The Champions League draw takes place today which on paper, sounds interesting, exciting even but it’s not because we know who we’ll face. Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen. In fact all the English clubs are in the same boat.
Arsenal: Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta
Chelsea: Newcastle or PSG
Liverpool: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Man City: Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid
Newcastle: Chelsea or Barcelona
Totts: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Bayer Leverkusen’s journey so far this season: won 3, drawn 3, scored 13 goals and conceded 14. During the league stage, the held Newcastle 2-2 at St James’ Park and beat Man City 2-0 at The Etihad so they won’t be an easy opponent, not that any club will be at this stage of the competition. PSG battered them 7-2. Having finished outside the automatic qualification places, they needed a playoff fixture to make it through to this stage, beating Olympiacos 2-0 over the two legs.
Atalanta finished one place above Bayer in the league table having won 4, drawn 1. and lost 3. Their wins came against Chelsea, Marseille, Club Brugge and Eintracht Frankfurt. PSG defeated them 4-0, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise beat them too. Atalanta came through the playoffs by defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-3 over the two legs.
Gabriel Martinelli has 6 Champions League goals so far this season, Viktor Gyokeres has 4, Noni Madueke has 3 and Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Jesus while Kai Havertz, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber have 1 each. We’ve conceded just 4 goals so far, the best in the competition to date.
I’m not even bothering to look at who we might come up against beyond our next Champions League fixture because until we’ve played either Bayer or Atalanta, what’s the point? All Arsenal need to focus on is one game at a time and one competition at a time.
Our next game is against Chelsea at The Emirates and we have to do to them what we did to Totts. Win! This Chelsea side is very up and down. One day they can be brilliant but the next, pretty average at best. I’m hoping the latter turns up on Sunday. Chelsea have a number of injuries, one being Cucurella which in some ways is a shame as I always like to see the battle between him and Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke. He’s a ghastly player though but then Chelsea have a few of those. Caicedo springs to mind as does Delap. Fofana is another who is suspended for Sundays game having been sent off in their last match.
Our last match against Chelsea at The Emirates was as boring as they come because they came to defend, hoping for a lucky break to the get the goal they needed to take the League Cup semifinal into extra time/penalties. Their plan failed. Sunday though it’s about points and both club need all three. Chelsea to secure a Champions League spot, Arsenal to stay ahead of Man City who will have played Leeds the day before. Mikel Arteta will be talking to the media later today and fingers crossed, he’ll have positive news on the availability of Kai Havertz.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, the draw tonight doesn’t have the jeopardy, excitement of say an FA Cup draw where all the team’s go in one big pot. The first leg of all our games will be played away so all the return legs will be at home.
Counting chickens is not recommended, there have been a fair few unexpected results so far.
On a different note, Raya is not in the top five Premiership ‘keepers when it comes to saves made, shocking? Well no actually, 💡because he has had the fewest saves to make, thanks to our stout defenders.
Morning Cicero, crazy format as done away with the jeopardy.
Ha ha re Raya.
It seems we play Bayer LEverkusen and if we go through its one of Sporting or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter‑finals
The draw has been kind for now at least.
Good morning Rico and all
A very interesting draw. We have Leverkusen. Our Brit competitors have not been so lucky. It has paid off to come 1st!
I see this draw as a gift for Arsenal to do well and hopefully make it to the Final.
That was a great draw but only if we get past Leverkusen.
Hi Devil.
Thank goodness we avoided the City route..
Fans of other teams already whinging about Arsenal’s easier draw,the audacity,it’s almost as if Arsenal won all their league matches,conceding very few goals and scoring plenty..oh hang on.
Afternoon Gooners, afternoon Rico, can’t really complain about that, it’s not going to be a walk in the park but at this stage of the competition, when you’re looking for any slight advantage, you couldn’t ask for more. Gyokeres will be looking at the prospect of facing Sporting.
Hincapie will be looking at the Leverkusen game with relish, I’m hoping for the Spuds in the semi-finals but hang-on, let’s get there first…
It’s just great to see all the difficult ties Man City could face, if they get past Real Madrid?
Somebody did mention that Eze could end up the top scorer in the Champions League if we get the Spuds…
A nice little aperitif before the Chavs.
Afternoon Kev, I wonder if Hincapie is permitted to play against Bayer as he’s on loan. Not sure what the European rules are.
I think he can play Rico.
Good Kev.
Piero Hincapié can play for Arsenal against his parent club Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League when they play in the Round of 16
UEFA’s rules for European competitions are different from domestic leagues. In the Premier League, loan players usually cannot play against their parent club in league matches.
But in UEFA competitions like the Champions League, clubs are not allowed to include clauses that block a loaned player from facing their parent club — that would be seen as exerting influence over squad selection. So a loan player is eligible to be selected and play.
That means that since Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen are drawn together in the Champions League, Hincapié would be allowed to feature in those matches.
The Champions league needed English teams paring out and this draw should have some effect , as long as it’s not us it’s all good . The journey to the final is now clear but we can’t take it for granted and should Newcastle go out to Barca , Spurs would have to beat Atleti or Barca before possibly us. Personally as much as I am exultant about our recent results I hope they go out to Simeone’s lot as I could not take the pressure on my heart with a champions league semi against them because as much as I think they are crap at best they are a cup team.
Man City’s fixtures ahead of our EFL Cup and PL meetings:
Newcastle, Real Madrid, West Ham, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea, Arsenal
Our fixtures in the same timeframe:
Mansfield, Leverkusen, Everton, Leverkusen, City, Bournemouth, City.
Interesting
Ditto Potter, hope Atletico batter them.
On paper, I’d rather our fixtures, however…
If my calculations are correct we have 23 more games to go if we are to feature in all cup finals we are involved in. I would rather P23, W23, F23 A0. Even if all of them are boring Mourinho style.
One game at a time. Win them all and we win our freedom to ram it down the throat of many per omnia secula seculorum.
And if Gyokeres scores all of those goals I would be more than happy.
That Man City fixture list is pretty bloody hard core and just what they deserve…
Yeah, I get what you’ll say about facing the Spuds, but it isn’t going to happen so chillax.
Dev, I think UEFA have got it right on loans, I think that on loan players in Englsnd should be allowed to play in the EPL.
If everyone at Arsenal is fit, I wonder if Arteta will stick with his usually rotated cup team at Wembley or go full gas as it’s Pep and City…?
If I were Arsenal management I would loan players to any club and allow players to play against us provided that the club to whom he is loaned pays a fee (say 150K) if player sets foot on the field during the game. Then its up to the club whether to play him or not.
I can understand why players are not permitted to play against their parent club. Imagine if a striker missed a sitter against us which ended up getting us a trophy?
The purpose of loaning out players is to get them game time and experience DG, charging a fee each time one of them sets foot on the pitch would be entirely self defeating. If they are not going to get game time they may as well sit on our bench as some other team’s bench.
I think Devil just means when they play against Arsenal Cicero..
Yes Rico that’s what I meant. The fee applies only when and if they play against Arsenal. So let’s say that we loan Nwaneri to Brentford for a 2M fee for a whole season. He will be allowed play against Arsenal if the club pays the 150k above the initial loan fee.
Mea culpa D G, I misunderstood your point.
Its ok Cicero. No probem at all.
Personally, if I were Arteta I would not play Hincapie except if 1) other options are unavailable or injured, 2) I am over 100% certain that the club is going to buy him outright (which I am sure is the case because if we had paid for him we would have had financial issues).
Any club can play a loan player but it still is a risk imo. I don’t think its fair on the player as well. Imagine if he misses a sitter or commits a mistake against the parent club!! What would conclusions be? So while the rule looks out for such situations I still think that clubs should be free to make their own choice whether to play him or not.
Devil, we have an obligation to buy, Hincapie is ours in the summer.
Erling Haaland is not in tonight’s squad.
C’mon Leeds.
Dirty Leeds, get stuck in. 😜
Shucks, injury time goal for City, Leeds didn’t deserve that.
Dirty Leeds? Streetwise City!
Here we go City players going down feigning injury to break up the play.
Jammy gits. Better clubs will take points off them hopefully 🤞
Leeds had plenty of chances, with a better striker they could have won the game, Calvert-Lewin had at least three good chances, he wasted them all.
Frustrating…
City giving up chances is positive because eventually a team or teams will take those chances and City will drop points…
But for now it’s what we do that counts.
Good morning all. Welcome to the first day of Spring! A hint of sunlight this morning, a little warmer and just a light breeze. Ideal conditions for football. Let’s hope it’s our boys walking off with a spring in their step later today.
Morning Cicero, all.
Our first day of Spring has brought rain, just what we needed. Not! The rest of the week is forecast to be much better though.
New post up.