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Three things we learned: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Arsenal

Marek — Thu, 03 May 2018 21:36:33 +0000

Atletico Madrid booked their place in the Europa League final after they secured a 2-1 aggregate triumph over Premier League side Arsenal. The Spanish giants already had an away goal advantage after their 1-1 draw at the Emirates and they followed it up with a 1-0 home victory. Diego Costa scored a first-half winner for the hosts.

Three things we learned:
Diego Costa makes defining impact against Arsenal: The Spaniard has generally been the Gunners’ nemesis when they have tackled Chelsea in recent seasons and it was no different with Atleti. Right from the start, the striker imposed himself on the Gunners backline with his presence and he managed to use his physical strength to fend off Hector Bellerin prior to the goal. The Spaniard has now scored in back-to-back games against the Gunners and this includes last season’s FA Cup final, where he was on the losing side with the Blues.
Arsenal’s defence a letdown once more: Arsenal were once again nervous in their defence and they could have quite easily conceded more than on Thursday night, barring some last-ditch defending from Calum Chambers. The Englishman made a strong impression after coming on for injured skipper Koscielny but aside from him, the rest were a disappointment. Hector Bellerin was guilty of failing to track Costa prior to Atleti’s opener, and he was physically outclassed by the former Chelsea man. Surely, the new manager needs to rebuild the defence from scratch with a new leader.
Arsenal’s average showing in the attack front: Unlike at the Emirates, Arsenal looked far off from an attacking threat against Atleti. The Gunners had made several runs towards the opposition goal but they were let down by their inability to strike at the first attempt. Moreover, Bellerin and Monreal appeared to be neutralised with very few of their crosses approaching the feet of an Arsenal player in the box. The north Londoners had just one attempt on goal with Granit Xhaka’s hopeful long-range strike.

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Europa League [Preview]: Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal

Marek — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 20:12:21 +0000

Atletico Madrid entertain Arsenal in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie on Thursday night. Diego Simeone’s side scored a vital away goal during the 1-1 draw at the Emirates last week and they can now bank on their home advantage to progress to their fifth European final in nine seasons.

Players to watch for:
Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid: The Frenchman was kept quiet for vast periods of the first leg in north London but he eventually capitalised on a defensive error from Laurent Koscielny. The Gunners skipper took a little bit longer to clear the ball and Griezmann took the advantage of a lucky break to score the leveller for 10-man Atleti. Arsene Wenger’s side are in desperate need of an away goal in order to stay alive in the competition and this could play into Griezmann’s hands on the counter attack.
Alexandre Lacazette – Arsenal: Griezmann’s compatriot Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring during the first leg of the semi-final and this took his tally to seven goals in as many games since his injury comeback. Like Griezmann, Lacazette did not feature for the Gunners over the weekend but he has plenty of work to do at the Wanda Metropolitano, where his team need to score at least once. Lacazette impressed with his physique and movement within the box against Atleti but he has to make amends on Thursday, having missed clear-cut opportunity early on at the Emirates.
Prediction:
Atletico Madrid have conceded just four goals at home over the course of their league campaign and they has contributed to clean sheets in each of their previous 11 games. Despite this, we are anticipating goals for both teams in this encounter with the Gunners, in particular, likely to give their all for their departing manager.
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Arsenal

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Three things we learned: Arsenal 1-1 Atletico Madrid

Marek — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 22:10:00 +0000

Arsenal endured a frustrating evening against Atletico Madrid as they were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Atleti found themselves down to 10 men within nine minutes but the Gunners could not effectively capitalise on the advantage at the Emirates Stadium.

Three things we learned:
Laurent Koscielny on the decline: The France international has been one of the Gunners’ most consistent defenders over the past eight years, but his performances this term have been far from impressive. The Frenchman was clearly at fault during a similar dominating display against Manchester United back in December and his positioning once again cost him with Antoine Griezmann pouncing with the away goal. Arsenal have not kept clean sheets in the previous five games in which Koscielny has featured and this is certainly a worrying stat for a player, who has regularly been handed the leadership duties.
Antoine Griezmann makes Arsenal pay: Arsenal were comfortably in control of the game after scoring via Alexandre Lacazette in the second period but a slice of luck for Griezmann allowed him to score a crucial leveller. Prior to the goal, Griezmann was assisted by a poor clearance from Koscielny and a slip from Shkodran Mustafi but the Frenchman maintained his composure to find the scoresheet unlike in his previous European game at Sporting. The goal is surely to have dampened the spirits of the Gunners’ players, who gave their very best to secure a positive result.
Alexandre Lacazette’s promising form: Lacazette has looked refreshed every since his return from a knee surgery earlier last month. The Frenchman had come into the game on the back of six goals in as many matches and he managed to deliver another strike with a wonderfully crafted header in the second period. Despite his dominating presence, the 26-year-old would surely be disappointed with his overall showing after he failed to make the most of a clear-cut opportunity, early in the first half.

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Ramsey and Koscielny start, 4-3-3: Predicted Arsenal lineup to face Atletico Madrid

Marek — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 20:50:06 +0000

Arsenal entertain Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night. The Gunners have impressed in their progress to the last four of the European competition but they face a huge test of their credentials against Atletico Madrid, who are normally rock-solid in defence.

Formation: 4-3-3
Lineup:
Petr Cech missed the weekend meeting versus West Ham United with a hip problem but he has since returned to first-team training. The Czech international should get the nod ahead of David Ospina between the sticks.
Earlier last week, Arsene Wenger suggested that he would use the Hammers game as a precursor and dress rehearsal for the midweek clash and the defence is likely to remain unchanged barring injuries.
As such, Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal should slot into the right and left side of the backline with Laurent Koscielny partnering Shkodran Mustafi in not an entirely convincing central defence.
Onto the midfield, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka are strong candidates to start in the centre of the park and they are likely to be partnered by Jack Wilshere, who was left out last weekend with a minor ankle problem.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has not fully recovered from his medial knee ligament injury and hence, he has been excluded from the squad. In this case, Danny Welbeck can be tipped to feature on the left-wing with Mesut Ozil on the right whilst Alexandre Lacazette should start in the central forward position.
Arsenal are certainly shot of game-changing options from the bench with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible and Mohamed Elneny on the sidelines but they have a relatively strong XI who are capable of beating any opposition on their day.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have not been in exemplary form under Diego Simeone as in previous seasons and the Gunners could capitalise on Atleti’s lean away run which has included four winless games on the bounce.

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Europa League [Preview]: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid

Marek — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 20:05:39 +0000

Arsenal welcome Atletico Madrid to the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. The Gunners have been in a good vein of form over the past month and they will be aiming to make the most of their home fixture against Atleti, who are regarded as the favourites for the competition.

What happened over the weekend?
Arsene Wenger’s side returned to winning ways on Sunday as they secured a 4-1 triumph over West Ham United. The Hammers held the Gunners to a 1-1 scoreline until the 80th minute courtesy of Joe Hart’s brilliance but they eventually folded like a deck of cards. Alexandre Lacazette netted a brace for the north London giants.
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, witnessed a second winless game on the bounce. The Spanish giants saw their away woes continue with a 3-0 defeat at Real Sociedad in midweek and this was followed up by a goalless stalemate against Real Betis at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Players to watch for:
Aaron Ramsey – Arsenal: The Welshman has picked up his form since his return from a groin problem in February. Ramsey has been the Gunners’ talisman during the knockout stages of the Champions League, and he has contributed four goals in as many appearances including a stellar back-flick goal versus AC Milan at the San Siro. With Mesut Ozil still struggling with an illness, the club are likely to be dependent on Ramsey to make his tireless runs into box against a solid-looking Atleti backline on most occasions.
Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid: Unlike Ramsey, Griezmann plays much further ahead in the field but his influence can be equally matched to the Welshman. Griezmann has not looked at his fluent best during the course of the campaign but he has impressed in the Europa League with three strikes in five appearances. The Frenchman was guilty of missing a couple of clear-cut opportunities in the quarter-final second leg against Sporting and he can’t afford a similar display in north London.
Prediction:
Arsenal 3-1 Atletico Madrid

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Three things we learned: CSKA Moscow 2-2 Arsenal

Marek — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:46:50 +0000

Arsenal progressed to the final four of the Europa League as they clinched a 6-3 aggregate win over CSKA Moscow in the quarter-final stage.
The Gunners came to the VEB Arena with a 4-1 advantage from the first-leg, but they had to dig deep in order to avoid a surprise exit at the hands of their Russian counterparts.
Goals from Fedor Chalov and Kirill Nababkin saw CSKA within a goal of ousting the Gunners from the competition, but the visitors struck back with Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Three things we learned:
Danny Welbeck turns Arsenal’s saviour: Right at the start of the second-half, the Gunners saw themselves two-nil down on the night, and there were similarities with Barcelona’s collapse against AS Roma. However, Welbeck was on guard to change the complexion of the tie after a wonderful steal from Nababkin which was followed by an exchange with Mohamed Elneny leading to his goal. The Englishman has now netted five goals since the start of March, and he is only bettered by Mohamed Salah in Premier League player terms in this period.
Mohamed Elneny showing his mettle: A lot of eyebrows were raised about Elneny’s contract extension last month. The Egyptian committed his future to the club ahead of the likes of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, and he proved his worth during a nerve-wracking game in Moscow. Elneny assumed the role of Ozil on the night with two lovely assists for Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey, playing in a central midfield position. The Egyptian has now made the most number of passes among the players featuring in this season’s Europa League.
Aleksandr Golovin steals the show: The Russian midfielder was a dominating presence in both legs for CSKA Moscow. The 21-year-old scored a crucial away goal at the Emirates with a wonderful free-kick, and nearly repeated the feat at the VEB Arena. After indirectly assisting Nababkin for the second goal on the night, Golovin had the opportunity to edge his side ahead with another setpiece, but Petr Cech was on guard to with a lovely save on his near post – to make amends for his earlier mistakes.

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Welbeck and Lacazette start, 4-2-3-1: Predicted Arsenal lineup to face CSKA Moscow

Marek — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 20:24:09 +0000

Arsenal make the long trip to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. The Gunners already have a stronghold in the fixture after securing a 4-1 triumph at the Emirates Stadium, but they need to guard against complacency on the road, where they have attained mixed results this term.
The Gunners have been woeful on their travels in the Premier League this season with just three victories in 15 matches, but their European form has been better with four wins from their five away trips.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Lineup:
David Ospina has been sidelined for at least a couple of weeks with a knee problem, and this should witness Petr Cech start his second European game on the trot. The veteran goalkeeper has had a tough time between the sticks with just one clean sheet since the turn of the year.
In defence, Arsene Wenger should go with the preferred pairing of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal in the right and left-back positions respectively whilst Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi should partner once more at the heart of the defence. Koscielny has been rested for recent Premier League games, and much of this has been done to keep him unscathed.
In midfield, Granit Xhaka has been a constant presence under Wenger, and the Swiss international can be fancied to take up one of the central positions. Alongside him, we are fancying Jack Wilshere to start, given the Englishman is a better tackler by trade when compared to Aaron Ramsey, who is more pronounced for his contribution higher up the field.
With Henrikh Mkhitaryan sidelined with a knee problem, Danny Welbeck is probably a strong candidate to start on the left side of the attack after his match-winning brace versus Southampton. Aside from him, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil are certain candidates to feature, and they could slot into the number 10 and right-wing positions respectively.
Alexandre Lacazette scored twice during his first European outing of the season last week, and the Frenchman will be hoping to continue this run in Moscow, where the Gunners failed to score in their previous trip, more than 10 years ago. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains ineligible to participate in the competition owing to Borussia Dortmund’s involvement in the same this season.
Predicted Arsenal lineup (4-2-3-1): Petr Cech; Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal; Granit Xhaka, Jack Wilshere; Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette

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Europa League [Preview]: CSKA Moscow vs Arsenal

Marek — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:34:49 +0000

CSKA Moscow are at the VEB Arena for Thurday’s Europa League meeting versus Arsenal. Viktor Goncharenko’s men succumbed to a 4-1 defeat to the Gunners during the first leg of the quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium, and they now require a big effort in front of their supporters in order to overturn the tie.

Previous meeting:
The last meeting between the sides was pretty much one-sided with Arsenal celebrating a 4-1 triumph. Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring for the Gunners in just the ninth minute of the game, but CSKA soon equalised from a wonderfully crafted free-kick from Aleksandr Golovin. Thereafter, the hosts took charge of the game with Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette (brace) finding the net. Both Lacazette and Ramsey missed glorious opportunities to grab the match ball during the second period.
Players to watch for:
Aleksandr Golovin – CSKA Moscow: The Russian was CSKA’s sole sparkling light during their away trip to north London. The 21-year-old is capable of playing in either the frontline or central midfield, and he showcased some of his technical abilities in front of the Gunners’ faithful. With the limited possession, Golovin made a couple of positive runs towards the opposition backline, whilst grabbing a vital away goal through a sublime free-kick which David Beckham would have been proud of.
Aaron Ramsey – Arsenal: Ramsey has received a mixed reception from the Gunners fans over the years with a section of the supporters believing that the midfielder loses possession of the ball all too often. Despite this, the Welshman has the knack of scoring in crucial games, and he probably netted the goal of the Europa League season via his side foot volley against CSKA. Ramsey has scored three times in as many European games, and CSKA have to keep a close track of his nagging runs in order to restrict any further damage to the aggregate scoreline.

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[Arsenal] Europa League player ratings vs AC Milan

Marek — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 22:39:15 +0000

Arsenal progressed to the quarter-final stage of the Europa League after they secured a comfortable 3-1 win over AC Milan at the Emirates Stadium.
The north London club ran out 5-1 victors across the double-legged tie, and they have qualified for the last-eight of a European competition for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
Player Ratings:
David Ospina: Struggled to spot the Hakan Calhanoglu shot from long-range, and the curl on the strike eventually deceived him. Other than this, he was comfortable on the ball throughout the game – 6.5/10
Hector Bellerin: Returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a knee issue. The Spaniard was a constant presence on the right side of the attack, but also managed to limit the runs behind him – 7/10
Nacho Monreal: The Spaniard likewise returned to the first XI after an absence of nearly three weeks. Monreal managed to restrict Suso from getting onto his favourite left foot on most occasions, and he managed to link-up well with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 7/10
Laurent Koscielny: The skipper had a forgettable night on the pitch as an early hip problem restricted him to just 11 minutes of the pitch. Chambers came on for the Frenchman, and did a solid job at the heart of the backline – 6/10
Shkodran Mustafi: Mustafi had another solid game at the back despite lacking the presence of Koscielny alongside him. The German missed one crucial interception from across off Leonardo Bonucci but thankfully, Nikola Kalinic’s header on goal was a tame one – 7/10
Granit Xhaka: Controlled the pace of the game with his intrinsic passing. The Swiss continued in the same vein of form from the San Siro trip, and finished the tie off with a long-range strike which found its way to goal after a Donnarumma blunder – 7.5/10
Jack Wilshere: Likewise Granit, Wilshere appeared to play with a renewed energy on the field, and was probably overjoyed by his England call-up earlier in the day. Had a solid long-range attempt on goal which Donnarumma saved splendidly – 7.5/10
Aaron Ramsey: Could not contribute in the goal tally, but the Welshman played his part in Xhaka’s goal. Was a constant presence near the Milan box, and had a couple of shots saved by the opposition shot-stopper – 7.5/10
Mesut Ozil: The German was solid with his passing through the game, and tried his very much to put his teammates through on goal. Unfortunately, he could not find the killer pass, and should have probably taken a shot or two – 7/10
Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Mkhitaryan could not find the scoresheet with the performance on the night. The Armenian was average with his final ball, but his energy and perseverance was well on display throughout the game – 7/10
Danny Welbeck: The Englishman managed to produce one of his best Arsenal performances in a long-time. Welbeck scored a brace through a penalty and a close-range header right at the end. Dived for the first one, no excuses – 7.5/10
Substitutes:
Calum Chambers, Mohamed Elneny, Sead Kolasinac

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Europa League [Preview]: Arsenal vs AC Milan

Marek — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 18:35:22 +0000

Arsenal welcome AC Milan to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
The Gunners secured a 2-0 triumph over the Rossoneri on the road last week, and this puts them in a strong position to progress to the quarter-final stage with a positive result on Thursday night.
Recent Form:
The north London had experienced one of their most difficult periods under the management of Arsene Wenger as they succumbed to four successive defeats across all competitions. However, they have since returned to winning ways with a comfortable triumphs over Milan and Watford, the latter in the league, and this puts them in a good frame of mind for the Emirates clash tomorrow. Arsenal are placed sixth in the Premier League with a 12-point deficit to the top-four, and winning the Europa League is essential to their Champions League prospects for next term.
On the contrary, AC Milan have remained unbeaten through their Serie A phase with their previous defeat back in December 23, where they succumbed to a 2-0 loss to Atalanta BC. Their strong run sees them within six points off the final Champions League spot held by Lazio, and they could potentially close the gap further, should they win their game in hand over arch-rivals Inter. Despite this, their only defeat of the calendar year came against Arsenal last week, where they were pretty poor with their showing in the midfield and forward departments, in particular.
Players to watch for:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Arsenal: The Armenia international was the star-performer for Manchester United during their Europa League triumph last term, and he has showed up in the same vein for the Gunners with a goal and assist in three appearances (whoscored). The 29-year-old has improved with his link-up play with every game that has passed, and he is likely to pose a threat in the Rossoneri box, owing to his attacking instinct, which saw him nearly score a brace at San Siro, barring the woodwork.
Suso – AC Milan: The former Liverpool man was a disappointment during the first leg where he struggled to find a co-ordination with Hakan Calhanoglu and Patrick Cutrone in the attack front. Nevertheless, he will expect more from himself to overturn the deficit, and the Gunners backline may need to guard against his excellent shooting skills from long-range. Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles did a credible job for Arsenal last week, where as they restricted the Spaniard from having shots with his stronger left foot.
Prediction:
Arsenal are likely to have re-instilled their confidence after back-to-back wins, and they should come up with another strong showing, considering Arsene Wenger has a near full-strength side to choose from.
Arsenal 2-0 AC Milan

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