One Nil To The Arsenal – A Familiar Refrain
Oct 25th, 2018 by 'holic
Unai Emery sprung something of a surprise by selecting Granit Xhaka at left-back to allow Hector Bellerin a breather in Lisbon. Danny Welbeck was picked on the left hand side of Aaron Ramsey and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Ramsey it was who wore the captain’s armband. Interestingly Carl Jenkinson was on the bench for the first time in two seasons.
The opening phase saw both midfields cancelling each other out. The first meaningful effort was a shot by Fernandes that sailed over the bar in the sixteenth minute. When he made another attempt shortly afterwards his high boot caught the face of Stephan Lichsteiner. Sporting were starting to up the tempo and that provoked a response, particularly from Ramsey and Matteo Guendouzi.
Elneny was brought down on the corner of the box by Coates and that gave Mkhitaryan the chance to test the Brazilian goalkeeper, Ribeiro, who encouragingly elected to punch a shot that was hit straight at him. Guendouzi found Mkhitaryan in space on the right but his cross was scrambled clear. At the other end Fernandes tried his luck again but it was another shot over the top. Nani repeated the feat moments later when possession was lost carelessly.
We avoided at least a free-kick in a dangerous area when Sokratis tugged at Montero’s shirt as the striker attempted to break free. Had he given the decision the referee would have had a decision to make about the colour of the card. We were unfortunate when Welbeck burst clear on the left but over-ran the ball to the goal-line. Nani was up to his old tricks as half-time approached and his dive in the box didn’t fool the referee.
The first yellow card was awarded to Acuna for a sly little kick out at Lichsteiner but Xhaka curled the resulting free-kick wide of the far post. In the one minute of added time The Arsenal attempted to stretch the temporarily down to ten men but without success. The first-half had, not for the first time this season, been somewhat uninspiring.
The first action of the second-half saw Rob Holding booked, unluckily perhaps, for an alleged prominent elbow in a challenge for a high ball with Montero. Montero it was who headed well wide of the target shortly afterwards. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found himself clear in a one-on-one against Ribeiro but the goalkeeper won out at the expense of a wasted corner. Mkhitaryan was the third recipient of a yellow card for a trip.
A flowing team move resulted in Welbeck having a close-range strike blocked after some excellent work by Guendouzi. As the hour mark arrived Lichsteiners drive from the edge of the box was deflected out for a corner and Unai Emery attempted to stimulate his side with the introduction of Lucas Torreira for Mohamed Elneny.
Guendouzi’s ambitious thirty yarder was hit straight at Ribeiro as we tried to apply more pressure, but missing was the slick one and two touch passing at pace which we have become used to in the last couple of matches. There will be nights like this where we are subjected to more of a war of attrition. Welbeck burst clear and went down in the box when nudged by Acuna but Ramsey had been flagged for offside.
Welbeck did net when meeting a far post cross by Lichsteiner and was harshly adjudged to have fouled Gaspar who rather creatively went to ground in instalments. Another excellent Lichsteiner cross had Ribeiro scrambling to clear under pressure from Welbeck and Aubameyang.
In the next attack Coates clattered into Aubameyang and was rightfully carded. Torreira’s excellent free-kick brought a full-length save from Ribeiro. As the clock ticked past 77 minutes Coates misjudged an attempted interception which let in Welbeck to nutmeg Ribeiro with a fierce right-footed drive.
Sporting 0-1 The Arsenal
The sight of Alexandre Lacazette coming on to replace the goalscorer will not have lifted the mood of the hosts. The Gunners had clearly missed the guile of Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi to this point and that was partially put right when Iwobi replaced Aubamayang for the final four minutes plus time added on. Ramsey’s attempt to pick out Lacazette resulted in a corner that the Welshman tried to turn into a time killing exercise. Iwobi earned another we were in no hurry to take as the board indicated five added minutes.
In time added on Coates was extremely lucky that none of the five officials saw his head butt on Lichsteiner. Sporting’s ill discipline as they limped to defeat will hopefully be addressed before the return fixture on matchday four. This was a Gunners performance that a certain former manager would have called ‘efficient’, but no more than that, and it would be hard to disagree.
Top of the group with maximum points we will be looking forward to that.
113 Responses to “One Nil To The Arsenal – A Familiar Refrain”
Drink!
Bloody hell, that was quick!
Drink!
again
Thought you dozed off H.
Somewhat poetic that a game so bereft of quality was won as the result of a mistake.
11 out of 11. Can’t be too bad then.
Soz – was like getting first arse in the old days.
Holic’s faster than Overmas at Old Trafford, 🙂
Big heh @ SteveT … and I’m gone.
Thanks for an excellent and quick report Holic. I only saw the latter stages. We did everything we needed to do- a clean sheet and a very important win away from home. Frankly that wins us the group but Emery hasn’t flexed the team too much yet and will try very hard to win the home tie against Sporting ( when Coates will definitely be suspended ) before experimenting. I hope he gives Nketiah a game against Blackpool.
And a word for Xhaka who has done well at left back. Please stay there.
A bit boring for most part but they did the job. We laboured to score but our goal was never threatened. The manager rotated the team well though surprisingly no youngster was given a chance. That will probably come in the last two matches of the group stage. Our next match against Palace, hopefully, will be more exiciting to watch.
We looked much more cohesive after Torreira came on but Guendouzi might have been our best player over the 90 minutes. Danny scored two excellent goals and it was an injustice that the referee took the first one away. Sokratis might have been lucky on that one occasion but was solid the rest of the time. We were lucky he recovered from injury so quickly. The return of Koscielny could be like a new signing.
A very impressive, if understated performance. We badly missed a proper left back where we normally overlap and get behind the defence. But we stayed very calm and pulled off a classic one nil away from home. This was real signs of growing maturity. I thought Holding and Socratis were very good. Leno was good and should remain first choice for the foreseeable. Torreira again the key sub. Danny looks so much more confident than last season and should get a new contract. Only one player I thought didn’t really fit today, that was Ramsey. Still a night for plaudits not brickbats. I can live with slightly boring one nil away wins in Europe and with 11 wins in a row!
Thanks bt8 I was very remiss in not mentioning Guendouzi. He was excellent tonight as he was from the bench on Monday.
We have four games in 9 days, five in 12. Two down, three to go.
Cheers Esso et al,
I’ll take that. The result was far more important than the performance. Beat them at home and we win the group. Then we can really blood the kids in the last two matches.
That was the game that mattered in our group.
Not easy playing intense game Monday night,then one day of recovery before flying to Lisbon,and preparing for a tough game against a Sporting side who had prior to tonight only lost i European home game in 2 yrs,and that was against Barca.
So kudos to all the squad who dug in and got the job done.
On another note,
You could have knocked me down with a feather when i noticed one Alex Hleb once of this parish,playing for Bate Borisov against Chelsea tonight.
Another ex Gooner who will look back on his career with many regrets.
My apologies for mistaking our Portuguese opponent of 8 years ago a couple of rounds back in the drinks. It was Porto, not Sporting on that occasion, and as ‘holic later pointed out it was almost half a century ago the last time Arsenal faced Sporting.
Please correct me if my corrections need correcting.
1-0 to The Arsenal, well that sounds alright considering how poor the game was overall. Second half we were the better team and the scoreline reflected the same in the end.
Thought Guendouzi had a good outing, he is a work in progress but Emery’s big call will always be that, he or Xhaka in certain games and I for one know my choice- Xhaka, clearly nothing against Matteo.
Sokratis lucky to be on the pitch but apart from that looks assured and quick, Holding again has moments of trying to win every ball but manages to hold his own on most other things, Xhaka at LB is a total waste, feels we are playing ten man and Lichsteiner frankly can only play europa/carabao games. Fullbacks are the priority in Jan, Unai.
On to palace, a team which has scored a mighty 5 goals in the league, odds are they will improve that this Sunday, odds also are if we play the way we played against leicester, palace will have to find a hiding place.
Oh, wait, Alexis Sanchez wants to leave United in Jan and Van Persie is retiring, poetic???
Can’t keep up with this Holic with the go faster stripes and rear spoiler.
What CM100 said @ 11 & 12.
Torrierra and Guendouzi look like our new Vieira and Petit for the foreseeable future. On tonight’s game I can see why Rambo will be allowed to leave.
Onwards.
I agree with you Bath Re Guendouzi and Torreira . Guendouzi moves tge ball so quickly and intelligently, although occasionally gives it away they are the future of the club. Apart from Lichsteiner who we got for free and is an understudy we bought superbly in the summer. Four very good players for very reasonable fees.
Our priority is to sell Ramsey in January, resign Welbeck and maybe find a young left back
Happy with that result, and we rested
Hector,Mus,Ozil and more or less Laca
and Iwobi. If Nacho is back then that
will be at least half the side rested for
Palace and no excuses not to win.
Agree with TTG @19 on the January
business but now AMN is fit I’d be
tempted to move Elneny on too.
TTG@19: Good left-backs are hard to find. There are three in the Academy Osei-Tutu, Bola and Bramall, probably in that pecking order, with Thompson well regarded in the generation behind them.
Intriguing that Xhaka spent a half at full-back against Leicester. Emery’s meticulous preparation again?
ha ha 8ball dorset M cynic
.
O’Zil – Irish ?
occasionally inconsistent sometimes
s’o maybe
.
.
dorset M
nonsense i get barwise
pointed at me as if
“he’ll get this”
(them northern fellas sprinkled semtex on their cornflakes)
fuckin getting silly now
this brexit carry on
.
.
and cynic
see just above
nope i’m not
mind you
around abouts here
IS
the home of the
genuinely apologetic unintentional casual racist
and
the hearty galloping avowed sectarian
.
.
so
never a dull moment
…
..
.
ps
UP THE ARSENAL
.
.
*wolf whistles baff*
green and white , indeed
*eyes tut as they roll*
?
Yes I came away from the Ems on Monday night with a spring in my step and yes we did just enough to get passed Sporting last night but how long can we get away with our shaky starts to games and first half lapses in concentration ? We still look as vulnerable at the back as we did at the start of the season and have to thank our keepers and the poor finishing of our opponents for keeping us in the games at the interval.
I realise that the injuries to Sokratis and the full backs have hardly helped the cause but although I expect us to get passed Palace and Blackpool, we will need to tighten things up at the back before we meet Pool and the Spuds otherwise the euphoria presently surrounding the club will disappear into the ether.
Am having another away day on Sunday, an encore of Fulham would be just perfect.
COYR
Clive@14, BATE Barisov is where Hleb started out in senior football, way back in 1999. He is 37 now.
Went back in 2012, post Barcelona. Left in 2014 for Konyaspor in Turkey. Then shuffled back and forth between BATE and second tier Turkish outfit Genclerbirligi Ankara until 2017 when he joined KS Samara in Russia’s top tier. Went back to BATE again in March this year. He has toted up 91 games for BATE over the years, and won five Belarussian league titles with them.
.
presidential election here today
referendum on blasphemy too
.
aww jaysus isn’t that grand altogether
.
and
apparently allowed
openly mock da
appearance of our little head of state
sure isn’t it himself
the cheeky wee scamp
there’d be hefty calfed university SU fillies
putting -what should be their hoovers down
to complain if it was a woman’s appearance
being ridiculed or some such tits an such etc
The Arsenal
POLITICS !
.
.
before ye send abusive messages to ‘holic
calm down
i don’t mean a single word of it
i mean all the words of it
.
grumpidumpiness
send to me
with a tear sellotaped
to the card
.
.
nitwits
.
.
.
i abuse ‘holic’s good graces here
measure of the man
he hasn’t sent the internet heavies round
to reconfigure my ankles
.
.
sorry Dave
really sorry
?
.
sorry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87vb2LjiZm8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Bq_MvkUtU
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8_ByqQA3Q
like gerry there
i still roll up me jeans
i still wear creepers
and
I still look absolute fuckin DYNAMITE !!!!!!
.
.
.
“Thers ony wan cynic insult ”
“Juan cynic insult”
.
.
.
*swarfegas brain*
anyhoo
fuck you
latest platter hittin’ the Etc and so on
bitta wax fo da ladeez™
“Let s take you back ”
“Gnome sayin”
BACK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ_Wbjz8JTc
.
.
in absolute aww
.
textbook
Irish prime minister looks a bit like Carl Jenkinson, but about 6 inches shorter and with an ampler nose.
.
(ps . if ye don’t like that ye have no joy in yer soul . If ye don’t have joy in yer soul after that ask ‘hol for my email address and I’ll make sure you cheer up . I know people . I AM PEOPLE !!!!!
??
I saw the pm at the parade with his partner and read about the nyc st pats parades and thought it was cause for celebration. Carl Jenkinson comments were off base.
howdy 8ball
he’s a rambunctious little brain ball
all right
intellect to rival diver diddle do dah day
but
the only break from serious matters
and indeed always
is
“aww fuck , look at the shape o thon ”
.
.
he looks and sounds like a little toura loura cliche
.
does he not know we have a taoiseach as camp as a thatcher christmas
i wonder if right on -ness
ever existed
.
ya buncha fannies
I’m leaving the Tuscan countryside and am at the Palace on Sunday , in fact I have a spare ticket given to me by a Palace mate.
Delia is spot on we need to play 90 minutes at full tilt.
I hope we start on Sunday
Ned @27
thnks for the info,very interesting.
TTG
re under 23’s update.
They had a 1 -1 draw this evening away at Swansea,but encouragingly,AMN played nearly 70 minutes.
i’ll shut me face Clive
i know when i’m outclassed
.
.
but
*raspberries*
sinead is changing her outlook on life
she’s a nice woman
so
i’m gonna talk only about The Arsenal
without the other stuff
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOEUo_sLxY
.
iplay this every day
my family play this every day
as i’m sure you know a ENORMOUS piss take
but
it’s LOVE in my eyes
.
IRISHCUNTS
Outclassed cba ?? never.
I have a few long time Irish friends who have always viewed me as someone not quite right in the head given that i do not partake of the Amber liquid.
But they tolerate me because i give as good as i get in the Blarney stakes,and they assure me with generous bonhomie that there are not many English folk that can do that.
But i am not sure whether to wear that as a badge of honor,or whether they are just taking the piss. !!
I suspect it is the latter.
By the way,most of them are Man Utd followers,stretching back to the days of the one and only Irish wraith Georgie Best.
Since Sir Alex departed they have been and still are,very discomfited at the comedy goings on at the Theatre of Dreams,which has now been dubbed by many as the Theatre of nightmares. !!
It is a joy to watch them writhing with embarrassment as their sense of entitlement over the years as a Man U follower,has been badly eroded via Moyes/Van Gaal and the ever precious Maureen.
Long may it continue.
i’ll say again , Clive
OUTCLASSED
you know it
everyone does
but it’s only brought up
cos of my embarrassment of my disrespectful nonsense
but
it’s you english bastards
started it
?
in memoriam
i know you were a good friend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbfzBSe3zk
god rest Terry
he brought deep joy
so
tune for another dead fucker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swC3WXTH99U
the inconsiderate shites
are piling up around me
i try to remember with tunes
.
Bernadette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YULwbhga18
Sean Big John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOTMw0o1ELM
our Sean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H9G3XmQ03c
me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyIoL1cgCsM
me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYbHHCMpWig
big Charlie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsr8xc2XfiA
blaa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYoogY-UGio
i have tested not only
The Mighty ‘holic’s patience tonight
i have also tested
his electronic CUNT filter
.
it appears
im only allowed in
when i use words like appears
.
.
.
come on ‘holics
SWINDON/MONKEES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jii6VtvY73o&feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amR6-neQBPE
howzabout a tune for another dead guy by another dead guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-YMpYbRqY
another cunt
neil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-YMpYbRqY
fuckin loved that
dead cunt liked by dead cunt
recommended by death to counts
Who called them the Essex Nomads?
Tottenham matches to be played at Wembley until end of year
.
misery no more
when i walk
please
STUPIDENGLISGBASTARDS
read stuff
help me
home
my back is fuckin roarin
The rams are wearing their dye
who’s humpin who do dads now
So
cynic
give it up chief
yer the smartest one here
a real gooner
.
*sets up cameras*
“Why don’t ya love me , sugaaah . Whyyyyaaaaaahhhh”
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC6v4cBfOQA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL_Ro-sDZE4
.
.
.
why don’t my Caledonian relatives sound
like IVOR ?
.
“I don’t know mammy”
.
.
.
.
*gles crackin shite accented shites say eh. Eh *
Amy Lawrence article comparing Torreira to Vieira is well worth a read. Comparing their songs if not much else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYtbr86cjaM
two porky prime cuts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wun5Cg-xr-s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AO9-HWiYT4
do i honestly think
Delia or c100
watch what i post here
.
.
yes
yes i do
Delia blaaaaam
cCnote boooooom
.
.
noisy fuckers the pair of em
bammmmm
.
etc
i like to think Delia
and gooner Loudname
Will regale the occasional
shit head on a return AWAY
with polite conversations of
“Of course we’ve seen The Dolls but
it was The RAMONES for us
and
your point is ?
always Ramones
lovely bunch o lads
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl4OO73ec-M
in retrospect
John’s words are shiting over inappropriate
.
big old country genius that he is
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewnfWoSQz3o
AMATEURS !
the just up above
for the dead NZ
the ARSE
I’ll have ten of whatever cba is drinking.
One of my favorite Seattle bands of early 90s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDkFvX5jllc
How can you beat these lines:
“She makes my favorite sundae with sprinkles and swirls,
she does it all right so it won’t make me hurl.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBK-SbIDhpQ
interesting also cos Eglinton is a wee village
on the outskirts of Derry
a resolutely unionist village
near who gives a fuck
WHY AM I NOT MICHAEL ROSE ?
81
it says I can’t watch it
plus
10 what i’m drinking implies lots of stuff
but
in the interest of complete disclosure
i am slurping homemade imperial stout 9%
homemade heart rattler 55%
and free state chocolate
Thou art not worthy…
Hell, I don’t know. You’re the youtube master. I’ll see if I can another link.
Have you aged any of your imperial stout? I used to brew 20 or so years ago and still have a couple bottles of imperial stout in the cellar. Opened one a last year and it was sublime.
.
favourite of mine
long dark walk home
I roy
.
wee speaker
torch
night like treacle
.
or
SCREAMING target
“free state chocolate”?
bottle in my pocket
6month laid down
smooth as fuck
dark treacle
arse in ditch
proud o this one
“free state”
is what people of a certain age
who are from the part of Ireland
that England still think they own
call The Republic of Ireland
.
free state chocolate
is
like tayto crisps – another icon
(there is a northern version- not the same – nope not sectarianism this time)
they are an absolute definite bring back should you ever venture over the border and make it back
many have tried
many fall at this savoury hurdle
loads are big agricultural lumps
thus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYeVL7K5mnA
but many are tame
and can be talked down from their accents
given time
i was in that crowd
i fuckin loved it
i am 100%easily spottable
if you have a keen eye for an enigma
a naavvva Big B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGocrd350A4&feature=youtu.be
self censorship
stops me from
posting albeit
fantastic tunerism
in a lazy oooooh
to 100
and
i think we all know
i’m a complete galloping whore
for the ton
and/or
increments thereof
so
should i take the notion
the ton
for to have
i’ll let ye know
interesting
a football blog
becomes other
.
.
cunt off ya shite wipes
?????
and
in the also Etc
big Dave who runs here is a good fella
a friend to many an enemy to MEEEEEEEE
but
don’t let his Halloween peccadilloes throw you or indeed his “butler” Pedro
Ooops
forgot
CBA
You scored that ton without passing to anybody else . Who are you Ronaldo?
i’m neither admitting or denying anything
until i see my briefs , m’lud
.
.
.
even I know that was proper clever
.
*strokes nose hair*
bye bye
stuff to do
@91
hmmm, an interesting puzzle
….the old dear in the blue cardy at
1 min 34sec in?
Wolves loss today gives Manchester United the chance to go ahead of them in the table if they can win tomorrow. Quite the challenge.
Clive @ 45,
I too enjoy the schadenfreude associated with watching the red mancs squirm at present, but it is always fractionally tempered by the undeniable fact that they were a bloody good team for a long, long time, and I dislike the odious turd Mourinho far more than his team.
What I really hate is that supporters of a certain team from Middlesex, who really haven’t had a team play well for two consecutive seasons in my lifetime pretend they are following a big club. Big club my jacksie.
CBA@92,
I’m afraid I need a clue. I can’t see anyone covered in cowshit with what might be a bottle of imperial stout in his pocket.
cba, the one that got caught in the spam filter has been released.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
cba@92 and OM@108: Or the one with the dark glasses behind the old dear in the blue cardy and to her right. Got the beret out of retirement.
I just hope it isn’t the guy in the brown sweater at 2:24 dancing. All my illusions will be shattered if it is.
DM@111: 🙂