Loss UEL R16 2nd Leg: Arsenal 1 (3) v 1 (5) Sporting CP (2) | Thursday, March 16 | KO: 20:00 GMT | BT Sport

@A_G

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

Spoiler: Only kidding, good guy is our Hector...

 

[Riou]

Time for the GOAT to add another medal to his collection...

...please don't let Yanited win this now

 

[Synical]

Worst defeat under Don Arteta for me.

2020 defeat in the Europa was bad, but he had only been a manager a few months (and we bounced back for a superb FA cup win) so you let him off.

2021 defeat in the Europa was gut wrenching to a former coach, but at least that former coach had a pedigree and went on to win it (don't know much about the Sporting coach except seen a few people call him the New Mourinho, considering how I feel about the OG Mourinho that enrages me!)

2022 defeat to Newcastle was awful, but at least we used that to fuel us to Top 4 this season.

Thought this was gonna be our year to end the Euro drought, only way to make up for this to to win the league this season.

In tears here.

See I don't remember any of those things apart from the FA cup win

 

[14Henry]

See I don't remember any of those things apart from the FA cup win

Where does Arsenal rank in the teams/sports you follow?

Because if you don't remember those things I guess pretty low down.

 

[Artemis]

Last thing we need in a league title charge is Saka getting clattered in the EL second round.

This was an absolute shambles. If we are going to play second string, we should do it properly and not bring on the likes of Ødegaard and Saka. If we can't win playing second team, we shouldn't win at all. It's not worth bringing the A-team to the EL.

If we really wanted to win the EL we could have flattened Sporting Lisbon. It's obvious Arteta & the players aren't up for it and that's fine - neither am I. But to bring on our key players and risk injury is scandalous.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Tbh Jorginho had a decent game. He was let down by Vieira not being able to trap a simple 5 yard pass and hold possession.

If we had Ødegaard playing instead of Vieira we would have won that game in normal time.

Also felt the players couldn’t be assed with this competition any longer and didn’t want to waste too much energy / pick up injuries

Funny you should say that when it's actually Xhaka not being able to trap the ball or simply pass it with his right foot that lead to the goal.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

This is all on Kim K by the way and the isnt for Källström

 

[gunner4lyfe]

This is all on Kim K by the way and the 'K' isn't for Källström

 

[avenellroad]

Last thing we need in a league title charge is Saka getting clattered in the EL second round.

This was an absolute shambles. If we are going to play second string, we should do it properly and not bring on the likes of Ødegaard and Saka. If we can't win playing second team, we shouldn't win at all. It's not worth bringing the A-team to the EL.

If we really wanted to win the EL we could have flattened Sporting Lisbon. It's obvious Arteta & the players aren't up for it and that's fine - neither am I. But to bring on our key players and risk injury is scandalous.

The way we started to turn the screw after Ødegaard came on. We would have done them in 60 minutes if the players played like that from the start

It was a combination of Sporting playing really well especially second half and us playing like we didn’t really want to expend more energy than we needed to. They deserved to go through based on that tbh.

 

[Buhry]

The game was lost in leaving Viera out there for 100 minutes before bringing on Ødegaard. As soon as Ødegaard came on, the field was tilted. If that substitution happens in minute 60, we win.

That said, their keeper played out of his socks to get that game to penalties.

100% this, ødegaard on at half time and we win comfortably imo.
Allthough that penalty performance by Ramsdale was shocking, made LLoris at the world cup look decent

 

[Riou]

See I don't remember any of those things apart from the FA cup win

The defeats stay with me more than the wins if anything, there is a route I walk home that just reminds me of our 2018 Europa semi final defeat...so I can't even take my usual shortcut home anymore, unless I want some PTSD ffs!

I am a mentally scarred individual

 

[Buhry]

He was doing his and Vieira's defensive work. Had one really good cross that Jesus almost put in early in the match but had to spend too much time in our own half putting in tackles.

Agreed, Nelson did a good job tracking back. besides Vieira even makes Saka look bad when they start together in the EL, tough working conditions for Nelson. Got a lot more time for him than Vieira based on what both have showed this season.

Bored of this guy, he literally fell over slightly and is probably out for the season ffs!

Talented, but made of ****ing glass.

Got sent so far into the shadow realm by that turn he got himself injured :S

 

[MartiSaka]

Good result for the PL overall. Although a couple of potential injuries and guys like Saka and Oordegaard being forced to play were not needed.

Wanted to play 2nd string the whole leg as we were not going to win the EL; we are just not the same side under Arteta at any level of European football as we are in the PL, its been shown now on multiple occasions.

 

[MartiSaka]

Poor game in planning and execution. Players started who shouldn't have (Jesus and Ramsdale), others who should have played didn't get a minute (Tierney and Smith Rowe).

We've lost our second choice right back for the season which, having sold Cedric in January, means White - who looked tired and ineffectual tonight - may have to play every minute of the remaining 11 games.

The shape was wrong, Vieira was woeful and they were second best in most 50/50s and losing second balls. Their goal came from a sustained period of pressing where the slowness of our tempo led to uncharacteristic hoofs where we kept giving them the ball back.

The Europa League campaign has been ill-conceived. We've tired key players, not given enough chances to players who needed them and the denouement is an unwanted extra time and penalties defeat on a Thursday night with two injuries to boot, three days before a crucial league game.

If we can, as we should, beat Palace then we can lick our wounds over the international break and have only 10 games to try and get over the line.

This tournament has cost us. I care nothing for we are a big team la la. This was/is a unique chance to win the PL for all sorts of reasons and whilst we may still not win the league I can categorically assure you that if we'd carried on in this we definitely wouldn't win the PL.

Its the apple in the garden of eden analogy. we are currently in paradise (top of the PL) but tempted by the apple that could see us removed from paradise. I thought Arteta was a catholic, he should have recognised it and mainly played a second string team with players who need the minutes.

 

[MartiSaka]

I love this young team and manager, but people are acting like this is our 2001-2005 team that won 2 Prems and 3 cups and didn't need some silverware.

We haven't won anything for 3 three years, these players shouldn't be turning their noses up at the Europa League.

And if they have and that's why we went out tonight, then that's even worse than getting outplayed and losing ffs!

Go out and try and win the game with players who need the minutes. Not our starting 11. If attempting to win this tournament decreases our chances of winning the PL by 10-15%, its not worth it for me.

This tournament affects your league form more than the CL imo. Look at our league form when playing this tournament under Emery. If you look through the history, its generally teams that are not competing for anything in their league that yr that win it; Seville, Villarael, Utd, Chelsea. They can focus on it at the expense of the league.

 

[Riou]

Go out and try and win the game with players who need the minutes. Not our starting 11. If attempting to win this tournament decreases our chances of winning the PL by 10-15%, its not worth it for me.

Not winning it and going out now, doesn't mean we are definitely winning the Prem either though.

You try and win everything you can, as that increases your chances of actually winning something at the end of the season.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Not winning it and going out now, doesn't mean we are definitely winning the Prem either though.

You try and win everything you can, as that increases your chances of actually winning something at the end of the season.

Yeah exactly. This may help us in the league, but it also may not. And now we have everything in one basket.

You take the silver lining of fewer games to help with the league but it is just a sliver lining. Much better to just win every game you can imo.

 

[MartiSaka]

Not winning it and going out now, doesn't mean we are definitely winning the Prem either though.

You try and win everything you can, as that increases your chances of actually winning something at the end of the season.

I realise that but I want to give it our best possible effort. At the qf stages our chances of winning are probably no better than 20%, even as a favourite. We can even see in the qf, the impact it has produced. Additional overseas travel, having to bring on rested players and now two more injuries. Its always too close together to our games on Sunday, we will probably start slowly now. I just don't think its a tournament that is worth the potential impact it has.

 

[Riou]

Well anyway this hurts, but we are out no matter what we do now...so no point feeling sorry for ourselves for too long.

Just beat Palace and focus on the league now, it's gonna be tough but not impossible to win the Prem...lets take it a game at a time.

 

[Rain Dance]

pain

that's it... that's the post

 

[BergMan]

Bring back the away goals rule.