7 years since we last played a Champions League knockout game! Luck has favoured us a bit, we are visiting Porto in couple of hours and I’m all excited for it.
Mikel Arteta in his pre-match conference acknowledged the experience Porto have in Champions League, that we haven’t played a CL game in two or three months and the other teams are well prepared and can beat anyone on a given day.
In the team news, ex Porto man Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey were back in training but remains to be seen if they make the bench. Jesus, Zinchenko and Tomiyasu are out for the game while Timber is not yet recovered. If I have to guess, we would play with our strongest playing XI, Havertz in the middle with Declan Rice, and a front three of Saka, Trossard and Martinelli.
There’s something exciting about today. We are playing Porto on the back of two big wins 5-0 and 6-0 in PL and the confidence of the lads would be touching the ceiling. With a 2-legged system, you can always make a comeback if things don’t go in your favor at first, but I don’t want it to happen. I would love it if we bury the tie today with a 2-0/3-0 win and make sure we don’t let the 2nd leg come in the way of our Premier League run.
Premier League has a very certain way of play. Most of the teams prefer playing from the back, the movements and player’s position can be read in advance and Mikel or anyone for that matter can plan their strategies accordingly. Everybody knows how Pep is going to play and how he is going to set up the team on the field. It’s not going to change. He can tweak the system a bit but on a high level, it remains same. Teams from other leagues are not that predictable. You know very less about them, they can just sit back and keep a wall, or play on counter, or play a quick one touch football. And for some of these clubs, winning a game against Arsenal or Madrid is all they want. That’s what make them dangerous and that’s why the results often in CL (or Europe) are random. It comes down to “who put their body on the line”.
Can we do it today? We will get to know soon. Short one today, game is too late for me (1.30 AM IST) but I can manage a 4 hour sleep after a 7 year wait. See you during the game.
Andy Townsend’s comment in the 89th minute, “it’s a game that doesn’t even deserve a goal”
can we find a way to muster a actual shot on target in extra time
an actual
a header off a set piece into the 14th row is the nearest we came to threatening the opposing goal
we’re a fucking embarassment…just as I had predicted at half, we end up on the short end of a 1-0 scoreline
that was a Ramsdale kind of save…Raya left his feet way too early
it won’t be long before rumours emerge involving our supposed pursuit of Galeno in the summer window
Just gave that away. Fucking stupid. No need for that cross field ball. Think we can still beat them in London but pretty weak display tonight.
gutless and guileless football managing at it’s finest
Porto will be tough to beat at the Emirates.
we’re fucking world beaters when it comes to those father/son-like Burnley affairs, but when it really matters we don’t even register a fucking shot on goal…the fact that MA didn’t even attempt to change things up with an offensive-minded sub, speaks volumes about his gutless inklings
Tony-I can’t even imagine your state of mind if you stayed up to watch that borefest, only to then have to witness Porto winning in the dying seconds
Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao hit back at Mikel Arteta’s suggestion that his team had ‘no intention of playing”: ‘They think that the best way to beat their opponents is to have more possession of the ball, but that depends on the team and the performers they have. We had 40%-60% possession of the ball, which is not a scandal. I didn’t mind having 30%-70% and winning too. It all depends on what you do with the ball within the strategy defined to score goals.’
These are the kind of matches where our lack of cutting edge and clinical finishing have come back to haunt us once again, which speaks directly to the problematic manner in which this team has been constructed, considering MA’s preferred tactics…this certainly doesn’t mean we can’t pot a couple or three in the return fixture and ultimately advance, but it definitely makes our task more daunting…what are the chances that MA will want to be more adventurous, as that might leave us more exposed against a team who wants to attack with pace on the counter
the fact remains, when you slow things down in order to play a decidedly more possession-based system, you need to do 3 things well: (1) have the ability to unlock deeper-lying defences, (2) acquire players who can both create their own chances and finish with a limited amount of opportuities, and (3) attack all areas within the final third, not just the wide-sides of the pitch, otherwise opposing defences will not only retain their shape, they will likewise go unpunished when they double-up your best forwards
in regards to the first point, we realistically have 1 player who fits that bill, Ode, and he tends to disappear at times when the stakes are raised…as for point number 2, both Saka and Marts can create their own scoring chances on occasion, but that gets exceedingly more difficult when they’re the primary and secondary focus of the opposition…that said, we don’t employ a single clinical finisher, in fact, our best pure shooter is likely Vieira, which is a sad commentary on our recruitment policies…finally, what kind of nimrod develops a tactical system that relies so heavily on playing into wider spaces yet rarely attacks with pace…talk about making things unnecessarily more difficult on your players…just look at last season, when we added some directness to our attack and Xhaka potted more goals in one season than during the rest of his tenure combined…instead we continued to settle for those without goals in their boots, like Havertz, and returned to our predominantly wide-side pursuits….even Pep realized he needed to adapt tactically once teams became more adept at parking the proverbial bus, which is why he acquired Haaland and constantly commits more men in and around the box
BBC
Wed, February 21, 2024 at 5:35 p.m. EST·1 min read
The key facts and figures after Arsenal’s defeat by Porto in the Champions League.
This is just the second time on record (since 2003-04) that Arsenal have failed to record a shot on target in a Champions League game, previously doing so away to Barcelona in the last 16 in March 2011.
Arsenal are just the fifth side to lose five successive knockout stage games in the Champions League, after Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic and Real Madrid.
Arsenal have failed to score in a Champions League game for the first time since a 2-0 defeat by Barcelona in February 2016, ending a run of 15 consecutive games with a goal (37 in total).
Porto have ended a run of five straight home games in the Champions League without a win against English opposition, since beating Leicester 5-0 in December 2016.
“Porto are not playing fair – don’t they know they should be playing like Burnley and West Ham.”
Good morning and comment of the night, Norg. Absolutely spot on to what I just witnessed.
I said we have the players – well, squad actually, something El B forgets he has.
Has Saliba been found out or just an off game? Forced into too many errors, and was pulled out of position too easily, but was hampered by White playing the invert MF, so always has to cover. It’s his Achilles heel and Porto exploited it.
What can we say about the flying midget in goal? Needs to fly better and faster is my advice, but in reality, Ramsdale saves that by better positioning and quicker feet.
Then, we’re back to the Havertz being Porto’s 2nd best player.
He’s a Prima Pratt. Can’t accelerate quickly enough for over-the-top-balls, and is aerially challenged where Havertz topples at the merest touch in Oscar fashion.
He reminds me of a Meercat. Always with his head up his arse, when needed and fluffs his lines unless against Burnley level teams; but would probably be good at compare.com adverts.
Does he fluff El B as well as his lines? I mean how does he get his game time with the far superior ESR on the bench? KP, Pumpkin could do better.
I struggled to watch the game this morning, and so I felt for my brethren Gooners discontent. TRVL you must have been beside yourself baking furiously to try to unsee the shit display we put on last night.
Safely playing by El B numbers. Then El B makes his usual wrong subs with Jorginho to help shore up and we leak a goal. I mean how very El B with in-game management. Mine was a nice hybrid 50/50 this morning.
Our play it safe game, and don’t get over exposed was too easily stifled by a 21 yo first CL game CD and the 41 yo Pepe who between them, kept our front three not only firing blanks but no shots on target at all. Let that sink in from the team who just netted 11 in 2 games.
When you see Havertz remain on the pitch and Jorginho our only sub for Trossard who is a better impact player, you know bad things can happen.
By contrast Sergio Conceicao made 4 changes from the 80th minute, which improved Porto and led to the goal with his tactical changes El B and his back street boys all missed – par for the course with El generational’s golden balls being more like blackened brass and shrinking no doubt after the loss.
Pedro needs to do some polishing.
White isn’t a 90+ player when playing RB and Inverting.
Realistically, White isn’t our current level. He’s a Hammers and Villa level player at best. Brighton were happy to let him go and never missed him leaving, says all we need to know.
We lost a game we should have won, had we played like we did for the Pool win. Basically, El Bastardo bottled it like our last run in. It was a game had we played front-foot one & two-touch football, as we can, we would have won by at least 2 clear goals.
On that performance I would have to side with Marc and say PL winning sides don’t play CL keep a clean sheet only football, and only huffing and puffing with no real penetration. Very El B like in Europe.
We can beat City and Pool in their own yards now. We have the squad, and occasionally we have the tactics. Last night we had neither because of negative tactics playing against 2 CBs who have no right playing CL football because of age and lack of experience.
Turns out those 2: sensai and grasshopper kept a clean sheet and will feel more positive at the Emirates. Zero shots on goal, how they must have laughed in the dressing room.
We only need a Liverpool performance to put Porto out. I know it, and we all know it. The squad knows it.
Does El Bottler know it? That’s what worries me my friends from afar…………..
Spot on Tony. A very predictable performance. What must ESR be thinking sitting on the bench in frustration knowing that his chances of getting on the pitch are zero.
For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts about last night.
The game is only half played. Arteta and the players were poor. Anything could happen in London. When Arsenal lose like that, apathy sets in. It’s too energy sapping to waste time wondering what might happen because we’ve been here so many times before. We’re shit in Europe and may always be. I’m just going to keep my counsel from now until the return leg. If we’re out after that game, I’ll summon up the enthusiasm to shit the bed!
Right, back to thinking about our teams in the 80s!
KP dont think two hard about the 80’s – there were some poor results then. I can remember the three semi final games against Liverpool only to lose to second division West Ham in the final. My accountant at the time also acted for Trevor Brooking. I would often bump into Brooking, who knowing I was a Gooner would remember the time he tripped and the ball hit his head and into our net. My seats at that final were in line with that action.
A memorable night at Highbury – the 7-0 thrashing of Leeds (in the League Cup). I took a friend who emigrated to New York the following day and his Father who was celebrating his 60th birthday.
Didn’t see the game last night so can’t comment on the performance etc but we’re now in dangerous territory. We need a 2 nil win to go through, they get an away goal and that’s 3 – 1 on the night.
Its why getting that away goal (even if its a draw) is so important once in the knock out stages.
The game I summed up our performance as ‘Insipid’ much like El B. Love your recollections Arsenal and otherwise keep them coming. This really is a blog of love where memories keep us ticking over. It’s why I miss Almunia so much. His lilt on thinks offered a different kind of balance here.
having read yours and KP’s musings on the 80s I think with the lasting memory of that decade being the 89 Liverpool game to win the league, anything 80s has a sprinkling of sooner pixie dust on it, until rightly on further inspections it was a difficult decades made fun by the characters wearing the red & white shirts.
Every team had it’s nutters, Vinny Jones and Fash the Bash with cheeky Dennis Wise at Wimbledon. To Stanley Bowles, Rodney Marsh and Tony Currie. George Best probably the most well known clown who could beat anyone; drunk or sober. Mclintock , Samsoen, champagne Charlie and Liam Brady and mad Jens hs to get a mention here. Tommy Hutchinson and other Chav thugs all Norman Hunter level and above leg breakers.
The list is endless as I’m sure you can all add to as your famous hard men (Chopper Harris) to the sweetly dancing feet of the 80s magicians led by Maradona.
Is todays football better? Only a few of us can really say having lived through it. Most here did.
I’d say it was more honest because so much was allowed that isn’t today. Play acting would get you serious pain that you’d probably have to go off injured. Vinny Jones & Gazza nuts anyone? Gazza took the piss and Vinny grabbed his crown jewels after his feet.
So, for that entertainment level together with the fact our expectations were tempered to a much lower level than we have today. To be fair our expectations are measured by the owners input financially, with out £b+ squad and we rightly, want a title after 2 decades of BS from Wenger and then our 5 year wait with El B.
Our expectations were set when El B told Willian he’d win the CL in 3 years, and today 4 years on, we lose to Porto who we should have at least scored against.
No matter what, as Marc rightly says, the away goal would have been priceless for us. Porto will go for he early demoralizing goal, and then shut up shop with counter football and El B will be clueless, as he was to Sergio’s 4 subs in 10 minutes..
Guys why is Arteta so blind with ESR? We’re lucky because Kiwior is only getting game time because El B’s favourite, Zinchenko is injured again. What are the chances of Kiwior being dropped when the Ukranian LB is fit again.
There was a a moment in the game in the 2nd half where Havertz was steaming through and a Porto player put his hands on Havertz’s waist where instead of Mart’s head down – fuck you – attitude to burst through and get off a shot, Havertz does his best swan lake pirouette, with a hissy fit in mid air, which will make a brilliant meme for every other clubs’ supporters.
It just beggars belief chaps.
El B is supposed to be a top generational manager, I mean Islington Ken (Bob being silly perhaps) told us so, so it must be. Funny he’s not back to offer his best passive aggressive parlance on the superlatives of El B’s work with squad. Perhaps his lost for words and back commiserating with the pedibots.
In the spirit of all things good I will end this ramble, and say with the value of having hindsight, I’d say football today is too vastly different in its rules, fitness and advancements to compare with the early 90s going back decades game.
Both have had great and bad moments. The game was more real back then physically, but today’s technical ability and tactical nous of the top managers; not the pretenders, makes today’s game more beautiful to watch.
Have a good evening where ever you are……….