By Walter Broeckx
Arsenal team: Martinez, Jenkinson, Sokratis, Koscielny, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Willock, Saka, Ozil, Lacazette, Nketiah
Subs: Iliev, Medley, Monreal, Gilmour, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, John-Jules
A shot after a corner from Saka that was turned away by the keeper but Willock was too surprised to put the rebound over the line. Arsenal winning the ball high up field. Özil to Lacazette who ran in to the penalty area with the ball and produced a low shot that beat the keeper. GOAL! 1-0 to The Arsenal after 16 minutes.
Sokratis with a good challenge in the Arsenal penalty area to prevent a Qarabag shot. Arsenal having the ball most of the time but not really playing at high speed and with high intensity. More at practice match tempo one could say. Still 1-0 after 30 minutes.
A corner from Özil but Nketiah heads over. Qarabag not really interested in going forward and making a match of it and Arsenal with their young squad playing too slow to really trouble Qarabag. Arsenal lead 1-0 after 45 minutes. Koscielny not really being troubled so far in this half.
Arsenal trying to up the tempo a bit in the second half leading to a few promising looking attacks but the black wall from Qarabag could keep Arsenal at arm length. Willock being fouled just outside the penalty area and the ref awarded a free kick on the right flank. Özil with the cross but Sokratis headed wide. Jenkinson attempting a header back to Martinez who couldn’t prevent a corner that was headed over by a Qarabag player. The first real attempt from the visitors after some 56 minutes. Still 1-0 after 60 minutes.
Qarabag with a rare counter but the forward completely missed his control in the Arsenal penalty area. After 62 minutes Lacazette came off and Medley entered the field. A few changes in positions with Medley going to left back and Maitland Niles moving to midfield. Nketiah playing as the central striker now. A great run on the right flank by Willock who found Saka but his shot was diverted for a corner. Saka also with a good run after that corner but the shot from Özil was blocked. Saka with good action in midfield but his shot was too central to trouble the keeper. After 71 minutes Koscielny was going off and Monreal coame on. Koscielny looking satisfied with his return. Saka again with a great move on the left flank and a good cross to Nketiah who scored but he was offside and the assistant spotted it well. Still 1-0 after 75 minutes.
Saka being bundled over when a Qarabag player jumped in his back and the kid did feel the impact. Saka again being fouled and finally the ref pulls out a yellow card. The young boy really the bright light of the evening. After 82 minutes Özil leaves the field and Gilmour enters the field. Medley with a nice cross ball but the follow up of the attack was too hard and the keeper could pick up the ball before the onrushing Jenkinson. An excellent attack started by Jenkinson who twisted and turned till he fould a team mate. Willock the send Nketiah away and he gave a low cross to Saka who took a shot that was saved by the keeper with his head and knocked him out and then a defender could clear. Saka could have rounded up a brilliant display with a goal and he would have earned it.
Saka with a good dribble again but the Nketiah only could win a corner. I guess someone enters the field in extra time but it is not shown on TV. Arsenal B win their final group game and this gives us 16 points after 6 matches. The young players did well and Koscielny showed he is back and ready to play.
Oh 22 matches unbeaten in all competitions.
WOO HOO, HOO ! Well done the young guns . Another win, another clean sheet , a very good performances and the unbeaten run continues .
Hope we keep it up well into the new year !
Up the Gunners !
On LBC this morning, my wife was listening to it not me, they talked about the ‘heavily rotated ‘ chel$ki team being held to a draw and us winning 1 0 without mentioning how few first teamers we used.
But of course there is no bias in the media.
Perhaps, as the main point of the item was to report the anti Semitic chanting, they were trying to stress that there would not have been any had it been the full team.
I would mention that the only time I have ever been insulted because I am Jewish is by chel$ki fans at Stamford bridge.
Not much talk on BBC Sport this morning about the Arsenal match last night. Chelsea were given a much more detailed report than Arsenal, they showed the Giroud free kick and said that they were top of their group but when it came to Arsenal they hardly mentioned the match and no mention of a bright new star on the horizon, SAka, they just about mentioned our “insignificant” result and promptly showed Girouds goal again. A beautiful goal from Giroud but get it in the match please.
So Michael Oliver for the trip to Anfield………………..delightful
i was very much impressed by this medley lad. i’m used to watching the young gunners on arsenal player, and i have to admit he hadn’t stricken me as being that good, so far. what a pleasant surprise. and he came in as FB, although his preferred position seems to be CB (and we haven’t had any left-footed CB for a while, since vermaelen in fact, if i’m not mistaken). so much for an “injury crisis” among defenders, indeed.