Gunners Disarmed In Rennes
Mar 7th, 2019 by 'holic
Unai Emery started a stronger eleven than anticipated eleven in Rennes so making clear his Europa League ambitions for this season. Petr Cech started behind a back four of Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Laurent Koscielny, and Nacho Monreal. Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira started behind a midfield trio of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, and Alex Iwobi. As expected Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the lone striker.
It took just three minutes for Iwobi to stun the hosts when he exchanged passes with Monreal and curled a delightful attempt just inside the far post. What a start for The Arsenal.
Stade Rennais 0-1 The Arsenal
Iwobi then looked to turn provider but Aubameyang couldn’t control the through ball and the lead remained at one. He followed up by teeing up Torreira but the Uruguayan’s fierce drive was parried clear by Koubek in the Rennes goal.
Rennes first attempt was a Grenier free-kick which just cleared the bar. The same player shot wide from the edge of the box when Koscielny only half cleared a Ben Arfa free-kick. At the other end Aubameyang tried his luck but lacked the power and accuracy to trouble Koubek.
Less than twenty minutes in Mustafi, clearly struggling after a coming together with Ben Arfa, hobbled off for a second time. How much longer could he last? Rennes clear injection of pace was limiting our time on the ball but with Xhaka looking calm and assured in the centre of the park we were zipping the ball around with authority.
Mustafi featured again when Torreira provided him with an opportunity to shoot but he pulled his effort just wide of the far post. Back came the hosts, stopped only by a challenge on Ben Arfa on the edge of the box that earned Sokratis a yellow card. Ben Arfa’s free-kick was pushed out by former Rennes goalkeeper, Cech.
Next into the referee’s notebook was Bourigeaud for a nasty stamp down the back of Torreira’s leg. Ben Arfa sold a dummy in the Arsenal defence and opened up a shooting chance on his right foot but he dallied and the chance was gone.
Five minutes before half-time we were down to ten men when Sokratis saw a harsh second yellow card having been adjudged to have brought down Sarr. It was an expensive decision all round. The resulting free-kick from Bourigeaud rebounded off the wall and the taker unleashed un unstoppable rising drive through a crowded box and just inside the post.
Stade Rennais 1-1 The Arsenal
Unai Emery made no change at half-time, trusting Mustafi to switch alongside Koscielny and Mkhitaryan dropping back to right-back. Iwobi joined Xhaka and Torreira in front of the back four, and even Ozil was dropping back to help out as Rennes attempted to turn the screw after the break.
We survived a fine move which saw Sarr sprint clear and cut the ball back for Bourigeaud who drew a smart save out of Cech. That was the cue for Emery to send on Matteo Guendouzi for Iwobi to attempt to provide us with more protection down our left flank. It didn’t work immediately as Saar again raided and cut the ball back which Koscielny fortunately deflected to safety.
Bourigeaud and Sarr both brought full length saves out of Cech before Sarr threw himself to the floor in an attempt to win a penalty. The referee wasn’t fooled. Xhaka received a yellow card and Ben Arfa’s resulting free-kick again brought the best out of Cech. A desperate rearguard action was breached when Monreal’s hip deflected a Zeffane cross beyond the reach of Cech.
Stade Rennais 2-1 The Arsenal
Thrust forward by Guendouzi, we attempted to level when Aubameyang and Ozil combined for the latter to shoot straight at the goalkeeper. It was a rare break and Ben Arfa, not for the first time, drew a diving save from Cech. Our second change was a straight swap of Aaron Ramsey for Ozil. Rennes responded sending on Siliki for Bourigeaud.
We appealed for a penalty when a Monreal cross was deflected for a corner and the referee was probably right that ball went to hand rather than the other way round. Monreal had enjoyed an excellent first-half but Sarr was extracting his revenge with a display of blistering pace in the second. It was no surprise to see Emery briefing Kolasinac on the touchline. He came on for Aubameyang who had, in all honesty, struggled to get into the game throughout. Without his friend, Alexandre Lacazette, he cut a lonely looking figure.
Xhaka avoided our second red card of the evening despite going clean through Siliki. He looked more deserving of that punishment than Sokratis. On the break Ramsey’s effort was deflected for a corner from which we faced a rapid counter-attack that Mkhitaryan did well to nip in the bud. Another yellow card was brandished at Zeffane for hauling down Guendouzi.
With a little over two minutes remaining Saliki crossed to an unmarked Sarr at the far post and his header gave the French club a two goal cushion. Defender Gelin came on for midfielder Grenier.
Stade Rennais 3-1 The Arsenal
The away goal may prove crucial in next week’s second-leg but at the final whistle tonight it was but a little consolation. We had gone with a strong team and self-destructed on an important night. The fault for that shouldn’t lie at the door of the head coach.
60 Responses to “Gunners Disarmed In Rennes”
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Well, that went well.
I have very little idea about any of those tactical decisions by Emery this evening.
Out of the Europa Cup mrans we can really concentrate hard on finishing 6th.
Yep, Monreal was having a sulk over losing the ball and was our most forward player on that third goal. No brains.
You can criticise the manager all you like, but there’s no tactical decision that makes your left back fuck off up the pitch with two minutes left to take a throw in, and nothing the manager does can make a player track back when he can’t be arsed, or get tight to a wide player when he doesn’t want to.
Beaten by Rennes. Really? But then Bate turned us over as well.
In truth, Rennes looked the much better outfit and we have too many pretenders.
Spot-on reporting, Holic.
Nice write up H.
I agree that this side should have been more than strong enough to get a result tonight. We did ourselves no favours and I agree about hitting the self destruct button. But I do also think that emery has to take some of the blame. Not bringing AMN on I think was an error. Taking Aubameyang off was also an error.
Big big job to do next week.
A horrible evening by the looks of things, how can we be in charge of the game and then we lose the plot within 20 minutes…
Just got in to see the score line. Was this an instance where scoring the early goal so easily lead to everyone on the pitch think this was going to be a cakewalk and then not being able to get into gear at all ?
Nice one, as ever, ‘Holic.
Only when we have Sokratis and Koscielny on the pitch together does our defence look sound. As soon as Sokratis was sent off, we came under the cosh.
Two-nil in the home leg should be achievable. A clean sheet may be out of the question without Sokratis, so we might need to score three or four. Still doable, but we do everything the hard way.
@ 7
Not at all.
2 game changers within a few minutes,altered the entire complexion of the match.
Papa clearly fouled first,never a 2nd yellow.
Then Rennes equalize just before half time from lucky rebound.
If we had gone in still 1 nil to the good,who knows how 2nd half would have panned out even with 10 men.
As it is they get a massive confidence boost going into the sheds.
It’s all hands to the defensive pumps in the 2nd half,but again luck’s a fucking fortune with a fluky own goal to give them the lead.
I don’t condemn the team for the 3rd goal, as at least we were trying to get forward to try and nick a goal at the end.
So shades of April 1970 now required to overcome a very attack minded Rennes in the 2nd leg next week.
Should be a cracker of a game.
Now on to the one that really matters,against the real enemy on Sunday.
Evening chums,
The downside of writing matches up as they happen is obvious. The upside is catching the minute by minute mood swings.
For 40 minutes we were walking that match tonight. Shame we hadn’t added the second goal we needed at that point.
‘hol
get well
?
(moooooooooooooooooooooo)
Thanks for the report Guvnor.
I’ve only seen the lowlights so
can’t really comment on the game
but their first was lucky and the
second unlucky as G since54 says
@9. Bad result and have to pick
ourselves up quickly for a big test
on Sunday.
Ned,
A quick question for the monks –
Guen did the pre match presser
but didn’t start. Is that actually a
rule or just an expectation?
Of course I entirely understand if
the monks have downed cowls
and refuse to work on such a
gloomy Friday for us all.
Interesting report Guvna. I haven’t seen anything of the game yet but your report does suggest that we had an unfortunate couple of minutes that changed the game completely. Fingers crossed that Rennes travel as badly as we now appear to.
We had a great start and a disastrous end to the match. In between our terrible defending and bad luck has left us tottering on the edge. I still think we can get a 2-0 win (even without Sokratis) but Rennes know they can score against our defence. All in all it will be a tense and exciting return match.
If we defend like this against Man Utd we are in for a thumping. It is a six pointer we can’t afford to lose if we nurse any ambitions of a top four finish.
We were poor again, all that talk around whether the sending off was merited etc makes no sense, he was sent off, end of the story. Auba is just poor nowadays and no I am not saying this just because he is the fall guy for the last few games, he just has been very lethargic and does absolutely nothing on the pitch, takes too much time in the box, does not track back and cannot hold up play. If he thinks it is fine, then it is not. For all the stats and goals, what truly matters is how much you are helping the team when in need.
Mustafi should not play for us simple, all the talk of losing Ozil, Ramsey and the money etc is later, mustafi should be sold even if it means we get nothing out of it. He is horrendous, comical and is a disaster waiting to happen.
I think this will be yet another oh we came agonizingly close and feel at the end, we have seen that too often and this looks one more addition.
If we play Mustafi again sunday, we lose, i am tired with him. Guendouzi was poor for the third goal but then he is been overplayed, he just seems to the go-to guy for Emery and that is not right. Ok, can we simply accept we are clueless defensively whoever manages?
Cheers H.
I thought we had a lot of bad luck. And the ref and his officials were terrible (especially in the first half- they got everything wrong). I’m not complaining about the red card though. The second one was a bit soft but the blame lies solely with Sokratis.
And that’s the thing. Despite both luck and the ref making life hard, all the blame for the loss is on our own shoulders. The formation, the substitutions. We had possession before their second goal until Xhaka gave it away with a pathetic pass. Again. Guendouzi spoke before the game about how he always gives everything. He did not do that last night. I really like the kid but I hope he gets a bollocking this morning. Monreal did a great Alex Song impression. The concession of the 3rd goal was one we have all seen before and Wenger got a lot of stick for that sort of naiveté. But we’ve done it again. Why the hell are we committing men forwards for a throw-in when everyone (apart from Rambo) is too tired or indifferent to track back when we lose it? Auba was simply poor. Nothing went well for him.
Miki worked hard out of position all game. Why have him play RB? I doubt we are keeping AMN fresh for the Manure game.
Mustafi was brave to play the whole game in discomfort. Hardly a brilliant performance but the attitude was good.
Ramsey put in the effort that others did not manage. He’s already on his way out. If 2 cup winning goals don’t make him a legend in some people’s eyes then I would put forward the evidence of a player who embodies the idea of ALWAYS giving 100% for the shirt- right til the end.
Ozil also played well and did a lot more defensively than I expect from him. Blogs made a good point that Emery might have kept him on to maintain the entante cordiale they seem to have worked out, as he was the obvious candidate to come off.
I am gutted for Cech- who was my man of the match.
We can still go through the tie. But that third goal was a ridiculous concession and in the past we have done exactly the same thing and it has cost us.
We have to take responsibility for last night’s piss poor performance. And then change an old pattern of letting these things cost us. We need a thumping home win. Preferably two in a row.
The second yellow for Sokratis was unfortunate but if he hadn’t committed an unnecessary foul for the first one ..
As above, why are we trying to nick another goal late in the game with ten men when defending for our lives makes more sense ..
Why does Xhaka insist on pulling back anyone that goes past him even when unnecessary..
Why does he give away so many unnecessary free kicks around our box..
Why is he still allowed anywhere near the first team..
As above, the team, tactics and substitutions were difficult to understand.
A very frustrating and hard to watch evening. I’m not looking forward to Utd. at this stage.
UTA.
I was at a dinner last night and have only seen the goals so I don’t have meaningful comments to make. I’m struggling to see any coherence in Unai Emery’s work. I am concerned for our young player development, the ridiculous Suarez deal does nothing to suggest he shepherds scant resources well and his organisation on the hoof now leaves a lot to be desired. Leaving Mavropanos out of the Europa squad is one example.
I’m always one of the most pessimistic on here. Strong Gooners like Holic and Clive rightly point out we have been in worse places before and come through. Certainly the Fairs Cup triumph in 1970 was a case in point. But I know many of those guys and even now in their seventies they have more character and pride and belief than this bunch of pussies we have representing us have . Ramsey exudes pride when a lesser man would have downed tools, Koscielny is committed and Cech is an admirable professional but next week I struggle to see the likes of Xhaka, Mustafi , Aubameyang and co turning this around even against a pretty moderate team. I pray it can be done but prayer is our best hope.
Only one of the most pessimistic, TTG.
I’ve now seen the goals and the second yellow. I have no problem with the second yellow and the first goal was unlucky but the second and third goals were the same old disorganised lackadaisical defending with which we have become all too familiar in the last 14 years.
I clearly can’t comment on the rest of this particular game but the reports I have read appear to fit with our current trajectory of slow decline due to progressive disinvestment in quality on the field and persistent lack of defensive nous. That trajectory is merely sporadically punctuated with brief spasms of hope.
Another two games and we might be put out of our misery. It’s the hope that kills you.
Good posts above.
TTG. Due to Uefa rules on homegrown players we could not have put Mavropanos in the squad without sacrificing one of our other defenders (The monks explained in more detail). As such it surely makes sense to pick our most senior defenders? I did not like his subs or tactics with ten men yesterday. But he is completely blameless for Mavro not being in our squad and that cannot be used as a proof of your argument that he does not shepherd scant resources well.
If you want to argue that he should have left out Mustafi and put Mavropanos in instead then I’m sure you’d have a few listeners…
Mustafi is possibly the scantest resource I know.
* charges at GSD and slide tackles him furiously 2 seconds after he played the ball *
* adopts pained and disbelieving expression as ref awards a penalty and red card *
* knows in heart that the right thing was done and readies self for the chance to do exactly the same thing next time *
Ouch.
* Scores penalty and laughs at the opposition who are now a man down and a goal down *
Who remembers those Tango ads?
You know when you’ve been MUSTAFIED!
To be fair, it was Sokratis who was daft yesterday and I thought Mustafi had a decent game and did well to play on with a knock.
But I can’t be the only one worries about what Sokratis’ suspension will give Mustafi a chance to do next week.
What odds on a hat-trick? I hear TTG is calling in his favours with The Big Ref.
Measured and intelligent piece, Holic.
Gosh, that was a disappointing result, to say the least. Damn it, I hate giving those swampdwellers something to snigger about.
Unai must raise their heads, and get a proper performance out of them on Sunday. If not, the second leg at home to Rennes could be the last meaningful game this season. I reckon we have almost a 50/50 chance of overturning the first leg.
GSD
You are quite right about the Mavropanos situation but my ( poorly made) point was that Emery has never used himself a starter. In his few appearances last season he seemed to offe4 far more than poor old Shkodran can. Or should I say Shkodran can’t ?
I also note Monchi left Roma today thereby saving us £2/3 million. Stan can buy plenty of ammunition to decimate the wild animal population with that amount.
sorry ‘hol
just raised a glass to chris
(the dead bastard)
.
i hope ye’ll all join me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-YMpYbRqY
.
.
don’t care if ye don’t
.
SHOWER O’ POOOOVES
.
honestly
it’s like burning water in here sometimes
.
.
.
.
*massive dirty look*
and
a
*raspberry*
.
.
ya fuckin SHOWER
.
” oooooh , drunk Irish person , obviously better looking and smartter (two teas bitches) than us . What has he come here for ”
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wouldn’t you like to know ya nosey cunts
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*taps classical proboscis*
*acknowledges it’s handsome surroundings*
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anyhooooo
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it all started in nineeen hnnnnrd nnn suxxxxty
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.
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“Twas a windy night in the bus shelter”
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fuckin nosey cunts
https://www.google.com/search?q=born+to+be+alive&oq=born+to+be&aqs=chrome.1.0l4j69i57j69i61j0l11.7430j0j4&sourceid=silk&ie=UTF-8
?
TTG.
I’d like to see more of Mavropanos too. As Forest Gump’s mother would have it “Mustafi is as Mustafi does.” The Scantest Resource indeed.
And poor Eddie Nketiah has had a tough season. I can’t believe that he could not have got some useful minutes. We have only got 2 senior strikers, it’s not uncommon that they both start and we’ve had a few games we have been a couple of goals to the good in with 20 minutes to play. Instead, he gets no playing time and unsurprisingly Emery is not prepared to bring him on against Rennes.
I went to get a drink yesterday and when I came back we appeared to have subbed Auba for Kola and given up on having a striker (until most of our team decided to concurrently fill the role in the 92nd minute)
I like Emery but he does some stuff that I can’t see the method to. The cba of management, perhaps?
Good eebening cba.
I bet your homebrew is better than Unai’s.
“Spurs have played their 2018-19 fixtures at Wembley Stadium, amassing a record of nine wins and a draw from 14 home league matches” – from the BBC. (In an article about their delayed, over budget, toilet bowl of a stadium that mystifyingly does not feature the words ‘shambles’, ‘disgrace’, ‘typical’ or ‘spursy’.)
Ten results from 14 matches, eh?
I make their results from 14 matches to be 4 losses and a draw.
Fail in Fulham, hired by Roma.
Fail in Roma, hired by Arsenal.
The logic in football is odd
sometimes.
Good eebening cba.
I bet your homebrew is better than Unai’s.
Emery’s Old Peculier.
Whereas cba IS old and peculiar.
It’s a draw.
Clive
I’m sure you saw we beat Chelsea 3-0 in the U18s yesterday. The showdown will come with the Totts for the title and we of course beat them in the Youth Cup. The young lad Balogun is on fire. I was very impressed last season when I saw him and I’m told young Greenwood Who we bought from Sunderland is an excellent player.
I hope Emery follows the other levels as closely as we do!
you’d think
i was a russian spursbot
.
intent on disruption
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BliAPzEsao0
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the fools the fools
the fools
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mmmmmm
.
i did live in tottenham
amateur hour petrol bomb fumes
still in the air
.
.
cheap rent
.
.
.
but no
i’m not a spursbot
as is evident for all to see
i’m just
.
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better than you
?
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*combs eyebrows*
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La-Ya2zCnaM
you’ve only yourself to blame , treacle!
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famous last words shite hole !!!!!
honestly ?
it’s like no one here is ……….
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anyhoo
for them on Netflix
who watched Afterlife
watch I , Dolours too
cos
IT TOLD ME TO !
no connection
but
sweet mother of god
there’s absolutely nothing in common
except perhaps despair
geo where the fuck ye are algorithms
don’t take holidays
CLEARLY
.
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.
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifr13Upytb4
Spurs lose to Southampton. We are the only ones in their last four league games to not beat them.
Neighbours. Everybody needs good neighbours!
The gift that keeps on giving!
GSD: evidently the delays at the new Shite Fart Lane are due to the unearthing of an old Roman site causing removal of millions of shards of thousands of pottery which when pieced together spell out:
SEMPER SVB VMBRA ARMAMENTARII
I missed cba last evening. Curses! Thanks for your good wishes. I’m nowhere near 100% yet but making some progress.
dave ?
It’s crazy how football works.
Last week we were going mad at the ref for not sending off Rose for his kick into Leno’s chest.
Today his hilarious deliberate letting go of the ball allowed southampton to score. Erm.. thanks ref.
Preview time >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>