By Bulldog Drummond
Speaking of the position of Lacazette Mr Wenger confirmed that he felt the club was ready to see the best of him, “because I realise now that he was not himself for a while. That explains why his goals dried out. He was always adamant – ‘I’m OK, I’m OK’ – but players are like that.
“It was not traumatic, he was a good player but I think in the last seven, eight games he played he was not completely free with his knee. Unfortunately in our job you need your body and that’s why when you are not 100% you cannot play well.”
As we all know Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is cup-tied, so Lacazette or Danny Welbeck are the two looking for the centre‑forward role against CSKA. Mr Wenger concluded “Lacazette is ready to start,” Wenger said. “I have not decided whether he will but he is available and ready to start.”
He then added…
“The mentality in the team is very good, very strong and very healthy as well. We recovered. You judge a team and the quality of a team on the way they come out of a crisis. On that front, I believe it’s very positive on our side. There is some extra pressure on us to do extremely well in this competition.”
And speaking of Europe, I have been quoting little bits on Russian football from The Calvert Journal, so here is one more to wrap it all up on the mentality of Russian players…
“Much ink has been spilled on the unique nature of the Russian soul, its predisposition towards both largesse and laziness. Russian football is a case in point. Despite having a decent league of their own, Russian footballers almost never make it on foreign soil. When the Iron Curtain came crashing down, dozens of ex-Soviet stars took the first plane out of the country, but only a few of them — notably Manchester United flyer Andrei Kanchelskis and Celta Vigo duo Alexander Mostovoy and Valery Karpin — managed to really make a name for themselves. The majority who have tried have been undone either by a flaky temperament, a taste for booze — or, most often, a bit of both.
“The most recent wave of emigration came after Russia’s moderate success at Euro 2008, when Andrei Arshavin, Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov made their way to England. The talented quartet started promisingly, but quickly came unstuck. Largely they suffered from an unwillingness to demand more from themselves, both on and off the pitch.”
So there we are – a complete low down on football and Russia.
The result of our last ten games is a straight balance: five defeats and five wins.
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 10 Feb 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 15 Feb 2018 | Östersunds FK v Arsenal | W | 0-3 | UEFA Europa League |
| 22 Feb 2018 | Arsenal v Östersunds FK | L | 1-2 | UEFA Europa League |
| 25 Feb 2018 | Arsenal v Manchester City | L | 0-3 | League Cup |
| 01 Mar 2018 | Arsenal v Manchester City | L | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 04 Mar 2018 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 08 Mar 2018 | AC Milan v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | UEFA Europa League |
| 11 Mar 2018 | Arsenal v Watford | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 15 Mar 2018 | Arsenal v AC Milan | W | 3-1 | UEFA Europa League |
| 01 Apr 2018 | Arsenal v Stoke City | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
No one seems to be able to agree who plays in goal but otherwise the team looks moderately clear (or as moderately clear as it ever seems to get).
Overall in these ten matches we have scored 16 and conceded 12, so even with a high number of defeats the goals are still somewhat in our favour. And of course if we just consider the final four, it is four straight wins to balance the four straight defeats that preceded the run. In these four wins since 8 March the goal scoring is 11 for and one against.
And yes of course I know that Watford and Stoke are not the hardest of opponents to batter but even against weaker opposition you still have to score.
Cech or Ospina
Bellerín, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Ramsey, Xhaka
Özil, Wilshere, Mkhitaryan
Welbeck or Lacazette
After all our pieces about Russian football and Russian fans we are told that CSKA Moscow are expected to bring under 500 fans which is a shame – but at least it means more space in the lower tier for Arsenal supporters, if all the other seats are sold.
However Talksport are saying that not every one of the supporters who bought a ticket is coming. The reason they say, “is the increase in political tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom.” Apparently Arsenal also is having a problem selling all of the 1000 tickets allocated for the return leg.
So that’s the roundup. If you missed any of it, here are the links.
The Russians are coming: and thoughts on the intellectually challenged gym teacher.
What will the Moscow fans be like, where are the fans, and what counts as success
How have CSKA Moscow been doing of late? And “Give us a P”
Could Theresa May, the UK Prime minister be buying time for Arsenal to play their 2 legged ELC quarterfinal match against CSKA Moscow first before she’ll make the killer blow announcement of England and the rest of the Western countries boycotting the next Fifa 2018 World Cup to be hosted by Russia in the summer?
As a severe punishment action taking agsinst a severe attempted murderous action taken, wouldn’t it be appropriate if Theresa May takes this drastic action against Vladimir Putin, the autocratic president of Russia in retaliation for his ordering the use of the banned nerve agent to kill a former Russian spy agent and his daughter who are living in England? But the attempted killings failed to succeed.
On the football front against CSKA Moscow in the ELC quarterfinal 1st leg match today’s tonight at the Ems, I am of the belief that has the belief in Arsenal to beat CSKA convincingly to send the Red Amy team, CSKA into capitulation before the watchful eyes of their 500 supporters who have escorted them to the Ems to cheer them up. But I am afraid they’ll have nothing to cheer about as their CSKA team will receive a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Gunners at the end of the match.
From UEFA.com
Cech
Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Mkhitaryan Ramsey Xhaka Wilshere
Ozil
Lacazette
Beach: Macey, Holding, Iwobi, Chambers, Welbeck, Kolasinac, Elneny
Referee
_ Pavel Královec (CZE)
Assistant referees
_ Roman Slyško (SVK)
_ Ivo Nadvornik (CZE)
Additional assistant referees
_ Petr Ardeleanu (CZE)
_ Karel Hrubes (CZE)
Fourth official
_ Jan Paták (CZE)
11°C
clear night
The pitch is excellent
Humidity: 52%
Wind: 14 km/h
Did OOOOOOOOOOOOspina pick up an injury?
COYG!
UEFA.com only has that twit Thacker commenting on this game. Maybe they couldn’t find anyone to the “be the voice” of CSKA? Mind you, twit Thacker is hardly “the voice” of Arsenal.
COYG!
May be oooooooossssssppinaaaaa is being rested..
Rambo come on
Yyyeeeeaaahhhhh
Yes…finally, the refs allow us to score
Okay.
How to go Aaron! Nice assist Bellerin. An Ozil involved too.
That twit Thacker had a dig at Arsenal fans for poor attendance.
COYG!
and again allow non foul convert to goal
Bah, horsefeathers!
COYG!
Penalty!!!!
Craka laca zeyeeaaahhhh
Funny to see that the BT crew didn’t think that Aguero shoving Mustafi out of the way with absolutely no intention to play the ball was a foul, but when Koscielny clearly goes for the ball (and wins it) it is a foul (and they will insist how unnecessary the “foul” was…)
How to go Lacazette! I guess that’s an assist to Ozil?
COYG!
Penalty Kings! 😉
COYG!
The tone is always the same. That wanker savage does my head in.
Oh boy Rambo…..
Superb assist Ohzil
Yes…Ramsey
Aaron’s on fire! And more assists from Ozil. Wonderful!
COYG!
Laca….
Hahahaha Hahhahahaha
Now there’s a competition for hattrick ?
Lacazette!
Lacazette’s on fire! And more assists from Ozil. Wonderful! Who else wants goals you Gunners?
COYG!
UEFA.com coverage is a wonderful example of how NOT to do commentary.
COYG!
Come on ARSENAL…score 6 more and we can skip the visit to Russia….
@Gord,
For the best live running commentary ever….tune in to untold-arsenal.com
Lovely to see us attack with such pace. Some fine chances being carved up.
But CSKA are still making a fight out of it.
Some trivia from twit Thacker.
> Arsenal up to 27 goals (and counting) in the UEFA Europa League this season – more than any other club.
COYG!
good first half
I’ve never watched Bergkamp play live…..
But watching Ozil play, I can only imagine how it would’ve felt.
Oh no mikhi…
Statistics
Shots attempted _ _8:7
_on target _ _ _ _ 5:3
_off target _ _ _ _2:4
_blocked _ _ _ _ _ 1:0
Corners _ _ _ _ _ _1:3
55% Arsenal possession
Passes attempted 246:173
_completed _ _ _ 213:140
Balls recovered _ 15:15
blocks _ _ _ _ _ _ 0:1
Fouls _ _ _ _ _ _ _4:7
yellow _ _ _ _ _ _ 0:1
COYG!
Miki for Iwobi, one hell of a downgrade. Still 4-1 🙂
COYG!
Come on iwobi shoot….
How do Mkhy get hurt?
Before the game, there was lots of talk about how difficult things would be for Mustafi. I don’t think I’ve seen any commentary showing a problem.
Just guessing, but I think Xhaka got carded because Xhaka always gets carded? There was no reason to card him.
COYG!
Surely we can do better than Iwobi? Total liwobility!!!
COYG!
It would be nice to see two hat tricks out of this game. Come on Aaron, Lacazette.
COYG!
Mkhy got injured by a knee 2 knee collision. Xhaka deserved the card – took the player and not the ball.
So now lacazett can’t score a hat trick
Well, no hat trick for Lacazette today. How about you Danny? Want one?
COYG!
Thanks Fifth.
COYG!
Ooohhhh Rambo….hits the crossbar
Statistics
Shots attempted _ _8:7 _ _17:11
_on target _ _ _ _ 5:3 _ _ 8:4
_off target _ _ _ _2:4 _ _ 6:7
_blocked _ _ _ _ _ 1:0 _ _ 3:0
_woodwork _ _ _ _ _0:0 _ _ 1:0
Corners _ _ _ _ _ _1:3 _ _ 3:4
Offsides _ _ _ _ _ ?:? _ _ 7:5
55% Arsenal possession _ 55%
Passes attempted 246:173 547:398
_completed _ _ _ 213:140 477:328
Balls recovered _ 15:15 _ 31:35
blocks _ _ _ _ _ _ 0:1 _ _ 0:3
Fouls _ _ _ _ _ _ _4:7 _ _11:14
yellow _ _ _ _ _ _ 0:1 _ _ 2:4
WOO HOO , HOO ! Well done the boys. Should have scored more , but the job was done in the first half.
Up the Gunners !
This group of players look like they really are coming together.
Great performance from the lads.
COYG
match report is on line