Morning all.
Totally in control of the game and we should have been winning by a much bigger scoreline but then what’s haunted us all season and many before, reared it’s ugly head. 83 mins on the clock and we conceded from pretty much nothing. For once though, it hurt. The job in Madrid is now almost impossible as Atlético just don’t concede goals at home and world won’t fancy our chances that’s for sure.
This was Arsene Wenger’s last game in Europe at The Emirates. The stadium was packed, the fans in full voice before kickoff as they waved their red and silver flags. A perfect setting I thought.
As the game kicked off, the fans were right behind the team, manager too as “Only one Arsene Wenger” could be heard and from the off, it was clear to see that Arsenal were up for it.
Within ten minutes, the visitors were down to ten men after two nasty tackles committed by Sime Vrsaljko. The first on Jack Wilshere, the second on Alexandre Lacazette. Simeone then joined him as he protested a touch too much after one of his players was fouled. Talking of which, what a bunch of cheats they are dropping to the ground as if they’d been shot after barely being touched?
Anyway, I thought the first half saw Arsenal play some of the best football they had done in a long time. All that was lacking was goals, as we squandered a few good chances to take the lead and more. Oblak was good too, so good that if he’s on the move this summer, I’d move heaven and earth to get him signed up for Arsenal. I’ve seen him play before and last night wasn’t a one off. He’s good and just the kind of keeper we are crying out for.
Our goal finally came on the hour mark and a fine goal it was too. Jack Wilshere supplied the cross, Lacazette out-jumped everyone to head home. His reaction was the sign of a man who desperately wants to be in Lyon on May 16th. So much so, he even tried to con the referee into awarding us a penalty but this referee was having none of it and rightly so.
I don’t know how many chances we had to put the game to bed but it was quite a few. Wilshere saw his soft header saved, Lacazette hit the post among a few opportunities which went begging, Koscielny fired one difficult chance wide, Ramsey had a great header matched with an even better save and Monreal lashed one wide too. Xhaka tried a couple from distance but they sailed over the bar. Welbeck too had chances to nab at least one but instead, it was him who lost possession just outside their box and the rest as they say is history. Just as Lauren Koscielny should be this summer. His better days are behind him and add to that his niggling injury problem, perhaps it’s time for the armband to be handed down and he follows Arsene Wenger in finding a new challenge.
With just a one goal lead, heading to Madrid next Thursday was going to be tough, but the blunder at the end has made task a lot more difficult but who knows, if the chances present themselves as they did last night, perhaps we’ll take them.
We’ll certainly need to.
Morning Rico and all. That’s the best I have seen us play for a while but, once again, we were let down by a really silly moment of defensive nonsense. I wouldn’t write us off over there though. If we go at them with pace then you never know.
Morning Adam.
For the first time in a while, I really enjoyed watching us play. The first half was almost perfect, apart from wasting our chances.
Such a great shame a moment of sheer madness let the team down. So avoidable, yet so predictable.
I’m with you re next week, an early away goal and game on..
Morning Rico and Adam.
Well what’s to say, you have both covered everything.
I never believed we would win even though we played better. This team just don’t have a good finisher, or a good defender. I’m not usually a fan of parking the proverbial bus, but last night we should have, to defend a slim lead to take to Spain next week.
Up front Danny is like kicking the ball against a flint wall. No telling where it will rebound to. Then Lacazette is a midget, even though his goal was a header. Come back Giroud all is forgiven.
We played so well, but lack of finishing and poor defending let us down again. Bearing in mind they only had ten players, which won’t be the case next week, and if Costa is fit, we will be history.
Between now and then we are at OT to play Napoleons side. Please god, no humiliation, especially with the Chilean starting to do ok there.
After that, and the AM game, the season will be over for me, no interest, plus driving down to Spain for a month.
Hi Meerkat.
Reminds me so much of 1980 semi v Juve. Drew at home to a bunch of dirty cheats who had Tardelli sent off. Went away to Turin where they never lost in Europe and never conceded goals. Don’t forget Juve were virtually the Italian national team which won the world cup two years later. They played for 0-0 in the 2nd leg and the late Paul Vaessen popped up in the last minute to create history! Who can be this year’s Vaessen? Eddie maybe?
Rico, that’s exactly why Arsene is leaving at the end of the season. He tolerated so many poor players for far too long and thats why the goals we concede are comical. 80 minutes playing against ten men! If this arsenal side should play with ten men, they wouldn’t last 5 minutes before conceding. We played well but did not apply enough pressure. The type Liverpool, Tottenham will apply. I am not ruling us out but I shudder how we will cope with their pressing. Will we still qualify? Only our defenders and team’s defensive play will decide. But on account of our history, hmmmmm, very unlikely.
There is certainly hope Bob. Atletico have a good and solid defence, but keep Griezmann quiet and we can get the right result out there.
I know Daniel, one big thing the defence had to do really and they failed. Really disappointing yet no great surprise..
Magnificent atmosphere at the Emirates last night, the best performance I’ve seen from an Arsenal team in many a season, considering the quality of the opponent.
Oblak and Godin were fantastic, Athleticos defending was fantastic, that’s the level you need to attain to compete at the very top level.
I actually thought that our defence had a good game, just that one major balls up, Koscielny making that rash challenge when all he needed to do was shepherd Greizmann away from the goal and a Mustafi should have sprinted to get back on the line and cover his partner, but they did what they did and it ended 1-1. A coaching issue, as per usual…..
Jack was fantastic, but we did lack some incisive passes into the box, a bit too much square passing, sometimes you need to gamble.
All is not lost, a 2-1 or 2-2 in the Wanda.
Maybe extra time and penalties?
Ospina the hero?
Stranger things have happened…..
I thought that Welbeck was clearly fouled leading up to their goal.
So unlucky there, but we should have still prevented the equaliser
Oblak must be up there with the best Kev, if not the best…
Afternoon Rico, yes, Oblak is top top quality, he reminds me of a young David Seaman, nothing flashy, just effective, I liked him a lot.
Is he worth €100m???
Yes absolutely….
Will Arsenal sign him???
Absolutely not…
We’ll get some cheapo from the Bundesliga…
Afternoon Kev, is that his valuation?
A reserve team at Old Trafford is an absolute must.
That is a game that doesn’t matter, forget Mourinho, he’s irrelevant, what matters is our 1st choice XI being rested and fit for next Thursday…
We also should play a back three in Madrid.
All we need is one goal, one fcuking goal.
If we get it in the 89th minute, then that’s fine.
A back three, keep it tight, go with a back four in the last 15/20 minutes.
But we all know that he doesn’t do pragmatic…
So glad that he’s leaving, with all due respect I’m just sick of this kind of stuff in europe….
That’s his buy out clause Rico
100% agree re OT. Play the under 23’s/fringe players – it means nothing..
Oblak is the best keeper of the world now. Not surprise for me. He was in Benfic before been transfer to A .Madrid
Godin is a marshal . I knew that
Probably was fault in Welbeck from A.M defender (the sub), but what Welbeck want to did? Then we were unlucky… and 1-1
I thought the ref was too keen to give the 1st yellow card, the guy obviously slipped and made a late challenge on wilshere. .he was definitely guilty for his 2nd yellow though. .after that we didn’t get anything from him and Atletico had all 50/50 decisions .
Now that’s obviously not an excuse of our failure to keep a clean sheet,
Mustafi and koscielny have the same weakness and that they loose their concentration in vital moments which often lead to a disaster.
I thought they weren’t really tested last night as Atletico game plan was always going to be “park the bus”.
Anywho hope we still do the job next week.
I thought the ref was spot on with both Kk..
It was too early in the game rico ,and his 1st offence ..lol
I wonder if PSG will be calling AW for the managerial vacancy ?
For twenty five minutes we ran at them.Switched play at speed and were running them off their feet. They were in trouble but then we dropped the pace and dropped into passing mode. This let them back in it and after we scored they absorbed everything we had until the last 15 minutes when they came at us got their goal and as far as they are concerned Job done.
Good to see a referee show some balls Kk.. lol
The sending off threw them I reckon and then Simeone couldn’t get them sorted out, once they dropped back and defended even stronger, we found it tough.
What a winger or two would do to this team eh…..
Good Morning Rico and All
The back four have not got a clue,
Kosser and Must have a crapper
15 yards apart just shows you,
topped up by Monrail 4 yards behind sweeping
is just a joke.
Good night All.
Morning Fred, all.
New post up.