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

 

[A_G]

Edit: fake news

 

[Curtarc]

What would the media say if we celebrated one win like that?

This celebration is old, back when Porto won their league title in 2022.

 

[Jasard]

Edit: fake news

How'd you fall for that? Been on the lunch beers with your GCHQ crew?

 

[SA Gunner]

Good analysis.

Porto also benefited a lot with our lack of accuracy in possession and passing.

They were able to make those recovery runs and regain their shape, because we either took too long to carry or move the ball into space. Or our possession and movement was not accurate enough.

They were well prepared and put in a good shift.

In attack they relied on our stretched, unorganised defensive shape, combined with quick touched and flicks to get into good areas.

The second leg will be more of the same, possibly them remaining deeper for the 90 minutes and not even looking to counter attack at all.

We’ll need a moment of magic in their block to open them up. But it starts with at least double the tempo and to bombard them constantly. Once we get that opening goal, we’ll destroy them.

 

[Fabregasm]

Good analysis.

Porto also benefited a lot with our lack of accuracy in possession and passing.

They were able to make those recovery runs and regain their shape, because we either took too long to carry or move the ball into space. Or our possession and movement was not accurate enough.

They were well prepared and put in a good shift.

In attack they relied on our stretched, unorganised defensive shape, combined with quick touched and flicks to get into good areas.

The second leg will be more of the same, possibly them remaining deeper for the 90 minutes and not even looking to counter attack at all.

We’ll need a moment of magic in their block to open them up. But it starts with at least double the tempo and to bombard them constantly. Once we get that opening goal, we’ll destroy them.

Reckon first 20 mins to be the most important where we will be getting lots of chance with them being unsettled a bit, it's the sort of game if they managed to deter us for 25-30 mins, massive boost of confidence will come and the keeper will have god mode written all over.

As long we score early, no doubt we will hammer them badly, otherwise we are gonna need that moment of "magic" if it drags out to 2nd half especially

 

[Farzad]

We really should smash this team at Emirates. This is a side similar to Lens in Porto. In European knockout ties when the game becomes more tactical and less physical he doesn’t seem to have the answers. But then again he is terrible in domestic cups as well. When this Tosser’s project is over this will be the greatest milk job of a second place finish and a domestic cup in modern memory

 

[MikeVinna]

We needed balls over the top and we couldn’t do it. Jorgi has that in his locker but I was disappointed we couldn’t do it more.

 

[Tom Mix]

It it is that simple, why did it take City so long to win or even get to a final despite breaking hundreds of financial rules? (Were it not for Uefa having a statute of limitations they wouldn't have even been in the competition). Why did it take Abramovic a few years despite outspending everyone else, and in the end fluked it with the water boy? Why have PSG not done anything major in the tournament despite oil dosh and superstars for over a decade? Why do Sp**s never win anything despite being in the same ballpark as Liverpool and Arsenal resource wise?

A history of winning gives you confidence and aura, and a recent history of regular participation gives you familiarity and knowhow. This Porto team may be mediocre by the standards of the knockout rounds, but 2/3 of their players have a few years experience of continental competition. This team was unlucky to lose to Barca, lost by 1 goal over 2 legs to last year;s losing finalists and have beaten MIlan, Atletico and Juventus in recent years. Unless they have one of their emotional meltdowns, they are hard to beat, especially at their own ground.

I note you are an essay writer. I prefer concise and brief points.

So I will say one final thing - all this is deflection from the fact that we played very poorly against a team everyone, including their own fans, rightly expected to outplay. The rest is irrelevant.

 

[Tnegs]

For me it’s as simple as we didn’t turn up. Let the occasion get to us and were poor on the night. The good part is we still have the home leg to make it right. Win that and this game will just be added to the list of ties where we lost away and then won at home against these dirty ****s.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Porto had the only chances of the game. We did **** all ourselves some flaccid possession and zero shots on target.

Our squad cost like 10x as much as theirs, of course they're not going to try go toe to toe with us. We deserved **** all from this

Trossard had a difficult chance, he is capable of a much better finish.
Saliba had a very decent headed chance.
Gabriel had a decent headed chance.

Do you not remember?

I wasn’t pleased with how we played but a draw wouldn’t have been grossly unfair.

 

[Penn_]

Watching parts of the game again and Porto played extremely well to their credit. Wasn’t just oh Arsenal played poorly.

The lack of threat from our full backs was a huge contributor. Desperately need Zinchenko back unless Arteta has a work around.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Good analysis.

Porto also benefited a lot with our lack of accuracy in possession and passing.

They were able to make those recovery runs and regain their shape, because we either took too long to carry or move the ball into space. Or our possession and movement was not accurate enough.

They were well prepared and put in a good shift.

In attack they relied on our stretched, unorganised defensive shape, combined with quick touched and flicks to get into good areas.

The second leg will be more of the same, possibly them remaining deeper for the 90 minutes and not even looking to counter attack at all.

We’ll need a moment of magic in their block to open them up. But it starts with at least double the tempo and to bombard them constantly. Once we get that opening goal, we’ll destroy them.

The analysis didn't have another bullet which I'll add here:

• Have a referee who is willing to call any contact or even no contact at all as a foul for the team facing Arsenal which allowed the game to descend into a stop/start borefest.

Now I'm not saying that the referee was the reason we lost but he had a huge influence in the way the game was allowed (not allowed) to flow which disrupted us quite a bit.

 

[Riou]

Beat them in the return leg and move on, tbh.

Let's make this disaster of a match redundant, lock this thread soon too

 

[GDeep™]

Beat them in the return leg and move on, tbh.

Let's make this disaster of a match redundant, lock this thread soon too

Can see us scoring 3/4. So not worried, Porto are poor, Europa level.

 

[Tnegs]

Can see us scoring 3/4. So not worried, Porto are poor, Europa level.

Given our Europa record that’s not necessarily as comforting as you might think.

 

[SA Gunner]

Another analysis video on the game, from one of my favourite channels.

One bit of bad news from the video is that Newcastle also do the Porto tactic so so well, so hopefully its not an issue for us on Saturday.

 

[Riou]

Most teams park the bus against us, but we still win most of the time... Moyes' West Ham aren't exactly gonna try and out pass you, they had a fullback playing in his front 3 just to stifle us ffs...we still slapped them for 6

It's not like Porto did something new, they just defended well... think the main issue is we kinda came to get a 0-0 amd it back fired, we just have to play better more than anything.

Jesus being back for this will be good, think (in a home game) he can really cause Pepe issues...not worried about any specific defensive sides, think we can have the quality to more than beat them.