Draw UEL R16 1st Leg: Sporting CP 2 - 2 Arsenal | Thursday, March 9 | KO: 17:45 GMT | BT Sport

@A_G

Spoiler: And look who we play next, ffs...

 

[Badger_Revenge]

2-2 is fine. We should have done better, but OK. This is a tough run of games. Like Arteta, I'm worried by the cheap goals we are giving away. It's become a pattern.

Hoping Ødegaard and Tierney are feeling better at the weekend. Their absence really limited sub options.

Also hoping that whatever they have doesn't spread through the rest of the squad by the Fulham match.

 

[andeoch1]

This thing of conceding from set-pieces has become worrying. And now we have a beanpole in Mitrovic to contend with on weekend.

He’s not a beanpole , he’s a f*****g tank

 

[Tom Mix]

2-2 is fine. We should have done better, but OK. This is a tough run of games. Like Arteta, I'm worried by the cheap goals we are giving away. It's become a pattern.

Hoping Ødegaard and Tierney are feeling better at the weekend. Their absence really limited sub options.

Also hoping that whatever they have doesn't spread through the rest of the squad by the Fulham match.

Even if Tierney is fit as a fiddle and pounding his naked chest in a blizzard Mikel won't play him, except to eat up a bit of time two minutes from the end if we're winning. This is our biggest danger, exchausting a small core of players so they won't make it over the finish line.

 

[Rain Dance]

the positive :
2 away goals

the negative :
our defense cracks are showing, without a doubt that area will be analyzed and focused on by opposition managers
Martinelli's finishing was not sharp enough, not sure if it one off or worse
tired legs starting to show

 

[Bloodbather]

I remember when we had a long streak of not conceding from set pieces. Now it's gone the other way completely.

 

[field442]

the positive :
2 away goals

 

[jones]

Only seen the goals so far but release Turner tbh.

 

[Synical]

Away goals don't matter anymore. With a draw at Emirates in 120 minutes they go to penalties.

Hopefully Saka will play every minute of that 120!(!)

 

[albakos]

Only seen the goals so far but release Turner tbh.

Does his backup provide a better option ?

 

[SA Gunner]

the positive :
2 away goals

the negative :
our defense cracks are showing, without a doubt that area will be analyzed and focused on by opposition managers
Martinelli's finishing was not sharp enough, not sure if it one off or worse
tired legs starting to show

Firstly, away goals dont matter anymore. Secondly, defensively yes, you are spot on.

Teams have identified three areas which helps them get in behind us. I'd add the third that I saw Sporting remind me of and take advantage of, and would probably feature as well.

The first is Zinchenko, who is a benefit creatively, but is a liability defensively. Watch how teams look to show us onto our left side, swarm Zinchenko and look for the switch out to the other side in space (Watkins goal for Villa). We simply cannot play Zinchenko against Liverpool, they will take us out the game by repeatedly targeting him.

The second is our set pieces. We look frail and its another area teams will target when they play us.

The third is going long towards our last line, because they can keep the ball through our press. Brentford did this repeatedly, and Sporting did it again last night on one or two occasions. And with Sporting it was actually quite good, in how they pulled us forward with their deep sideways passing (GK to defender), and then went long.

We need to sort out these frailties or we are not going to make it over the line. And in the summer, we need to bring in two players for our frontline. One being a clinical, aerially dominant striker.

 

[Synical]

Away goals don't count for the tournament but remember old Arsenal whose away record was shocking? So I agree two away goals with this rotated team is a positive

 

[MartiSaka]

If we want to compete in the CL next season we need our first 11 to juggle playing in Europe and then Saturday/ Sunday well. That is the expectation with Arsenal.

Look at United today in the EL. Their main first 11 is playing and have played the most games out of any team after the World Cup

Well it might be the expectation, but it could significantly contribute to not winning the PL whether its the expectation or not. 12 PL finals to play, the rest should be treated as noise. The probability of winning the EL is relatively low compared to the PL even if we are one of the favourites. Our chances of winning the PL is equivalent or slightly higher than winning the EL if we were in the final. Plus EL is a tournament I couldn't care less about compared to PL.

 

[jones]

Does his backup provide a better option ?

Recall Okonkwo for real though, if we're going to have a dodgy backup goalie at least let it be a local kid

 

[Tir Na Nog]

People underestimate what we lose without Gabriel, especially at this stage. Gabriel not only is a leader in defence, he's aggressive, vocal, assertive. He's also quick at making up ground but crucially he covers the area Zinchenko vacates superbly, I've said it before, I'm not convinced there's a single LCB that could do the job Gabriel's currently doing, it's almost an impossible job on paper essentially being LCB and LB for turnovers.

It was important to give Kiwior some gametime but you also see the consequences of it at this stage in his development and adaption period which will take some time.

 

[Genericmans]

2-2 is fine. We should have done better, but OK. This is a tough run of games. Like Arteta, I'm worried by the cheap goals we are giving away. It's become a pattern.

Hoping Ødegaard and Tierney are feeling better at the weekend. Their absence really limited sub options.

Also hoping that whatever they have doesn't spread through the rest of the squad by the Fulham match.

It's just what happens when you lose key players like Ødegaard. He's so massively important because he runs more than anyone, he's ever present on the pitch for everyone else to play off of when they are under pressure. Making it less likely that we will lose posession while the team is in vulnerable positions.

There was just too many new faces yesterday i think to read anything into it the performance. Vieira is looking like there is a good player there, but he isn't fully up to Ødes level just yet in that regard, and he just doesn't know the rest of the players well enough yet to know instinctually where he needs to be to support them. It's the same reason why players couldn't find Reiss when he was open or making runs. He moves differently off the ball from Martinelli, making it harder for the other to instinctually look for and find him. Give them both more gametime and i think we would miss Ødegaard and Martinelli alot less if they are forced off the team by injuries.

I think it's also part of the reason Saka had an off day. Ødegaard wasn't there for him to play off on the right. Passes between Øde and Saka is one of the most common connections in our team on the offence.

 

[baccy_man]

With a combination of new players coming in to the side and and the keeper trying to rush the play with his clearance it seemed to cause a lot of problems with players losing the ball too close to our own goal leading up to Sporting scoring, It looked like some of our players panicked a bit when the ball came in from the corner and the keeper was not decisive enough,
If we have a team that is a bit stronger in the second leg we should get through to the next stages.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

With all due respect, the English talking about the weather is at times laughable. There was a wee bit of sleet at the United game, and the commentator is talking about "a blizzard". You'd think it was a full white out...

It is not Russia in -25C we're talking about here. If Sporting loses, it will not be because of the horrendous blizzards of Islington...It's a pity Ernest Shackleton couldn't comment on the commentator.

Direct quote from Ernie's secretary right as he arrived at McMurdo station to retake it from the Penguin Emperor "One war at a time".

It's amazing how quotable Abe Lincoln remains almost 160 years after his death

 

[Farzad Stoned]

Saka needs a breather what is wrong with Arteta? Any competition where we can’t beat a team of farmers and fishermen without running out our 150 million pound Ferrari that is aching and groaning for a pit stop, is a competition i want to lose. Even a loss wasn’t worth burning out Saka and Martinelli.

 

[Farzad Stoned]

Recall Okonkwo for real though, if we're going to have a dodgy backup goalie at least let it be a local kid

I thought Turner was drunk, they used to produce decent goalkeepers for all the other crap things from America the world has to tolerate; now apparently even that blessing has subsided.

 

[Nunowoolmez]

What is it with us conceding goals at corners ? It must be seriously vexing Arteta at this point. We need to sort it out, fast.