Arsenal v Benfica, 17:55 GMT (25/02, BT Sport 1)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Partey might be back for this if he comes through training today.

Holding is out for the concussion protocols.

Home leg in Greece. :cloud9:

[GP]

3-0

[Mac76]

0-3 Pizzi hatter

[Mac76]

if we go out now it will have been a dreadful first full season for Arteta

he'll regret chucking the FAC for sure

[Marc Overmars]

Should get the job done but then we thought that last year before we froze on the night against Olympiakos.

2-1.

[IBK]

I think we will win this one. Probably have to score 3 though as I can see us doing something stupd to allow them an away goal. We know how they are going to play - kep it tight and try to nick one - so we have to be ready for this and don't assist their older defence by falling into the offside trap again and again like the first leg. We HAVE to finish our chances.

Only question for me is whether Laca should start over Auba. Won't happen though.

(Needless to say if I see Willian anywhere near the pitch tonight I'll....have a tantrum to myself in front og the TV).

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang.
Subs: Ryan, Hein, Cedric, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Elneny, Partey, Willian, Pepe, Nketiah, Martinelli, Lacazette.

Benfica: Leite, Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Goncalves, Taarabt, Weigl, Silva, Grimaldo, Pizzi, Seferovic.
Subs: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Everton, Gabriel, Nunez, Waldschmidt, Cervi, Chiquinho, Pedrinho, Tavares, Ramos.

[GP]

Good team.

Lets go!

[Mac76]

hi chaps, here I am, the ref can kick off now :popcorn:

[Gooner23]

Pitch looks much quicker than the Rome one, might just help us play with a bit more zip.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Taarabt booked, scrote.

[Mac76]

that's a def yellow at least for taraabt surely

[McNamara That Ghost...]

ESR, bit of a scuffer.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AUBAMEYANG!!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

VAR had best piss off.

Premier League would give him offside probably.

[Marc Overmars]

Auba!

Still playing good old Arsenal :lol:

[Mac76]

which Benfica player fell over just then? :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's a goal. :bow:

Benfica now need two, to avoid ET.

[Letters]

AUBA!


Great finish.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba, first time hit! :doh:

[Mac76]

we were lucky Benfica's number 4 had his arm out then

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Vertonghen heads over. :lol:

[Letters]

Oh DO fuck off, Keown.
Just going on and on about how vulnerable we are.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka shot, saved behind.

Offside anyway.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Stupid foul from Ceballos.

[Mac76]

saka should have scored even if it was offside

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1, what a freekick from Diogo someone.

Ceballos. :doh:

[Marc Overmars]

What a goal :lol:

[Letters]

Fair enough, they can have that one.
Balls.

[IBK]

FFS. Typical :thumbsdown:

[Mac76]

:ilt:

[Gooner23]

Quite a dangerous position for us now, they only need to nick another goal and we'd need two.

[Mac76]

Xhaka moving his head again was what let it through

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 HT.

[Gooner23]

So frustrating as Benfica have done fuck all over 2 legs but have somehow scored 2

[selassie]

We have regressed offensively since Odegaard has come into the team. I like him as a player but he slows us down, back to Tippy tappy slow build up with him in the side. Much prefer ESR in the number 10 role and Pepe on the wing. Drop Odegaard to the bench he’s not even our player FFS!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

His first goal for Benfica? :lol:

FFS.

[Gooner23]

We have regressed offensively since Odegaard has come into the team. I like him as a player but he slows us down, back to Tippy tappy slow build up with him in the side. Much prefer ESR in the number 10 role and Pepe on the wing. Drop Odegaard to the bench he’s not even our player FFS!

Been thinking for a couple of games now, he actually reminds me a bit of Ozil, albeit works a bit harder defensively

[Mac76]

We have regressed offensively since Odegaard has come into the team. I like him as a player but he slows us down, back to Tippy tappy slow build up with him in the side. Much prefer ESR in the number 10 role and Pepe on the wing. Drop Odegaard to the bench he’s not even our player FFS!

it's playing both him and ESR that's the problem

i don't think anyone thought Arteta would play them together, we thought they'd alternate

[Gooner23]

Been thinking for a couple of games now, he actually reminds me a bit of Ozil, albeit works a bit harder defensively

I'm not sure we're now seeing the best from ESR either, being shunted out to the left

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AUBA! Given offside.

Thought he was on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

He is offside.

Boo.

[IBK]

Finish deserved better

[Mac76]

damn

[Letters]

Wasn’t that level? <_<

[Mac76]

Tierney beat himself there

[IBK]

We are playing into Benfica's hands here. Confidence has melted.

[Mac76]

if i was the other manager i'd have put Vertongen up front - you can bet he'd score against us given half a chance

[Mac76]

the 'expert analyst' just said Willian "would bring an injection of urgency" :haha:

[Xhaka Can’t]

the 'expert analyst' just said Willian "would bring an injection of urgency" :haha:

For Benfica

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Seferovic off, Nunez on.

Pizzi hauled off, Everton on.

Taarabt off, Gabriel on.

[Marc Overmars]

There is a player called Everton. :lol:

[Mac76]

Pizzi hauled off, Everton on


what, all of them?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin too deep.

[Gooner23]

Game over, shocking from Ceballos

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-2 Silva.

Ceballos just gave it away.

[Marc Overmars]

1-2.

Ceballos :haha:

Moron.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

That was from OUR corner. :haha:

[Gooner23]

Willian on, of course

[Marc Overmars]

Here comes Willian :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

ESR off, Partey on.

Ceballos off, Willian on.

[Letters]

:doh:

Benfica have hardly done a thing over 2 legs, and we’ll probably go out.
Incredible :doh:

[Mac76]

Willian on, of course

no better option when you've gone 2-1 down than to bring on someone who does nothing

[Gooner23]

Mikel can't legislate for Ceballos stupidity, but his substitutions are consistently terrible

[dazthegooner]

Willian on so basically we're are down to 10 men (or Benfica now have 12)

[Gooner23]

Ironically Ceballos will be back in the Champions League next season with Madrid whilst we're out of Europe completely

[Mac76]

that really was a terrible goal to concede, just embarrassing

[Mac76]

if ever a game needed Martinelli, Pepe and Laca it's this, instead he brings on Willian - it's unbelievable

[Gooner23]

KT ya beautiful Scottish man! Assist from Willian

[McNamara That Ghost...]

TIERNEY!!!! :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

Tierney!!

Come on.

[Gooner23]

Willian :bow:

[GP]

Tierney should be captain.

[Letters]

Come on!
Willian assist :bow:

[Letters]

Tierney should be captain.

:gp:

[Mac76]

great goal

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We must hold the record for times eliminated by away goals. :lol:

[Marc Overmars]

Benfica are absolutely shit. This would be an embarrassing exit given how both legs have panned out.

[Gooner23]

Auba fluffs a header from a decent KT cross. Giroud would love playing Artetaball

[dazthegooner]

Think we would be the first club to go out on away goals without actually playing at 'home'

[Mac76]

Think we would be the first club to go out on away goals without actually playing at 'home'

:trophy:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

David Luiz goes for it from long range. Why?

[Mac76]

luiz :lol:

[GP]

David Luiz goes for it from long range. Why?

"He's got that in his locker"

[Mac76]

"He's got that in his locker"

someone needs to put a padlock on that locker

[Mac76]

Laca coming on :popcorn:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Shot on target from Odegaard. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka. :(

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin hauled off, Lacazette on.

[Mac76]

Saka...

[Gooner23]

I don't understand the last sub at all, totally killed our right hand side.

[dazthegooner]

I don't understand the last sub at all, totally killed our right hand side.

Don't think Arteta does either.

[Mac76]

Auba's knackered, they need to swap him out for Martinelli - why TF won't Arteta play him?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Dreadful touch from Xhaka. Killed any attack.

[Mac76]

Xhaka breaks up the Arsenal attack

[Marc Overmars]

Come on you absolute turds.

[GP]

AUBAMAYAAAAANG!!!!

[Marc Overmars]

AUBA!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AUBAMEYANG!!!! Come on!!!

[GP]

Saka :bow:

WORLD

CLASS!

[Marc Overmars]

Saka with the assist again :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka with the cross. :bow:

[Letters]

AUBA!!!

[Mac76]

YES!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

He's clearly onside?

Piss off VAR. Waste of time.

[Letters]

AUBA!!!

:lol:

My stream is miles behind!

[Mac76]

:lol:

My stream is miles behind!

not as far as mine apparently... :lol:

[Xhaka Can’t]

Tierney should be captain.

It is such a no brainer it'll never happen

[dazthegooner]

:lol:

My stream is miles behind!

Yep mine also supposed to be watching it LIVE on BTSports <_<

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Walter Schmitty on or someone.

[Mac76]

Chambo coming on :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Benfica hit the post! :lol:

[Mac76]

:faint:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal 3-2 Benfica, FT!

Never in any doubt. :bow:

[selassie]

This team is pathetic, how we made such hardwork of that. Arteta should be thankful for Auba and Saka because without those two he'd be without a job.

[Mac76]

we're through :scarf:

[Letters]

Benfica hit the post! :lol:

:lol: :sick:

Would have been offside anyway, but still, change of pants required!

[IBK]

Why do we do it? 2 goals gifted to Benfica to add to the goal they scored in the first leg. For long periods we got schooled by an inferior, but more canny team, and played the way they wanted us to. I agree with Keown - Ceballos had a nightmare, but why the fuck was he played as the last line of our defence? Why can't our players be more professional and focus.

Good character from Auba, Tierney and Saka but sheesh...

[LDG]

This team is pathetic, how we made such hardwork of that. Arteta should be thankful for Auba and Saka because without those two he'd be without a job.

I don’t get this attitude.

Am I the only one who can see something good at work begind the scenes? This team has a shape. We just have too much dead weight, and that isn’t this managers fault.

Wenger left us in a real fucking mess, and we all knew (and openly accepted) that would get worse before it got better. The club chose Emery, who actually made things even worse, with zero fucking shape, idea, or direction.

At least Arteta has gone with youth and ridded the club of Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasniac etc...we can’t sell everyone! The shitfest this club has been in will take years to solve...we have fuck all investment, fuck all money coming in and fuck all to work with but youth.

We’ve had that cunt agent raping the club with deals above the managers head for shit like Willian and Luiz. But as a manager you need to go to experience sometimes, even if its shit.

He’s a good manager. He needs time and patience. Just fucking accept we aren’t goong to win the league for a good while. We could get any top manager in, but without patience or money, they’ll be fucked too.

Just appreciate there is more shape to this side than there has been for a long time.

[IBK]

I don’t get this attitude.

Am I the only one who can see something good at work begind the scenes? This team has a shape. We just have too much dead weight, and that isn’t this managers fault.

Wenger left us in a real fucking mess, and we all knew (and openly accepted) that would get worse before it got better. The club chose Emery, who actually made things even worse, with zero fucking shape, idea, or direction.

At least Arteta has gone with youth and ridded the club of Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasniac etc...we can’t sell everyone! The shitfest this club has been in will take years to solve...we have fuck all investment, fuck all money coming in and fuck all to work with but youth.

We’ve had that cunt agent raping the club with deals above the managers head for shit like Willian and Luiz. But as a manager you need to go to experience sometimes, even if its shit.

He’s a good manager. He needs time and patience. Just fucking accept we aren’t goong to win the league for a good while. We could get any top manager in, but without patience or money, they’ll be fucked too.

Just appreciate there is more shape to this side than there has been for a long time.

I agree with many of your points, and particularly the fact that we need to continue to be patient. But its the feeling that our continued weak points - lack of concentration; playng to the opposition's strengths and lack of game management - that takes the shine off.

[LDG]

I agree with many of your points, and particularly the fact that we need to continue to be patient. But its the feeling that our continued weak points - lack of concentration; playng to the opposition's strengths and lack of game management - that takes the shine off.

I seem to remember Klopp taking a kicking for two years until (with money) he was able to fashion a winning team.

A team that is now getting arse fucked every week.

We will be hit and miss for a long while yet. We either back inexperice and youth, or we change our manager routinely and stay where we are. Our owners only care that we retain our assets, they are only concerned with keeping the status quo. As long as we’re always an investment, they care not if we scrape survival, as we’re good stock.

Keep the faith, because with out Arteta, who actually cares, we’ll be another journeyman manager down the line with fuck all pride left in the tank.

[Mac76]

I don’t get this attitude.

Am I the only one who can see something good at work begind the scenes? This team has a shape. We just have too much dead weight, and that isn’t this managers fault.

Wenger left us in a real fucking mess, and we all knew (and openly accepted) that would get worse before it got better. The club chose Emery, who actually made things even worse, with zero fucking shape, idea, or direction.

At least Arteta has gone with youth and ridded the club of Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasniac etc...we can’t sell everyone! The shitfest this club has been in will take years to solve...we have fuck all investment, fuck all money coming in and fuck all to work with but youth.

We’ve had that cunt agent raping the club with deals above the managers head for shit like Willian and Luiz. But as a manager you need to go to experience sometimes, even if its shit.

He’s a good manager. He needs time and patience. Just fucking accept we aren’t goong to win the league for a good while. We could get any top manager in, but without patience or money, they’ll be fucked too.

Just appreciate there is more shape to this side than there has been for a long time.

Arteta was directly responsible for bringing in dead weight in the shape of Willian - that wasn't over his head, he and Edu wanted him.

he also ignored our young players, particularly ESR, until he literally had no choice but to play them and then was forced to see how good they are.

now he's doing the opposite and thrashing ESR into the ground.

i agree when the team plays well it looks very good but Arteta can't seem to recognise the reasons for that, instead he makes baffling decisions like at the weekend playing Saka and Pepe on the wrong sides of the pitch.

he also sticks with a disaster area like Luiz (who nearly gave away a goal tonight) as a first choice defender when we have a perfectly good CB in Mari we could play instead

he's a rookie making a lot of mistakes while he learns and he should have done so at a smaller club not Arsenal

[Letters]

Wenger left us in a real fucking mess, and we all knew (and openly accepted) that would get worse before it got better. The club chose Emery, who actually made things even worse, with zero fucking shape, idea, or direction.

See. There's no way of me replying to this without the usual suspects going on about how I can't bear to see Wenger criticised or that I wish he was still our manager or... :blah:

But did he leave us in a mess? Really? The season after Wenger left we finished 5th on 70 points. But for a Wengeresque collapse we'd have easily have finished top 4. And we got to the Europa League final. It wasn't an amazing season but it looked like a "steady the ship" one and a platform to build on. That's what the squad Wenger left us with did, was that really so awful?

It was only after that when things started to go seriously wrong.

And some people on here were arguing the exact opposite, that any idiot would come in and immediately do better than Wenger, so inept was he.
NQ said that any new manager should be sacked if we weren't challenging for the title in a couple of seasons :shrug:

Overall, I agree that Arteta is improving things and it does feel like we are more of a team now. We are nowhere near challenging, we're no t that near top 4. But I think Arteta deserves some time to sort things out.

[Niall_Quinn]

See. There's no way of me replying to this without the usual suspects going on about how I can't bear to see Wenger criticised or that I wish he was still our manager or... :blah:

But did he leave us in a mess? Really? The season after Wenger left we finished 5th on 70 points. But for a Wengeresque collapse we'd have easily have finished top 4. And we got to the Europa League final. It wasn't an amazing season but it looked like a "steady the ship" one and a platform to build on. That's what the squad Wenger left us with did, was that really so awful?

It was only after that when things started to go seriously wrong.

And some people on here were arguing the exact opposite, that any idiot would come in and immediately do better than Wenger, so inept was he.
NQ said that any new manager should be sacked if we weren't challenging for the title in a couple of seasons :shrug:

Overall, I agree that Arteta is improving things and it does feel like we are more of a team now. We are nowhere near challenging, we're no t that near top 4. But I think Arteta deserves some time to sort things out.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

It's like a zombie.

[Niall_Quinn]

I seem to remember Klopp taking a kicking for two years until (with money) he was able to fashion a winning team.

A team that is now getting arse fucked every week.

We will be hit and miss for a long while yet. We either back inexperice and youth, or we change our manager routinely and stay where we are. Our owners only care that we retain our assets, they are only concerned with keeping the status quo. As long as we’re always an investment, they care not if we scrape survival, as we’re good stock.

Keep the faith, because with out Arteta, who actually cares, we’ll be another journeyman manager down the line with fuck all pride left in the tank.

A long while yet - but the solution is staring them in the face. Take the pain, build with youth. But with all that money at stake, it's so much easier to run to the averages and hope for the best. Which is how I characterise Arteta's spree with us to date.

He was supposed to be a young, inexperienced manager with fresh ideas. He's behaving like he's already one of the club.

Xhaka and ElNonsene in midfield against the gypos? Sacking right there. Inevitability is not a prediction.

[Letters]

See? :lol:

No attempt at a response, just low effort trolling.
Ah well.

[IBK]

See. There's no way of me replying to this without the usual suspects going on about how I can't bear to see Wenger criticised or that I wish he was still our manager or... :blah:

But did he leave us in a mess? Really? The season after Wenger left we finished 5th on 70 points. But for a Wengeresque collapse we'd have easily have finished top 4. And we got to the Europa League final. It wasn't an amazing season but it looked like a "steady the ship" one and a platform to build on. That's what the squad Wenger left us with did, was that really so awful?

It was only after that when things started to go seriously wrong.

And some people on here were arguing the exact opposite, that any idiot would come in and immediately do better than Wenger, so inept was he.
NQ said that any new manager should be sacked if we weren't challenging for the title in a couple of seasons :shrug:

Overall, I agree that Arteta is improving things and it does feel like we are more of a team now. We are nowhere near challenging, we're no t that near top 4. But I think Arteta deserves some time to sort things out.

The truth with Wenger is that he did not leave our club in a mess - directly. The 'mess' was a result of his longevity and the fact that he ended up with an unparallelled level of influence and control that was bound to create a power vaccuum when he left (something that if we are honest probably influenced his decision to stay on beyond his managerial sell by date). But this was principally the fault of the owners/board, not Wenger, and he did nothing actively to harm the club - quite the opposite in fact.

Like you I tire of this narrative against Wenger.

[Letters]

The truth with Wenger is that he did not leave our club in a mess - directly. The 'mess' was a result of his longevity and the fact that he ended up with an unparallelled level of influence and control that was bound to create a power vaccuum when he left (something that if we are honest probably influenced his decision to stay on beyond his managerial sell by date). But this was principally the fault of the owners/board, not Wenger, and he did nothing actively to harm the club - quite the opposite in fact.

Right. He stayed too long, but the season before he left we won the FA Cup, the season after he left I've talked about.
I don't think the squad he left us with was so terrible. It wasn't that close to a title challenge but it seemed liked a reasonable base to build on.
And yes, he had far too much power at the club which made him difficult to replace - he couldn't just be replaced by a single person.


Like you I tire of this narrative against Wenger.

What I tire off is the extremes of opinion and the straw manning.
You either have to believe that <manager/player> is amazing or terrible. If you don't believe the latter then you must believe the former.
There's no nuance or shades of grey with some people. Ah well!

[IBK]

Right. He stayed too long, but the season before he left we won the FA Cup, the season after he left I've talked about.
I don't think the squad he left us with was so terrible. It wasn't that close to a title challenge but it seemed liked a reasonable base to build on.
And yes, he had far too much power at the club which made him difficult to replace - he couldn't just be replaced by a single person.



What I tire off is the extremes of opinion and the straw manning.
You either have to believe that <manager/player> is amazing or terrible. If you don't believe the latter then you must believe the former.
There's no nuance or shades of grey with some people. Ah well!

Agreed - its the narrative that Wenger directly damaged the cub that I don't like. He stayed too long for sure, but the aftermarth is circumstance rather than anything else.