Final score and live match report Huddersfield – Arsenal : 1-2

By Walter Broeckx

Mkhitaryan and Maitland-Niles return to the starting  line up. A few absentees with Auba and Ozil missing out because of illness. According to Arsenal.com we also miss  Ramsey wiht a knee injury and Xhaka who still has trouble with his groin.

Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Lacazette
On the beach: Cech, Elneny, Lichtsteiner, Suarez, Mavropanos, Nketiah, Willock

Huddersfield pressing all over the field and Arsenal finding it difficult to get some passing game going. Lacazette needing too much time to shoot and a defender could tackle the gall away from his foot before he could aim at goal after some 7 minutes was the first real attack from Arsenal. A good attack on the right flank and Maitland-Niles gives it to Iwobi but he shoots in the side net. Iwobi then with a croos to Lacazette but his effort goes wide. An attack on the left flank and Mkhitaryan gives the ball to Kolasinac who picks out Iwobi who goes for the first time volley. The ball takes a slight deflection on the foot of the defender and the ball goes in. GOAL! 0-1 to The Arsenal after 16 minutes.

Leno with a good interception on a low cross in front of a Huddersfield attacker. Lacazette in some space but his attempted cut back is blocked by a defender. Mkhitaryan completely free in the middle. Lacazette then just can’t put in a shot or a cross when dribbling in the penalty area. Leno in nowhere land after a free kick but Kos heads the ball out of the danger area. Kos then blocking a shot with his hand and his private parts. Arsenal having some trouble in clearing the ball after corners and free kicks and putting themselves under some unneaded pressure. Huddersfield with a better spell and Arsenal again not being able to attack well for the moment. Still 0-1 after 30 minutes.

The Huddersfield number 9 then plants his foot on the knee of Kolasinac and the PGMO nitwits don’t see it… even a foul against Kolasinac is given….. unseen….Arsenal losing the ball in their own half too much. Huddersfield roughing up the Arsenal players and we find it difficult to live with that with no protection. Lacazette is fouled late on and the ref calls play back when Iwobi scored from an offside position. A yellow card was given against Schindler for the foul. Finally a good attack. Mkhitaryan with a good ball to  Maitland-Niles who gives it back but the left footed shot was too weak to really trouble the keeper. Moss doing his best to see the smallest use of physical effort from an Arsenal player as a foul. Huddersfield taking some 15-20 meters advantage at a throw in but Moss finds it okay as long as he doesn’t have to run too much. Arsenal attack and the ball goes ot Maitland-Niles and Lacazette with the cool finish. GOAL!! 0-2 to The Arsenal after 44 minutes.

And 0-2  that is the half time score.

Koscielny with a good sliding tackle in the opening seconds to stop a Huddersfield striker from getting a shot in.  Moss keeps giving everything to Huddersfield when possible. Until Iwobi is almost launched in the air. Kongole gets a yellow card for his wild kick.  Leno with a briljant low save on a shot from the penalty area. Hello Arsenal do you realise the second half has started already?  Maitland-NIles gets a yellow card for a small pull. 10 minutes in the second half and Arsenal didn’t have one attack that went in to the Huddersfield half…. It is all Huddersfield for the moment. After 58 minutes Torreira comes off and Elneny comes on the field. Just after 15 minutes Elneny with the first effort on goal after a cross from Kolasinac but the ball went well wide. 0-2 after 60 minutes.

Moss not knowing left from right and changing his mind on a throw hin half a dozen times. It would be funny if it wouldn’t be sad.  An attempted cross from a Huddersfield player gets deflected and falls on top of the Arsenal crossbar. The corner leads to a big chance that is wasted from close range.  Iwobi with an effort but completely off target. Maitland Niles send in some space but his attempted lob/cross/shot is straight at the keepers arms. Arsenal counter and Mkhitaryan gives it to Iwobi who has a shot but the keeper stops the effort. That really should have been a goal but the keeper spread himself well. Arsenal counter again but Mkhitaryan slips just when he wanted to cross to Lacazette who was unmarked in the middle. Leno at the other end making a difficult save and Kos to clear the rebound. Iwobi then almost finds Lacazette but a defender dan clear.  Maitland-Niles keeping a cool head and heads a cross back to Leno before Huddersfield can become dangerous. Still 0-2 after 75 minutes.

After 75 minutes Suarez comes on for Mkhitaryan. Koscielny keeps on being our best man on the pitch for me. Depoitre has a dangerous shot for Huddersfield that goes just wide.  Moss keeps on being Moss. Arsenal players are still not allowed to use their body to win duels. A ball bounces in the Arsenal penalty area with Leno making a block  and in the end Monreal has to clear it off the line… Iwobi with a poor cross that goes over. Willock comes in the field after 87 minutes in the place of Iwobi.  Is this his PL debut? Still 0-2 after 90 minutes. 4 minutes of added time.

Lacazette with a small reaction after being manhandled but Moss just has a word. And to add to the poor performance Huddersfield score a goal when Kolasinac can only put a foot against the ball after Leno made a first block. So Arsenal concede a goal against a team that couldn’t score….

Leno, Koscielny and Monreal for me the best players on the field against bottom club Huddersfield. I think this is saying it all about this match.

We win but can’t even keep a clean sheet against the bottom club. 1-2  final score.