Loss Champions League Round of 16: FC Porto 1 - 0 Arsenal | Wednesday 21st February | KO: 20:00 GMT | TNT Sports

Prediction

Porto 0-2 Arsenal

 

[Macho]

I honestly couldn't believe the malarkey I was reading about "3rd favourites for CL"...like for real, have you seen Arsenal in CL? Even our greatest ever teams couldn't win it.

Our history is what it is, but I don't think we are bound to it - it's more coincidence in my opinion. I am saying Porto away was always going to be a low scoring tense affair that is just how it's like over there for everybody not just Arsenal.

Our opinions sway drastically too much despite us knowing this stuff.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

The bigger concern is have we been fooled into a false sense of security over the last month? Liverpool game aside where we were very good, West Ham, Palace and Burnley just let us play. There was no pressure on the ball but also no real super deep blocks or intent on defending. The Newcastle game will tell us more, have we turned a corner in terms of creativity and goals, or are we still blunt.

 

[Macho]

We won’t batter them, can guarantee it. I’m shaking.

Porto get battered at home and then people will take that as confirmation that Saka/Ødegaard/etc are world class.

I am not convinced Arsenal get past the better teams left in the comp though after what I have seen.

 

[<<reed>>]

I honestly couldn't believe the malarkey I was reading about "3rd favourites for CL"...like for real, have you seen Arsenal in CL? Even our greatest ever teams couldn't win it.

But according to AM a half of our players are world class and Arteta is a Top 5 manager in the world.
City, Real and Inter are probably the only teams which are clearly(?) better than Arsenal

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Porto get battered at home and then people will take that as confirmation that Saka/Ødegaard/etc are world class.

I am not convinced Arsenal get past the better teams left in the comp though after what I have seen.

The better teams is where I’d expect us to play better, maybe Inter aside.

It’s these games where we really struggle to create anything, both in Europe and the League.

 

[OnlyOne]

Porto get battered at home and then people will take that as confirmation that Saka/Ødegaard/etc are world class.

I am not convinced Arsenal get past the better teams left in the comp though after what I have seen.

Won’t be any confirmation but it will help.

That being said, it’s okay to not think we’ll get past the better teams? I know we get excited but we’re yet to play a top European team and that’s all I want.

Mikel sucks vs these EL sides and I’d have zero embarrassment going out vs the likes of PSG, Inter, Madrid, City etc.

 

[lomekian]

But according to AM a half of our players are world class and Arteta is a Top 5 manager in the world.
City, Real and Inter are probably the only teams which are clearly(?) better than Arsenal

Anyone taking such a stance (or frankly even having the discussion in those terms) is being reductive and pretty unintelligent.

We are pretty consistent, good enough to beat anyone if we play our best, and good enough to stuff poor teams. That makes us one of the better teams in Europe, but means little when it comes to individual match ups etc. We beat City & Liverpool this year...does this make us better than them? No, but it proves we are improving and getting closer to their level.

Unless you are one of the super elite teams, trying to rank teams is pretty meaningless. All I'm worried about is are we competitive at the highest level, and is the general trend positive. Both are the case, but I recognise the relative inexperience of the team and the lack of super elite performers means we are more vulnerable to bad days at the office. If you have a KDB, Salah, Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, Henry level player, its like a get out of jail free card which means you can win against elite teams even when not playing very well collectively. We have no-one at that level, though one or two who might one day get there. We have a lot of very good players, who could play for many of the best teams in the world, but none who would be the best player at an elite European club. Henry was the last of those (and maybe RVP for 18 months?) - even Alexis and Özil were that tier just below.

 

[Makingtrax]

Agree but how does that compute with squad cost theory?

So in a horse race where the favourite, an expensensive thoroughbred sired from previous winners, doesn't actually win the race, does it reduce the relationship between genetics and winning to just a theory.

 

[HollandGooner]

View attachment 21991

History repeats?

We should not be so sure about this tbf i think Porto was spot on yesterday with everything they did to avoid us from getting into our rhytm and they will do the same at the Emirates.

If we do not score a goal fast then its gonna be a very difficult evening i am afraid. also hope Zinchenko and Jesus and hopefully a fit Partey again will get us into full force.

 

[pigge]

We should be beating them comfortably but I don’t trust Arteta in cups.

That late goal has also changed things since Porto can really scumbag their way through the 90minutes.

Won a cup with him tbf

 

[Synical]

I agreed think our players looked very arrogant on the pitch to from the first minutes instead of playing into their qualities. Hopefully we can still find a way to go through but its not gonna be easy at all we all know how hard it is to break down low blocks.

And just a few weeks back we beated Liverpool in a very convincing way this kind of performance cant just disappear.

Arrogant?! They looked nervy!

 

[HattoriHanzo]

Unless you are one of the super elite teams, trying to rank teams is pretty meaningless. All I'm worried about is are we competitive at the highest level, and is the general trend positive. Both are the case, but I recognise the relative inexperience of the team and the lack of super elite performers means we are more vulnerable to bad days at the office. If you have a KDB, Salah, Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, Henry level player, its like a get out of jail free card which means you can win against elite teams even when not playing very well collectively. We have no-one at that level, though one or two who might one day get there. We have a lot of very good players, who could play for many of the best teams in the world, but none who would be the best player at an elite European club. Henry was the last of those (and maybe RVP for 18 months?) - even Alexis and Özil were that tier just below.

Very good observation.
I agree, Henry was the last one.
And this is what still separates us to City and Liverpool (in league) and to Real, City, PSG, Bayern (in CL).
We still don't have these "clutch" players, the ones that will make difference when nobody else can, the ones that can create magic moments in important matches.
Some of our players have that potential, but they are not there yet.

Our players should have already forgotten about match yesterday, because now they have 3 important matches in Prem before return leg.
They should start to think about Porto again after these 3 matches.

 

[HollandGooner]

Arrogant?! They looked nervy!

How can you spank Liverpool at home and play like this in the CL? sorry but Liverpool is a much better team then Porto is. I know every match is different but to me it looked like we thought ah well this is gonna be easy.

 

[jones]

So in a horse race where the favourite, an expensensive thoroughbred sired from previous winners, doesn't actually win the race, does it reduce the relationship between genetics and winning to just a theory.

If the horse fails every single time in the Round of 16 racing against Portuguese and Greek farmer horses it damn sure does

 

[Synical]

All that stuff happened decades ago and have nothing to do with the current Porto and Arsenal teams.
Arsenal has built one of the most expensive squads in Europe, Porto sells their best players every year and their current best player is a GK. It should be a comfortable win over 2 legs, hope the boys pull their **** together at the carpet.

Their GK did look good

 

[#254]

Yesterday showed why Partey should be Rice's partner once fit in the biggest games we will have. His ability to beat a man and string a forward pass that cuts across the opposition can't really be overstated. We need it. Oh, and Jorgi, however good he may be won't give it at a consistent level.
Unlike others, I can't even blame Rice. As a player, no matter how good you are, you simply can't do everything. It's the reason why Viera was so successful in CM. His partner was very good.

We lacked control yesterday and that very important aspect of the game that most people ignore because we were thumping the poor sides!
Boys this is the Champions League! Here, domestic form gets thrown out of the window. The best of men play and to win it. Here getting it right and home advantage plays a massive role. We have to be better next time. COYG!

 

[HattoriHanzo]

So in a horse race where the favourite, an expensensive thoroughbred sired from previous winners, doesn't actually win the race, does it reduce the relationship between genetics and winning to just a theory.

There is a strong correlation between wage bill and points accumulated in Prem, stronger than transfer spend.

higher wages=higher league position

Determionants of PL points

CL is different type of competition, more like cup, with elimination.
Therefore less predictable and with less correlation to wage bill or transfer spend.
City, with Pep, all the money and cheating, have succeeded to win it after 15 years they won the lottery (Abu Dhabi).

 

[HimalayanGooner]

Well our ball boys wont be directed to slow it down. But yes it will be difficult to stop it even if the referee shows some backbone and begins to card players prior to the 80th minute.

Maybe that's where Havertzs best position is..

 

[Makingtrax]

If the horse fails every single time in the Round of 16 racing against Portuguese and Greek farmer horses it damn sure does

The Portuguese carthorse will get leathered in the next race, then you'll have to take that back.

 

[Makingtrax]

There is a strong correlation between wage bill and points accumulated in Prem, stronger than transfer spend.

higher wages=higher league position

Determionants of PL points

CL is different type of competition, more like cup, with elimination.
Therefore less predictable and with less correlation to wage bill or transfer spend.
City, with Pep, all the money and cheating, have succeeded to win it after 15 years they won the lottery (Abu Dhabi).

They all correlate quite well, even those rough squad 'valuations' on Transfermarkt (see soccernomics website). Yeah, cup comps are a totally different animal.