By Walter Broeckx
A number of changes before the match. With our destiny to finish top of the group not in our own hands something that I really think can be done. A few players getting some rest and some player getting the chance to play at the highest level is something that I surely can support.
In goal we have our CL keeper Ospina and Cech is on the beach. At the back Mustafi will be replaced by Holding who makes his CL debut tonight. Gibbs will play at left back and Gabriel at right back.
In midfield we also see a few changes. Coquelin is suspended and Ramsey plays together with Xhaka. Arsène Wenger has made six changes to the team for our final group game in Basel.
Iwobi also in the starting lineup and maybe more surprising we also find Lucas. Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain get some rest.
Arsenal team: Ospina, Gabriel, Holding, Koscielny, Gibbs, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi, Ozil, Lucas, Alexis
On the beach: Cech, Monreal, Mustafi, Elneny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Giroud
Arsenal with most of the ball in the opening minutes and an attack goes from right to left and back to the middle. Alexis with a ball over the top of the last defender to left back Gibbs who simply passes it in front of the goal where Lucas controls and then simply taps it over the line. GOAL!!!! 0-1 to the Arsenal after 9 minutes.
Basel attacking now a bit more think they had scored but the linesman raised his flag for offside and that was the correct decision. Ospina with a first brilliant reflex save by the way. Basel really going for the equaliser now. But Arsenal after a few difficult minutes regain the ball and some possession. Özil to Gibbs on the left flank again in space a shot that the keeper can push away but Lucas on hand to put it over the line. GOAL!!! 0-2 to the Arsenal after 16 minutes.
Basel trying to do something back and a curling shot with the outside of the left foot goes just wide of the goalpost. Arsenal control the match and Alexis is just offside when he has a shot on goal that is saved by the keeper. At the other end a cross floats just over the goal from Ospina. Lucas almost at the end of a long ball from Ramsey but the keeper is first on the ball. Arsenal still 0-2 in front after 30 minutes.
A few Arsenal players getting out of some 50/50 challenges in midfield. No need to take risks of course but this is maybe a bit early to do this as it creates a bit more pressure on our defenders. Gibbs on the other hand goes in the book for a PL tackle that is not allowed in the CL. Our Xhaka embraces their Xhaka in midfield but the ref doesn’t see it as brother love and gives a foul. Ospina with a important save and then first on the ball to prevent the rebound being put over the line. Brave goalkeeping. But Basel really having a go and going forward at Arsenal now. Basel get another chance but it is headed over from the edge of the goal area. Arsenal leaning back a bit too much maybe and giving Basel too much room and taking it too casual?
What a start to the second half. Gibbs, what a match he is having intercepts a ball and plays it to Lucas who….finishes it off with his right foot in the far corner! GOAL!!!!!! 0-3 to The Arsenal after 46 minutes! A hattrick for the Spanish striker in his first start in the CL!
Janko brushes a header wide after a quickly taken corner for Basel. But Arsenal now finding some space in mdifield. Ramsey to Alexis who feeds it to Özil who simply lays it off in front of Iwobi who fires it over the line. GOAL !!!!! 0-4 to The Arsenal after 54 minutes.
Arsenal now leaning a bit more back with this good advantage on the scoreboard. Some confusion after a Basel free kick but Holding heading the ball away and the next shot that is deflected is saved by Ospina. The first shot Basel had on target. Basel a bit later with a counter but a defender could save for a corner that is just cleared for another corner. Basel really not giving up yet, credit to them.
Alexis then charged off the ball with a strong challenge that the ref didn’t like and the Basel player goes in the book. He played the ball but he came in dangerous. Alexis with the free kick that is floated in and makes a strange curve and ends up against the crossbar and the rebound that was headed towards goal was saved by the keeper. Özil then stumbling a bit so he could not give the ball on the overlap and this his attempted shot was cut out.
Time for some changes. Alexis goes off and Elneny comes on after 69 minutes. Arsenal now playing the ball around a bit without really trying to add to the score. I think we already made our point to them. Giroud came one in the place of Ramsey. Özil with a low cross to Giroud but his effort goes just wide. Özil also goes off and Walcott comes on after 73 minutes. Ospina has to go down to a deflected shot.
Walcott with a run but his shot is saved by the keeper. Iwobi tries to play in Giroud but the ball is too hard. Iwobi now playing the Özil role. Arsenal then losing the ball after a little error by Holding and Basel capitales and pulls one back by Doumbia. 1-4 after 78 minutes. A beginners mistake we will say. He will probably learn from it.
Ospina picking up a header after a corner. But the balance was a bit lost in the team after the substitutions or should I say the brilliance of Özil and Alexis? A Walcott shot was deflected for a corner.
With the match being as good as over time to have a look at Paris. Over to you François: Well after 88 minutes PSG is losing 1-2 to Ludogorets. Qui, Ludogorets est en train de faire la surprise au Parc Des Princes. Back to you Walter.
Wow that would mean Arsenal would win their group…. 2 minutes to go in Basel. The score in Paris now much more important….
Aux Parc de Prince dans l’extra time. PSG toujours menée a la marque. PSG still behind desperately trying to turn things around…. 2-2 in the second minute of extra time. PSG marque 2-2 dans la minute 92. Arsenal still top of the group now…..
In Basel the ref blows an end to the match. Arsenal win 1-4. Ooohhh the keeper from Ludogorets with a magical save at the end…. Already more than 1 minute over the extra time in Paris. Paris time???
Final whistle in Paris : PSG – Ludogorets 2-2!!!! Arsenal win the group!!! Eat that you moaners! Eat that!
A Lucas hattrick, an Iwobi goal and Gibbs my man of the match! What a night!
Another common line has been deleted tonight – “Arsenal have not won their group in xyz years”,
Now that we have done our bit, hoping for a favourable second round draw.
I think at Uefa headquarters they are already warming up some balls and freezing others…. 😉
Arsenal now got 3 players with hat trick in all competitions – Ozil, Alexis and Lucas
Got another 3 players with braces – Walcot, Oxlade Chamberlain and Giroud.
This team is really maturing.
Holding was awesome today. He did not look out of place at all. I hope Manchester City will not ask for a refund from Everton as per Stone.
Gunners, get ready for it. Finishing top of the group will no longer be important since we have achieved it. In fact, it’s because the opposition was rubbish.
Walter
Loved your “brother love” joke
That hot balls/cold balls is the biggest conspiracy theory since “Elvis is on the moon”
Many positives to take from the game. Lucas, Iwobi and Holding would now have their confidence sky high. Good news for the hectic December schedule.
I’m not being patronising, but I thought Basel put in a good performance.They did actually have something to play for and went for it.
I still cannot believe that City paid over £50million for Stones and we managed to get Holding for an absolute steal of just below £3million. £50million for Stones! It’s complete madness!
By increasing the amount of home-grown players that teams need, this has made young English players far more valuable; meaning that only the top teams can really afford them. It’s obviously a lot harder to get on to the team sheet for the top clubs, so these home-grown players actually end up getting less game time than they otherwise would have; thus stunting their development.
So really, increasing the number of home-grown players that a club needs, has actually had the exact opposite effect than what they were after. Just one of the many reasons why England are so shit!
(Sorry, went off on a bit of a tangent there haha).
Eat that, you moaners, eat that! Love it, Walter. Leon, don’t you believe in the freezing and warming of the balls? You’re a man of the world – why so naive?
In the game thread, Yommex seemed to muse about ManU putting in a big bid for Lucas. Maybe Arsenal have a 150 million clause in his contract covering ManU? (Snide remark about Liverpool!!! and Firminio, or whatever his name is.)
Arsenal.com announced we signed a Chelsea youth defender today-ish.
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How did Gabriel look today? I didn’t see any mention of him in the commentaries I was reading.
Gibbs mate, just awesome
Gord, Gabriel seemed fine, never put the ball wrong
That’s nice to hear Oleg. Another multi-tasking player.
missing attack flare though a bit
Yommex, I see Eurosport has jumped to use the “Arsenal FINALLY …”.
Blah, blah, blah. No clicks from me.
I didn’t read the article, but someone at Metro had a good headline:
> Arsenal star Lucas Perez has scored as many Champions League goals as Tottenham Hotspur this season
Gord, how is that for a change
the fact that we demolished Ludo brings a rather unusual kind of joy, seeing that they are not a negative kind of team
i wish they beat totts on the path to EL glory
@ Pat – I guess that must have been one of the first comments that you have read of Leons (or whatever he is calling himself these days)? It’s beyond naivety.
Leon, Blatter openly admitted to the practice of freezing certain balls so that they have a rough idea of which teams will (or wont) play each other. But sure, it’s just a wacky conspiracy theory, because nothing underhanded and corrupt ever happens in football!
Pat & Jammy J
You don’t really get humour do you?
….or is it just another opportunity to troll?
@Yommex,
Actually we have more hat-tricks than that. One each in the U18 and U23 competitions by our 17 year old goal wizard Eddie Nketiah.
The only troll of concern around here, is Leon Trollsky.
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State Aid United “fan” attacked Arsenal employee last weekend.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/new-west-ham-shame-after-9405006
I’m sorry, but judging by your previous posts, I do not believe for one second that that comment was made sarcastically.
jammy J
It wasn’t even sarcasm. It was light humour.
But you and a few others take every opportunity don’t you?
Gord needs to be careful too. H’e no sweetheart himself.
Brilliant football from the Gunners.
Team was well-balanced. Perez, Özil and Sanchez had a good game.
Thanks Le Prof for fielding a strong enough team to win the game. I would have been very disappointed if we had fielded a weak team and then missed out on taking advantage of the fact that PSG didn’t win.
I just hope we get a good draw. No Bayern. No Real Madrid.
I however think we can beat Real Madrid or Bayern if we meet them in the next round.
Leon,
Since when do you have a sense of humor? Or is it a cheap attempt to disguise the trolling?
I watched the match on a stream, as no TV station here deemed the match worthy enough of a live airing. Well, now they know what they lost. The TV had two useless matches, one between the Bayern and Atletico, Bayern who could have beaten by 100-0 and still finish second, and the other match between the owners of John “complete madness” Stones and Celtic who scored first from one of their opponents’ countless failed attempts to play the ball from the back. Even ESPN said “we’ve seen it before, and it doesn’t work”.
On to the heated balls manipulation now:)
Walter
I’m terribly sorry if I offended you with my hot balls/cold balls joke. But that’s all it was.
Anyway I’m now being trolled relentlessly for it by humourless fools so would like to make it clear with you that it was not intended as sarcasm or anything other than a joke.
Now,now lads (Leon,Jammy,Gord et.al.) please play nice….after all we won tonight and came first in our group, we have another hat-trick artist in Lucas (he’s not even nicking a living) Perez, we have talent bursting at the Arsenal seams and as Gord so humoursly pointed out, Lucas has scored as many goals in one game as the Totts have scored in the CL so far!
Basel did give it a decent try and it was a pleasure to see a team NOT park the bus but go for it. However EPL teams watching us demolish opponents that try and play Football will panic even more and park the entire fleet of buses when facing us is my guess.
Perhaps Leon would like to write an article on UA about conspiracy theories or FIFA corruption or trolling and being trolled or humourless fools on UA or whatever takes his fancy,I for one would welcome such a contribution.
Good officiating OMG, I’m with you. Come on lads now leave Leon’s balls alone!
omgarsenal – thanks for that. Twas getting a bit tedious. More important is your point re parking the bus. Really top sides (EPL or Europe) can play football with us and maybe get a result. The rest? Mourinho redux. And I’m sure that’ll be the strategy we’ll see, and it’s worked in the past. However this squad has versatility and AW has mixed it up, moving players around and with Xhaka to Ozil to Alexis, playing a lot more direct. This is how you break a side down when they park the bus – drive it down their throats. Not the old side to side keep away, go right at them. In my humble opinion we now have a side that can do it effectively. COYG! Up the Arsenal!
WOO HOO , HOO ! Well played , guys . Was impressed with those who came in to replace our regulars . We have a good squad and depth.
Now for a favourable draw, or not, to get past another hurdle . Or just bring anyone – am sure we will not be getting any favours from UEFA .
Nurse, to the troll’s wife about to receive a vaccination: “You’re going to feel a little prick.”
Woman: “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
A young scholar from New York was invited to become Rabbi in a small old community in Chicago. On his very first Sabbath, a hot debate erupted as to whether one should or should not stand during the reading of the Ten Commandments.
The next day, the rabbi visited 98 year-old Mr. Katz in the nursing home. “Mr. Katz, I’m asking you, as the oldest member of the community,” said the rabbi, “what is our synagogue’s custom during the reading of the Ten Commandments?”
“Why do you ask?” asked Mr. Katz.
“Yesterday we read the Ten Commandments. Some people stood, some people sat. The ones standing started screaming at the ones sitting, telling them to stand up. The ones sitting started screaming at the ones standing, telling them to sit down……”
“That,” said the old man, “is our custom.”
OMG
That’ a good idea for an article. I might work on that. I have plenty of subject material after all.
……or I might take the option offered by Tony on the live thread. So if people find themselves locked out they’ll know why.
An AKB visits his doctor and says, “Doctor, I keep seeing mean green trolls before my eyes.”
The doctor asks “have you seen a psychiatrist?”
The patient says, “No, only mean green trolls !”
Impressive nd fantastic; moreso Lucas’ hatrick. Who says le prof is nt a genius? Check out how he joggled dis demolishing squad , ohoh oh, meeeen, dis team is back on fire, am sorry for our opponents for d rest of december; let d moaners moan till eternity, dis season is ours; soon by end of month we will be top of d EPL. No fear on my part concerning dis team , we will suprise everyone roundabout, 2016/17 is our season , mark it! Shalom!!!
Good to top the group for the first time in five years, and get some quality media recognition. Although I’m not sure of the sincerity of some of it.
Perez seems to have taken the Mail’s fancy as they gave him a nine, which’ll do him the world of good and his form will give Wenger some options now.
There’s reports of Sanchez being offered £400 thousand per week from China. How does that work? Don’t they have FFP in China? Does the rest of the squad get paid fifty quid? Do they have stadia that hold half a million?
Leon,
Sense of humor is not just your absolute ‘right’……. If you are willing to call others out. Be ready to face the same. After all, one person blabbering doesn’t make it humorous.
Remember you said that blogs are a place for different opinions. Wonder why the ‘different’ opinion becomes a troll….
Arsenal 13
I’ll always fight my corner if I think I’m being targeted. You’re not silly, you know what’s going on here and you’d never dream of joining in for a bit of rotational trolling would you?
And talking of blabbering, what are all those inanities on the live blogs all about?
It’s the different opinions that usually causes the problems. If you don’t contribute to a singular view then you’re dead on this blog.
Another team performance with steel, determination and artistry. Beautiful individual play. All blend. This team has quality. Thanks as ever to Mr Wenger, the manager who puts it together, who actually chooses players who play football and comes out himself with a choice of words that makes you think, the players, the fans, the club. It’s a shame I can’t say thank you to the massed ranks of punditry – ‘Easy Money’ springs to mind – as for the mob who administer the orders to make themselves the paramount usurpers in the spectacle, their collapse into a rabble will happen in slow motion.
A nice win, for the fans too. Pleasing performances we like to see.
A few goals taken for those needing them will surely bolster their confidence in the coming games.
All in all, we can look forward(well prepared) to the gruelling xmas games now.
Just one final thing that I’ll say on the subject; calling someone out for being ignorant and continuously creating alt accounts (after their current one gets banned), is not trolling.
A very pleasing win last night and a good performance from the team in general – and it was good to see the young players fitting in seamlessly.
Once we established a safe lead we seemed to take the foot off the gas a bit – quite sensibly under the circumstances – otherwise I think we could have scored six.
I made the mistake of watching BT Sports just after the match – the expression on Gerrard’s face post match was priceless!
The thought of freezing Leon’s balls is very appealing – but this would not be a good idea unless his fingers were also frozen – after all, we probably could not stand him typing in descant!
Leon….a few points;
1)Try the article route first, we’re familiar with your posts but not your composition skills or ability to create a dynamic article,regardless of whether we agree with it or not.
2)China is not in the EUFA and therefore not subject to restrictions that are imposed on European clubs (if any) and while they are in FIFA, they are basically being encouraged by this organisation to promote football any way possible. That means turning a blind eye (FIFA has no shortage of those) to whatever shenanigans the Chinese permit; taking bungs, breaking contracts,tapping up, bribes, corruption etc…..basically all the FIFA skillset. While there is little concrete proof that the Chinese are doing this, knowing them as I do, it would not surprise me to see it revealed sooner than later. Growth in Asian Football is one of FIFA’s $$$$ priorities, afterall they represent more than 50% of the world’s population and are Football mad….what a gold mine for FIFA!
There is a tremendous competition to transfer top world players to their league BUT the top players want to play in the CL and in a top league(S) which China is far from achieving. I doubt we need worry about China just yet BUT we do need to worry about City,Chelsea,maybe Liverpool and certainly Real, Bayern Munich,Madrid,Barcelona and PSG, all of whom have access to unlimited funds and whose reputation for poaching proceeds them!
This could make a good topic for an article…….????
I will admit to not liking Leon. Just rubs me the wrong way too many times. There is the occassional piece he writes which seems useful and/or interesting. But too often he just seems to want to make someone else’s day lousy.
That said, I was once accused in a completely different place of being passive aggressive. I am not an English major. I would much rather work with physics and math and chemistry and statistics.
Of course, I come back to this after having something wipe out the “keyboard” on my X connection (I run Linux, so this is X11) and things got lost.
I tried looking for perl tools to detect passive-aggressive. I didn’t find anything especially useful.
One thing, which everyone might be able to use, is if you consider sentences one at a time. If you rewrite the sentence with:
(by Zombies).
at the very end, does it still make sense? If so, it is very likely your original sentence was written in passive voice.
There was a web site related to ‘mite’ and ‘mike’ I believe, which had a few sh/bash scripts to look for things like “weasel words”. This person did all his writing in TeX (or LaTeX), and used make for building documents. I normally do that, but most of you probably haven’t any idea what I am talking about.
I suspect the 2 or 5 lists of words in his scripts, are domain specific. If he was a mechanical engineer, those lists might not always work for someone in electrical engineering or biochemistry or …. But, it might be useful to look at those lists.
That is, if you are trying to find passive voice in things you write.
One of the scripts was looking for duplicate words, and I think diction (from Documenters Workshop way back when) adequately covers that. Diction is actually a pretty handy tool for anyone working in English. It supposedly works for German, I wouldn’t know. There were a couple of grammar tools for OpenOffice/LibreOffice that work differently. But I really doubt that they had the horsepower behind them that AT&T/Bell Labs had in making the Documenter’s Workbench way back when.
@ bjtgooner 07/12/2016 at 2:18 pm – Speaking of frozen balls , check this out-
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2016/12/01/pair-of-frozen-testicles-discovered-on-footpath/
I for one think that they belonged to some brass monkey or another !
Apart from his hat-trick I thought Lucas had a poor game.
Very few completed passes and some really poor ones.
But as the game is ultimately about goals scored, he clearly did a decent job 😀
Hopefully this game-time plus the confidence of the goals will do him a world of good.
It must be difficult for the manager to chose between Monreal and Gibbs now…
@Brickfields
Nice one!