UEL Round of 32 1st Leg: Benfica vs Arsenal | Thursday 18th February |20:00 | BT Sport

[Melquiades]

We're getting absolutely slapped sunday.

And middle table mikel won't make a sub till the 79th minute when we're 4-0 down

Expecting a World class prediction from you @GDeep™

I mean, City is slapping everyone right now.

They've just sawed through Liverpool/Sp**s/Everton by a 10-2 scoreline and have won 12 straight outscoring the opposition 31-3.

If we lose 3-0 or something it doesn't really reflect that poorly on Arteta because nobody is stopping this sort of result from City right now.

 

[Big Poppa]

Why so negative?
We were off today(players looked a bit leggy and unsharp), Auba missed sitters left and right and we conceded a freak penalty. Take the 1-1 and move on.
On another day we smash them 3-0.

I suspect it’s to do with being so cautious against such an underwhelming opponent who had some glaring vulnerabilities. The chances we had were literally the only times we tried to be direct.

It’s almost like we didn’t want to counter attack in case we got counter counter attacked.

Got back to 1-1 and ran down the clock.

 

[Legend14]

I agree. Ødegaard is playing like he's just here for minutes and fitness. ESR doesn't always make stuff happen, but he always seems more likely to than Ødegaard from what I'm seeing. Needs to do a lot more.

I like ESR better, but happy to have two technical, intelligent players.

In Ødegaard’s defense, he had Xhaka, Ceballos feeding him today. They are not on the same cognitive level in my opinion , so they won’t see his movements. For them to pass to you, no defender can be within 30 meters or you should be behind them.

 

[Legend14]

Why so negative?
We were off today(players looked a bit leggy and unsharp), Auba missed sitters left and right and we conceded a freak penalty. Take the 1-1 and move on.
On another day we smash them 3-0.

I’m not sure why, we look leggy every other game and we miss sitters. Its been consistent.

 

[kofigunner]

Auba puts away that easy chance in the beginning, the game opens up and we score more. That early miss allowed them to stick to their game plan. All those instances where either ESR or Ødegaard should be shooting added up. Arteta should encourage those 2 CAMs to shoot when in good positions. We created enough good chances, can’t blame Arteta that Auba, for example had a very bad day. My only question would be why Laca didn’t get a look in, unless he’s still carrying a bit of a knock.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Can anyone tell me why there was a serious VAR review for our goal? Lol.

 

[Kysus]

Can anyone tell me why there was a serious VAR review for our goal? Lol.

Looked like Auba might have been very close to being off in the build-up.

 

[kofigunner]

Before this game everyone I asked told me how poor Benfica are this season. So consider the opponent please when making your assessment of our performance.

Truth is that league form is tricky when looking at European fixtures. Dortmund have been dodgy in the Bundesliga but they managed an away win at Sevilla. Granada beat Napoli 2-0. Frankly wasn’t expecting Man U to beat Real Sociedad by 4 goals to nil either. Another “shock” was the 4-1 drubbing of Barca by PSG at the Nou camp where they’d only lost once this season. Besides our form in Italy can be suspect .

 

[Sweet'n'Soulful]

Guy's shook you know, that £10 bet is going to clear out his savings

I wont be paying out sh!t!!! FC Haaland are cruising through and Chelsea are sailing out

 

[Legend14]

Auba puts away that easy chance in the beginning, the game opens up and we score more. That early miss allowed them to stick to their game plan. All those instances where either ESR or Ødegaard should be shooting added up. Arteta should encourage those 2 CAMs to shoot when in good positions. We created enough good chances, can’t blame Arteta that Auba, for example had a very bad day. My only question would be why Laca didn’t get a look in, unless he’s still carrying a bit of a knock.

How come other clubs attack in numbers and we are trying to deliver the ball with precision to the lone person in the box. Such a high degree of difficulty, if we score we should get 2.5 goals.

 

[kofigunner]

How come other clubs attack in numbers and we are trying to deliver the ball with precision to the lone person in the box. Such a high degree of difficulty, if we score we should get 2.5 goals.

Yep. That’s clearly where we have to improve. I wonder whether that’s drilled into them, or whether we generally don’t have players who are willing to take a risk and go for it. Pepe for example would likely shoot in a good position around the box rather than try some intricate maneuver. We need a killer mentality upfront.

 

[Olivier_Giroud]

Then Leicester away.

Expect another humiliation from Brendan Rodgers and Vardy...

 

[CaseUteinberger]

I mean, City is slapping everyone right now.

They've just sawed through Liverpool/Sp**s/Everton by a 10-2 scoreline and have won 12 straight outscoring the opposition 31-3.

If we lose 3-0 or something it doesn't really reflect that poorly on Arteta because nobody is stopping this sort of result from City right now.

I can see us losing by 1-0 or 2-1 or something. We seldom leak goals under Arteta. We don't score much but at least we are hard to break down.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

...if we score we should get 2.5 goals.

I like that math!

 

[Sweet'n'Soulful]

We were never going to be able to completely relax in the second leg and treat it like a dead rubber, even if we won 2-0... Who do we think we are?

We were never going to be able to rest important players for second leg. This was always going to be two competitive legs, and that's what we have. On another day we win this 3 or 4-1, but the ****ty pen and Auba's misfiring cost us. What's most important is we come out of this intact physically and holding form, and we did. We'll put them away at home.

 

[Breezy]

We'll put them away at home.

Yes as the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium is a fortress for us.

 

[Riou]

 

[Sweet'n'Soulful]

Yes as the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium is a fortress for us.

What's the difference, we'll be playing in an empty stadium with an away goal advantage either way.

 

[al-Ustaadh]

lol He needs another hobby or something.

 

[Gooner416]

no, i am Somali.

Bare Malis out here in Toronto. Our culture is most influenced by Malis and Jamaicans.