our formal appeal denied. So with Pat taking charge for the second time in three European fixtures this season, we lined up with:

Szczesny, Gibbs, Kos, Mert, Bac, Arteta, Song, Benayoun, Theo, Robin and Gerv; clearly an attacking lineup designed to score goals first, more than keep Dortmund out.

Fab, JD, Santos, Frimpong, Arshavin, Chamakh and Park rounded out our bench.

So we featured two key players (Song and Gerv) back from domestic suspension, one new arrival making his first start (Benayoun), and one new arrival who could potentially make his first appearance for us (Park). Even with the absentees, this looked a pretty formidable squad…

From the opening kickoff, we attacked with Robin and Theo combining but the move quickly broke down. As advertised, both teams attacked quickly during the opening minutes, with Theo and Gerv using their pace to good effect down the flanks, certainly a key for Arsenal on the night. Gerv had a chance to get us off to a great start when through on Weidenfeller but Hummels was able to get a last ditch tackle in to put our player off, and the chance was gone…

The first mistake from Arsenal came with ten minutes gone, as a simple ball over the top sent Kagawa through the middle with no Arsenal defender in sight. Fortunately for us, the Dortmund forward let us off the hook with a poor finish over the crossbar. The hosts were in control by this moment and Bac had to clear off our line after Lewandowski rounded Szczesny…

A few minutes later, Gerv won us a corner and Arteta forced Weidenfeller to punch his delivery away – better than we have seen on corners so far this season. Dortmund broke with the ball but again shot over the crossbar, even with that last break, we began to settle things down and gain a bit more of a foothold in the match.

We then won a second corner, which Robin sent in and was eventually cleared. Still, we continued to put Dortmund’s defence under pressure and held the ball far better than in the first fifteen minutes.

We had a small break in the action as Kos and Hummels clashed heads during a Dortmund corner; both were ok after a few minutes treatment. As the first third of the match passed, the pattern saw good attacking from both sides, some very shaky Arsenal defending and a few shifts in momentum.

Goetze was proving a real handful as he released Kagawa just at the half-hour mark but Szczesny was able to intercept his cross.

One worrying thing already apparent in our play was our penchant for giving the ball away, sometimes under no pressure…Benayoun then released Robin, but our Captain rushed his shot and Weidenfeller was able to save at the expense of a corner, which we couldn’t convert.

Goetze again provided a chance for Kagawa, which the latter again could not capitalize upon but they kept the pressure on and Szczesny – the busier of the two goalkeepers – had to save a close-range Lewandowski header.

Yet, with the pressure on and Dortmund looking likely to finally score, we grabbed the opener three minutes before the interval. Dortmund Captain Kehl started it with a sloppy pass in his own half which Robin latched on to, poking the ball out to Theo, who provided Robin an excellent return pass.

Our Captain drew Weidenfeller and stroked home with his right foot – a priceless goal at a most opportune time! Dortmund tried to respond, forcing a quick corner, but we made it to the interval relatively untroubled…

Dortmund kicked the second half off with no changes for either side and they immediately went on the attack, while we appeared to be waiting for opportunities to hit them on the counter. We had a scare five minutes in, as Mert was unable to complete a clearance, and Kagawa latched on to the ball, only for a questionable offside flag to end the sequence…

Goetze continued to pull the strings for Dortmund, playing a ball inside Bac but Schmelzer became the latest yellow shirt to clear our crossbar…

As with the first half, we rode the initial spell of Dortmund pressure out and then began to hold the ball a bit more. Theo shot wide from a sniff of a chance, and we earned a couple of free kicks.

Right on the hour mark, Arteta was brought off for treatment on a head gash he sustained while defending a Dortmund corner. During this sequence where were down to ten men, Gerv beat two men and found himself through on goal but Weidenfeller cleared the ball before our off balance forward could get a shot off.

Arteta was back on after a couple of minutes, and we started to control proceedings a bit. We had a free-kick and corner in quick succession, and while we couldn’t convert either, we kept Dortmund back in their half, and kept the clock ticking as well…

As we entered the final 25 minutes – still with no substitutes – Dortmund cranked the pressure back up and we found ourselves pinned back and defending. Song made at least three vital interceptions in a short spell, including one where he picked Goetze’s pocket on the edge of our box as the latter shaped to shoot…

With 20 minutes to go Klopp made an attacking change, bringing skipper Krel and Grosskreutz off for Blazczykowski and Perisic…

At this point, Dortmund were doing all the attacking, but we were defending well and denying them great chances…Arteta earned us a couple of free kicks to temporarily relieve the pressure, but Dortmund were quickly back on the attack, with Kagawa – yet again – clearing our crossbar…

With 15 minutes remaining, Schmelzer earned the game’s first caution with a late tackle on Bac. Pat used the opportunity to make his first change, bringing Frim on for the Theo to bolster our midfield…Robin was then flagged when a potential break was on, and Bac was booked (time-wasting) on a Dortmund free-kick…

With ten minutes to go, Subotic had Dortmund’s best chance to equalize, but could only fire straight at Szczesny, who saved with his legs, from close range following a corner. Song then made yet another vital interception to put Goetze off…With five minutes remaining, Klopp made his final change, bringing Zidan on for Kagawa…

At this point, the finish line was in sight, but there was still a ways to go to reach it.

Pat then made his final two changes, bringing Santos on for his Arsenal debut in Gervinho’s place and Chamakh on for Robin.

Just as we looked as though we would see this one out, we finally conceded. Mert headed Schmelzer’s free kick out, and substitute Perisic volleyed it straight back into our net with Szczesny not moving as the ball looped into the right corner. Unfortunate, but a great goal and deserved on the balance of play.

So with just a minute and stoppage time, could we hold on to the point we now had? Or regain the lead?

Four minutes stoppage time was signaled, as all the momentum was with the hosts. Szczesny had to bravely block at Lewandowski’s feet, and we needed another block on a Zidan shot, but we held on. In the fourth minute, Bender was cautioned for a late tackle on Arteta and that was that.

Certainly disappointment that we could not see out those last couple of minutes but the other guy deserves credit in this instance. We battled and hung in there the whole way and were undone by an excellent strike – these things do happen.

In the other match, Marseille won 1-0 in Piraeus, so they top the group on three points, follow by us and Dortmund on one each, and Olympiacos on nil. When you consider we got this trip out of the way with a point in the bag, we’re not that bad off.

I imagine that frustration will be vented at Song for conceding the free kick that led to the goal and Mert for not clearing it away from Perisic – both would be wrong in my opinion.

I thought Song was tremendous in the second half, making several timely interceptions and breaking up numerous dangerous attacks. Mert did his job and cleared the ball, and had a strong overall game as well, particularly considering Kos struggled for much of it. To me, it was just one of those things – unfortunate to concede so late, after battling so hard for so long but Dortmund did everything but put the ball in the net earlier, so I think they fully deserved their eventual point.

As they say, it is what it is…

For those complaining about the lack of character and determination in this side, there was plenty on display tonight.  On another night, it may have been enough to see us through; it wasn’t here but that should not diminish the fact that we got a point from a very difficult fixture.

What this means for the future is impossible to tell right here and now but if you consider where we were heading into the international break – one point from three league matches, coming off a humiliating 8-2 drubbing – to where we are today, things seem to be looking better, even if we are not necessarily playing technically better.

I expect that will come through restored confidence; which should come through improved results, further integration of our new players, and the return of even more of our injured players…

Arsene is now halfway through his current European ban; he’ll sit in the penalty box for the home tie against Olympiacos, and then will be free to resume his place on the bench at the Velodrome.  Pat gave the post-match presser and seemed quite relieved – as I am – to have come through this.

While I cannot agree with the oft-used “It feels (our) season is just starting” mantra, I see this as another bit of progress; we still have a lot of ground to make up in the league, but we are reasonably well-placed in our group after one match.  The key will be progressing from here, in all competitions.

I think this team has it in it to compete credibly in all competitions this season.  Whether they do or not will depend largely on players gelling, keeping our best players fit, defending responsibly and taking our chances.  We’ll see how it all shakes out over the coming weeks and months.

For now, I am going to enjoy a very hard earned point, under very difficult circumstances…

At the start of this article, I gave brief mention to Hitzfeld’s 1997 European Cup winners side.  One of the players in tonight’s Arsenal squad was a club team-mate with one the starters in Dortmund’s 1997 Cup final 3-1 win over Juventus in Munich.

The Arsenal player and Dortmund player were club team-mates for a few seasons, do you know who the Arsenal player is and do you know who the Dortmund player (he no longer plays for them) is and what team said Arsenal and Dortmund players were in together?

Merts is not who I am thinking of and the two players I am thinking of were not team-mates at Dortmund…

To guess quickly, I think you’ll have to know a bit about the team the two players were together in…

Otherwise, some good, old-fashioned research will give the answer.  😉

Written by Oliver