Match day 8 of the Champions League. How successful has this format been? There have been differences of opinion even within the digital pages of this blog. Some (e.g. TTG) have opined that the extra two matches in the group stage were unnecessary, have filled the January schedule to an impossible degree and have been contributory to the very high number of injuries we are seeing in most teams. Others, including me, have found the format to be more entertaining than the previous four-team group stage, which was often resolved by match day 5. It is possible to hold both opinions at once, as I do. What cannot be denied is that match day eight carried jeopardy for the high majority of teams, either in getting into the top 4 (which means a home draw second in the last 16 and last 8 games), top 8 (which avoids the need for a two match play off to get into the last 16), or the top 24 (which keeps you in the competition). This made for an exciting night ahead.
So I found myself not just watching the Arsenal game last night, but instead watching the TNT goals show on the main TV and the Arsenal game on my iPad. This tested my powers of concentration but made for an exciting Wednesday night watching as the situation constantly moved about, not least at Villa Park and the Etihad. The studio pundits were a little over excited (Ally McCoist shouting “Celtic have just scored” and Karen Carney saying “oh my God Bruges have just scored” when the format their bosses would prefer would be “goal at the Etihad/Villa Park”), but overall I think they did it well and I enjoyed it — including a helter-skelter game at Villa and the sight of Pep looking as though he hated football as his team went into halftime one nil down, needing to win to continue in the competition. The second halves were less exciting and in the end there were no massive scalps, although many top teams missed out on the top eight (with implications for the draw). But meanwhile Arsenal were playing in Girona, having done virtually all the work in the first seven games and with a 93%+ chance of qualifying in the top eight. A point would confirm it, even a defeat would be enough unless there was an extraordinary swing in goal difference. Arteta rotated quite heavily, resting Rice, Martinelli, Saliba, MLS and Timber, with Raya also missing out through a mysterious (and slightly concerning) injury. He had travelled to Spain but Arteta refused to confirm he would be OK to play at the weekend. So Neto, at 35, became the oldest debutant for The Arsenal since 1915 (I didn’t even know that there were games played in 1915). (clearly, if one didn’t know that, one should go back to 2020 and read this post — eds.)
It would be fair to say that he made an exceptionally nervy beginning. Arsenal had made the better start by far when, to the delight of those in the TNT studio, Girona went ahead. Danjuma ran off the back of Partey, Calafiori played him onside and he was through on goal. Neto was caught in no man’s land and was 10 yards out of his goal when Danjuma shot. Amazingly, given his experience, Neto tried to save the shot. If he had succeeded, it would have been an instant red card (shades of Jens Lehman in the 2006 CL final). Fortunately he failed and we were one down.
We carried on playing well and a few minutes later were level. Partey was bundled over in the box, clear penalty given and confirmed. Up stepped Jorghino who with a hop, skip and a jump scored. Trossard hit the bar. Then a few minutes later, came the best moment of the match. Nwaneri had been, at 17, despite being on his Champions league debut as a starter, the best player on the pitch. He received the ball on the right hand side of the penalty area, ran parallel right to left along the penalty line seeking a space and then unleashed a really powerful shot to the right of the keeper. What. A. Goal! It was very reminiscent of the goal he scored in a misty Deepdale in the league cup against Preston North End a few months ago. Only Jude Bellingham as an Englishman has scored a CL goal at a younger age (and only by a few tens of days and while playing for Real Madrid). We have such a player here. May God preserve him from injury because he is really special. He was justifiably made MOTM as you can see above.
The second half had no more goals. A Girona equaliser was chalked off (correctly) because of a foul earlier in the move. Then a comedy handball led to a second penalty for Arsenal. Odegaard handed the ball to Sterling, obviously trying to get his confidence up. Now Sterling had not played badly, especially in the first half. But somehow you knew as he stepped up that he was going to miss. And so it proved, a weak shot to the keeper’s left at exactly the right height to be parried away. Sterling looked absolutely wretched.
So it remained 1-2 rather than 1-3. But game over, job done and a mighty fine third in the table, behind Liverpool (who lost last night after heavily rotating against PSV) and Barcelona. Played eight, won six, drew one and lost one. Sixteen goals for, just three against and a final goal difference of +13. Just an excellent campaign.
So what does that mean? Our oppents in March will be, depending on the draw of Friday, one of AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord or Juventus. This graphic (courtesy of ESPN and posted on blue sky) explains it well.
So, what now? Two more tough games, City at home on Sunday, then Newcastle away, 2-0 down in the league cup semi final. Then ten blessed days off, into which we can hopefully fit a mini break somewhere warm, perhaps with a new team mate.
The second half of the season truly starts here.
A very fair assessment of the game and the tournament so far, C100. As you say, so far, it has been just an excellent campaign.
To answer your opening question, the new format must be judged a success, although I reserve the right to retain a niggling concern that we are being slowly softened up for a Super League. The broadcasters will be delighted at the prospect of a playoff game involving two of Man City, Real Madrid and Bayern.
A belated well-in for the half-ton to GSD in the previous drinks. The drink was accompanied by a most sensible assessment of Sterling and our pursuit of a striker. Well worth going back to read it if you haven’t already.
Excellent report Countryman. You’ve captured the game itself, as well as the bigger picture of the changed CL format and what it all means. I agree with your thoughts.
In as far as the new format goes, I think the games should be done by Christmas. Couldn’t they split it into 2 groups instead of 1, have all teams play six games instead of 8, and then use 2 games in January for playoffs? Just thinking out loud. I’ve enjoyed the break from the previous format, which had grown rather stale, but I’m not a fan of the extra games. I’d prefer a happy medium.
Anyhoo, City next, and potential signings. It’s all go!
Self correction (before Ned does it) Jude Bellingham was at Borussia Dortmund, not Real Madrid, when he became the youngest English player to score in the Champions League.
The Empire strikes back!
https://x.com/sr_collings/status/1884989014991659043?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
We was provoked by that Oliver bloke yer honor
Thanks for an enjoyable review of the nights events C100.
Fingers crossed Raya is ok and on we go to the Cheaty game
A masterly summary of Game Week 8 and what it particularly meant for us . Taking us first I found it relaxing to watch a game that was not a pressure match . It introduced us to Neto – frankly I hope it is a short relationship based on that performance. Imagine Raya out for any length of time ! After the first minute slip and then the goal I watched his positioning for the disallowed goal. He hesitated when I think Raya would have come for the cross .
I also thought Kiwior was culpable for pushing up for their goal. But these are negative thoughts . There were many positives – Nwaneri is Saka recreated- can we use them both simultaneously? I thought that was Sterling’s most effective game for us and when he was booked for simulation it was a very unfair decision. It should have been our third penalty . When MLS came on he made a superb recovery tackle which showed both his ability and his spirit .
As for the format I’ve given my opinion ad nauseum . Eliminating twelve clubs and saving twenty four when players are on their knees all over Europe is purely to make money . Fortunately we appear to have made £75 million from it already . But GSD’s idea for a format is better . There is too much football, especially in January
If we have Raya in goal we should have too much for C115y and I still reckon the Geordies won’t know how to protect their 2 goal lead. If we have Neto in goal I’d be less confident.
Nettos in the 90s was a German supermarket in the North of England that sold sliced loaves for 19p (limited to 10 loaves) and 3 onions in a bag for 10p one of which was always rotten.
Good stuff C100. We have indeed flourished in this new format but I have the same concerns expressed by TtG and GSD and I think it is too bloated and as a result will be unsustainable in the long term.
bath@8: If it comes down to bloat in the number of games, or bloat in UEFA’s coffers, I will offer no prizes for guessing correctly which one will win out.
https://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/discipline-cases/2025/claim-of-wrongful-dismissal-and-clearly-excessive—myles-lewis-skelly—28-january-2025.ashx
The full report from MLS’s appeal. I hadn’t actually seen one before. I noticed Mummy and Daddy hover in the online room but it seems reasonably independent.
I didn’t see the game but am delighted to read about how Ethan is developing so deftly in this our season of need with the series of setbacks that have been so consequential. Keep on flowering Ethan at least until some of our wounded warriors return. Thanks for your excellent report, Countryman.
Champions League Draw, knockout playoff round:
Atalanta vs. Club Brugge
Borussia Dortmund vs. Sporting CP
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic
Milan vs. Feyenoord
PSV vs. Juventus
PSG vs. Brest
Benfica vs. Monaco
PSV play Juventus and Feyenoord play Milan so it’s likely we’ll play Milan or Juventus in the Last 16 unless the Dutch sides can create an upset.
The BBC composed a little poem, shorter than a haiku even, to report the news from Arteta’s presser:
Raya doubt, White out
Solid performance C100 ! Like others I think the new format is placing a demonstrably impossible burden on the players’ bodies while, at the same time, providing more variety than rhe old group stage and more jeopardy in the last knockings, even though no major scalps were ultimately claimed.
It’s also a bit mad that players under bids for hugely expensive moves around Europe are having to be risked in the final days of their various transfer windows.
Well done to the lads and the manager though for navigating a very successful path through their injury and illness crisis. Hopefully a few days in the sun will reproduce the magic of last year’s mini break.
Any word on when the City investigation is likely to complete?
Once the cheque has cleared?
apparently we’re in for Puskas … history (etc.) says the deal is dead, but the club says “we haven’t given up on it yet; we don’t call it (the fast approaching Monday 3rd Feb) deadline day for nuffink!”
Re: Pangloss @16.
“Before the end of the season” is as much as yesterday’s article in the Athletic by Jacob Whitehead and Drew Jordan is able and willing to say, but adds “ all parties expect a decision to be released before the end of the season. With the process governing a case of this scope effectively unprecedented, it is not clear whether City, if guilty, will immediately be given their punishment or whether that will be finalised at a later date. City have denied any wrongdoing throughout.
Both sides have the right to appeal any verdict.”
The authors do review the charges usefully though, including:
Fifty-four charges of failure to provide accurate financial information
Fourteen charges of failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments
Seven (or 21…) charges of breaching profit and sustainability rules (Hence, the occasional references to both or either of C115y and C129y.)
Five charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s FFP regulations
Thirty-five charges of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations
Good news tonight
Our lads beat Fulham away 2-1 to reach the quarter finals of the FA Youth Cup. Max Dowman scored one of our goals but missed a late penalty
Raya doubt, White out, ugh,
Season of injuries aargh
Neto,okay, yay
Channelling you inner Basho, OM?
Duran to Al-Nassr would seem to kill any prospect of signing Watkins.
@22 inspired by bt8 and the BBC 😄 Also inspired by several bottles of wine, which may or may not be responsible for the execrable quality now I read it again
So, imagine that you are Bayern Munich. You have a talented young winger with a lot of potential but he has not developed fully into the top player you can see he is going to be. You currently have better options in his position, and with big trophies on the line those players are taking most of the minutes, leaving your younger guy frustrated and publicly looking to leave the club in search of game time, even though you want to hang on to him.
What do you do?
Well, it turns out that you dangle him in front of Tottenham, even going so far as to informally agree to a price, persuading Daniel Levy to fly to Munich to speak with the player. He puts forward a proposal so terrifying, so horrific, that the player is immediately cowed. His eyes open to the barren wasteland that is the footballing landscape outside of Munchen, he rejects the advances of Mr Levy, returns to his employers with his tail between his legs, telling them that he made a mistake and he now considers it best to stay with them and reassess his options further down the line. Crisis averted.
Some might call this a world-class bluff on behalf of Bayern, but that is too kind. The moment Spurs became involved it was a sure thing.
🤣 GSD !
Mr Levy clearly left him Tott-numb 😉
Never mind Mr Postacogloose, mate !
Obviously he had the Mark of Kane right in front of him as well.
But we have lost a ‘ wonderkid ‘ according to Goal . Aidan Heaven has moved to Manchester United . We apparently failed to find a pathway for him to the first team. We should have jettisoned Saliba , Gabriel , White , Timber and co so he could play .
Alternatively he looked at Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire and co and thought life would be a lot easier at the Toilet .
It’s worth noting that far from becoming a feeder club for United, they are becoming a haven ( heaven ) for lads not good enough to make it at Arsenal . I wonder if they’d be interested in Kiwior ?
I couldn’t care less about Ayden Heaven or Omari Hutchinson or the other one whatever he was called, but I am a bit miffed about the 20 million United and Chavs get for selling them on.
Le Grove is claiming that there are five PGMOL refs who are banned from officiating in Liverpool games because they support them. This includes our ref tomorrow. But they can referee in games involving Liverpool’s rivals . This is the reason I’ve been so concerned about the geographical distribution of PGMOL referees . Looked at objectively it’s ridiculous
TTG@29: Our Academy has produced a ton of central defenders in recent years, all extremely good players who will have or are having decent professional careers, but not at the Arsenal level. To your point, the step up to first-team football at an elite club is a massive one. Being extremely good is rarely going to cut it. I wonder if Goal was describing Ayden Heaven as a wunderkind before now, if it mentioned him at all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>