By Walter Broeckx
Team at the start: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette
Beach: Macey, Chambers, Holding, Mertesacker, Kolasinac, Iwobi, Nketiah
A rather slow start from both teams with both teams not really being fluent. Arsenal not committing themselves going forward and Moscow not really causing any real danger. The building up from the back not really fluent from Arsenal as a few passes going to the wrong man. Nothing really to report in the first 15 minutes so still 0-0.
Arsenal dominating the match and pushing Moscow back a bit more. But still no real goal chances. A few attempted crosses every time a Russian defender with an interception. Finally a fluent Arsenal attack going from Özil to Welbeck who gives it to Lacazette in some space but a defender blocks the shot for a corner. His first touch could have been a bit better as now he slowed himself down. Mustafi and a Russian defender clash heads and the match is stopped by the ref. Mustafi comes up first and looks fine. The Moscow defender is also able to continue. Still 0-0 after 30 minutes.
Arsenal with a good counter attack but the pass from Welbeck was just too wide for Ramsey to put it in. Moscow with what might be a dangerous attack but the player slips and Arsenal can clear. A bit later Ramsey trying to find Özil or Welbeck but both leave the ball for each other. Özil with a corner finding Monreal but his shoulder-header is completely off target. Moscow attack and a cross finds a attacker who heads towards the goal and Cech makes a great stop on the line but the loose ball is put over the line by Chalov. 1-0 after 38 minutes. That came out of nothing. Arsenal leading 4-2 on aggregate.
Ramsey down with an injury. He tried a sliding to intercept a ball and got injured. Arsenal with 10 players for a moment as Ramsey goes off. A corner from Moscow is half cleared and the shot from outside the penalty area doesn’t miss a lot. It looked like a flesh wound for Ramsey as he comes back on after 6-7 minutes. But he doesn’t look really comfortable. And now Jack down holding his leg. I think Musa stepped on it. Arsenal now hanging on with 9,5 man on the field in the extra time of the first half. Arsenal 1-0 behind after 45 minutes.
Both Jack and Aaron still on the pitch at the start of the second half. Moscow attacking from the off but the first chance is for Arsenal but Welbeck overhits his pass to Ramsey and the keeper is first on the ball. That final ball has to improve. A shot from distance is bad cleared by Cech and again the loose ball is fired home. 2-0 after 50 minutes. Arsenal only leading 4-3 on aggregate now.
Moscow with a free kick but this time Cech can clear the ball for a corner. Elneny scores after a cross from Bellerin but he was clearly offside. But at least a decent attack. And we sure could do with a goal to get us some breathing room now. 2-0 down after 60 minutes.
Moscow with most of the ball in the second half. Welbeck with a long run from his own half but again no real end product as his cross is blocked. After 67 minutes Wilshere goes off and Chambers comes on. Wilshere who had a poor game and looked off the pace most of the time. Will Chambers play in a defensive midfield role? Arsenal have a corner and Mustafi heads it to Koscielny but he blasts over the crossbar. Arsenal only half clear a Moscow attack and a volley from distance goes just wide. Then Welbeck with some crazy magic. A unexpected spin around his man on the flank. He cuts inside gives it to Elneny who slides it back in the path of Welbeck and he makes no mistake and curls the ball in to the far corner. GOAL! 2-1 after 75 minutes. Arsenal now leading 5-3 on aggregate.
Lacazette goes off and Iwobi comes on immediately after the goal. The ref spotting a handball from a Moscow attacker after a long throw in. Arsenal defending but a good interception from Iwobi sends Özil away but he can’t find a striker in the middle and the ball is cleared for a corner. The header from Chambers is too weak to trouble the Moscow keeper. A few misplaced passes from Moscow defenders but some Arsenal players too tired to make something of the errors. Golovin goes in the book for a foul on Elneny who had cleanly won the ball. Arsenal then with a counter and Özil gives it to Iwobi but he misses the target completely. Arsenal playing with 5 at the back since Chambers arrival. Elneny showing amazing running capacity as he keeps on chasing Moscow players all over the field. Arsenal counter over Ramsey who gives it to Welbeck but the keeper with a great save to deny the equaliser. In extra time Arsenal win the ball in their own half. Elneny clever waiting for the right moment and the right man and finds Ramsey completely on his own. Ramsey makes no mistake and chips the ball past the Moscow keeper in the goal. GOAL!! 2-2 after 92 minutes.
With the last strike of the match we avoid the defeat that looked on the cards for a long while. When we don’t go out attacking from the off we get caught in two minds too often it seems. And if we manage to be 4-1 ahead in the semi final, push for more and don’t lean back and think it is enough.
Finally Arsenal win 6-3 on aggregate and go to the semi final of the Europa league. Well done Gooners!
Oh forgot to mention : Elneny my man of the match
Easily he was amaze balls
Great result , made hard work of the game but Danny Welbecks confidence must be riding very high at the moment with his contribution in the little undefeated run we’re on
Oh! Well done Gooners? Or should have been Well done Gunners? No disrespect. I know it’s a slip of tongue or slip of thought. But don’t mind me.
I’ll take the share of the spoils between CSKA Moskiva and Arsenal FC over our defeat which had lurked around the corner for us till death in this tonight’s ELC quaterfinal 2nd leg match at VEB Arena in Moscow.
But honestly, Arsenal would have won the match to extend their winning run from five to six in all competitions tonight had Le Boss played the two wing backs of: Bellerin and Kolasinac in the match in a 3-2-1-3-1 Arsenal playing formation style instead of him to have played Jack Wilshere in the match in a 4-5-1 playing formation style that will accommodate him playing. But I know he will not be suitable to start the match which I perceived will be physically demanding for him to start it because of his delicate style of playing. But he could come on as a sub in the 2nd half.
Thanks Walter.
I see in the player twits, there is a twit from a certain goaltender in Spain. Nice to see Emi was watching.
Looks like good news to me on Mhky’s injury in the post game interviews at Arsenal.com. Maybe 2 weeks he’ll be training again.
The three worst players on the pitch were Wilshere, Bellerin & Iwobi. Wilshere has given the ball away so many times over the past 3 games I’ve lost count, what pace he did have has gone. Bellerin flatters to deceive, he has pace but that’s about it, he can’t defend and has little technical ability which is unusual for a Spaniard. He rarely sends in a decent cross and usually makes the wrong decision. As for Iwobi I have never rated him, like Bellerin usually takes the wrong option and has the yips in front of goal. His effort today must give Ozil nightmares, it’s simple just don’t play him.
The best Arsenal player was yet again the underrated Elneny. They don’t have a chance on winning it on tonight’s performance. Let’s hope we draw Salzburg.
Andrew
13/04/2018 at 1:04 am
They don’t have a chance on winning it on tonight’s performance. Let’s hope we draw Salzburg.
They and we??? Funny stuff…. That’s if you’re joking!
Andrew, try factoring in a very long haul to Moscow, fairly cold conditions, a foreign pitch and fans, some worries about Moscow not liking British teams very much, some fatigue and once again,far too many injuries and absences (Mikhi, Xhaka, Aubameyang!) and maybe this tie will be more easily appreciated. Wilshere seems to be on a downer of late but he’s a resilient lad and will come back in style.
We scrape through against a bang average russian team in the europa league and Tonys henchman omg already has his excuses for the team.The truth is against a team with any quality we would be out by now.We are conceding goals for fun and will be found out against Athletico.Watching the champions league games tuesday and wednesday shows why we are floundering around mid table in the league..We are light years away from any of those teams.Teams we were competing against and beating a decade ago..Not any more.
Just need your numskull buddy Menace to trot out the excuse about referees..You really are a bunch of scruffy simpetons.
Lee – 6th, while not satisfactory, is hardly mid-table!
Yes, all is not perfect, but it is not a total disaster either – we are in the semi-final after all…
Lee, when the team you support wins.
First and above all, CELEBRATE IT!
Each time and from both sides,
Eleven first class professionals line up to play the game.
Ask Barcelona.
Ask Man City.
Ask Real Madrid!!
A bit rude to call our opponents ‘a bang average Russian team.’ Not what Arsene Wenger said and I choose to believe him.
go away lee. be a grump somewhere else.
Who is this Lee idiot, one previous troll? Piss off to le grove
Don’t feed the troll lads……he is clearly an aaa whiner and hates when AFC do anything other than lose……Lee out!
Samuel
Don’t apologise. I much prefer Gunners to Gooners.
“A bang average Russian team” Is there any other team on the planet whos own “fans” will attempt to undersell the ability of the opposing team in order to belittle the achievements of the team that they claim to support (call it what you want, but it certainly isn’t supporting what they’re doing)? It really is beggars belief, these people should be ashamed of themselves.
Lee, it is dickheads like you that make our fanbase the laughing stock of the entire PL, and there really is no arguing against that.
@Jammy savage but truce story bro lol