Champions League games comes with a lot of surprises. We just have seen Lazio schooling Bayern in round of 16, Antwerp had beaten Barcelona in group stages, Crvena zvezda gave a tough fight to City only losing 2-3 at the end, Galatsaray forced United to share points in a nail biting 3-3 game, and there were some more.
Away games are never easier. Not against even a club you have never heard of… and we all have heard of Porto. They had an easy group in Champions League where they finished 2nd to Barcelona but they scored 15 goals in 6 games. They sit 3rd in the Portuguese league and taking them lightly is not an option.
We all have missed Champions League. We are, now, back playing among the best clubs in the world and we should make the most out of it. Mikel do not have a very good record in Europe and it’s time for him to fix some of that.
Right, so what have we got? A fit squad, powered with confidence and 5 Premier League wins in straight games. All we have to do is, keep that performance going for couple of months and our dream of winning something valuable might come true.
Team wise, Jurrien Timber was registered in the CL squad for the second half but it would be too early to see him play. Thomas Partey is not getting back into the team either for some more days. I would hate to see Zinchenko (or Tomiyasu) replace Kiwior if that happens; that lad has proved he can play at LB and should not be demoralised for favorites. A midfield of Odegaard, Rice and Havertz will do the job, and Saka, Trossard, Martinelli should take the top 3 positions. I know Jesus has a splendid Champions League record, but he hasn’t played from some time and returning in a CL game is not an option. Plus, Trossard is producing more output than him and Eddie, let us keep that going shall we?
Sergio Conceicao, the manager of Porto likes to play with a 4-4-2 formation and prefers a counter-attacking brand of football. It would be our defence that would be tested, we can’t afford to leave open spaces for them to penetrate.
We need to win and win big, we can’t leave things for the 2nd leg. A 2-0/3-0 scoreline would make me happy. I always love a clean sheet.
Right, not much for today. I just wanted the conversation running for our Champions League and will be back before the game for a match day blog.
https://youtu.be/uTLQaM0csz8?si=o9TWOLMJzi1p5JIn
NORG
One of my all time favourite clips. Not difficult to lip-read this one, but I always go back to this when I want to cheer myself up. Good to know you share an admiration for Steve W – Finsbury Park’s favourite son who should have spent less time with Southampton and more with us. Brilliant player who exemplified Arsenal for me at the time.
Ossie was such a fucking goody twoshoes with his ‘tottingham’ bullshit. I much preferred Ricardo Villa. Steve W even puts the referee right after the booking and shares a joke with him. What a man.
I remember when Davis got that 9 match ban for breaking Glenn Cockerill’s jaw. I got as far as drafting a letter to Ken Friar asking how I could make a contribution to help pay his fine. Davis was a sublime passer.
Evening chaps many interesting takes above. I was never a Flamini fan. He seemed too busy with typical French arrogance that stemmed from Wenger’s die Fuhrer slant on the arrogance. I was expecting a Wenger book on improving ze arroganze. Flamini had the spoilt kid look about him.
As for tonight? Only a win is good enough. I said at the start of last season we had the squad to win the PL if we bought right in the Jan window- we didn’t and predictably the wheels came off. That was purely down to Arteta.
We are where we are largely because of our free kick and dead ball goal tally, not from scintillating football following mind bending tactical nous from El B.
Teams don’t seem to have answers to our ingenuity. So, for that alone I see goals because we are very fluid with the ball in the final 3rd. Free kicks & corners will come our way.
Defensively, Kiwior has surprised me and is looking certainly more solid than the ever erratic Zinchenko.
I’m not saying it won’t be a tricky tie, but we have a swagger and bullying way in our play that has added steel to our play.
Marc is right to point out the coming concerning games, my answer isn’t Arteta has come of age, he hasn’t, not yet anyway. KP is right to be reflective on the last 2 seasons and the December decline that could easily be repeated. Arteta has always been the architect of his own losses of the games that mattered most.
A PL win will go some way to appreciating El B’s work, but taking 5 years? With all his shit to put up with? The poor buys and bad treatment of our kids? No the Cnut needs to win far more to become a hero for me.
That credit rests solely on our marauding squad with their tails up.
I’d rather see ESR at 8, but…….,..
Too late for me, so enjoy the narrow win chaps, I’ll each in the morning. 1:2 to us is my prediction with Ode continuing his electric form. Saka to score.
Sorry Ambarish another good piece making valid points.
Time for sleep 😴
Match day post is live now