We should begin tonight’s report with a tribute to Ken Friar who, boy and man, diligently served the Arsenal in multiple roles for 75 years, beginning as a messenger boy, aged 11, in 1945, progressing to managing director in 1983, overseeing the development of the new stadium from 2000 and the move from Highbury in 2006 and finishing as executive director in 2020 with the well-deserved award of the role of Life President. Mr Friar has left an indelible mark on the club and he will never be forgotten. It’s fitting that the Arsenal won their 14th championship for him last season.
LOSC (Lille) were our visitors on Matchday Two of this season’s Champions League campaign. As expected, Mikel rang a significant number of changes in his starting XI, virtually as predicted by Trev in his Match Preview. Naturally, Raya was in goal. Timber who looked in need of match sharpness on Saturday, started at right back ,flanking our current first choice centre backs Konsa and Gabriel, while MLS reverted to left back to cover the injured Hincapieé and allow Calafiore a night off. Guimarães and Merino manned the midfield alongside Rice and the forward line saw the return of Gyökeres and Eze with Madueke reverting to the right wing after his left sided exertions against Leeds. The bench contained the heavy weights plus four youths.
In the early knockings, it was clear that Lille would adopt a deep block when the Arsenal had the possession rather than exerting a high press. They were content to let us play our way into their half relying on two rows of five to congest the middle and make life difficult for our forwards. A fast break in 6 minutes displayed the pace of their right winger, Bakwa, but the threat was stifled whilst Eze produced a mazy run into their area but lost his footing. A nice cross from Timber seemed to be heading to Gyökeres until the keeper made a desperate interception while falling over his own player. By the 15th minute we were camped outside their box and another mazy run and cut back from Eze gave Guimarães a shot from the edge of the box that was blocked.
After another Lille foray, Raya nearly rolled the ball out for a LOSC forward but was rescued by Rice. Then a lovely forward ball to the byeline by Madueke from a knock down by Gyökeres was cut back by Timber to Guimarães who fired it past the post.
At this stage it looked only a matter of time until the back-up forward line scored. Another Timber looped cross found Merino unmarked in front of goal but his header went straight at the keeper. On 22 minutes another rapid breakaway by Lille saw a series of rebounds on the edge of our box ending with theirJapanese forward, Ueda, firing the ball past Raya but after an anxious minute or so VAR deemed him offside due to a ‘knock-on’ by another Lille forward.
Madueke remained our biggest threat but his crosses were generally too long or too high. Lille looked technically good and frequently played their way out of defence neatly against our press at this stage of the game. On 28 minutes, Merino was booked for a late challenge as Lille played through midfield. Despite our possession, however, by the half hour, we had barely troubled the Lille keeper. Merino’s shot on the spin on 33 minutes went high over his bar and the keeper then comfortably held a MLS cross. Eze gave him work to do with a firm close range shot from an MLS cut back but the goalkeeper was agile enough to prevent Gyökeres picking up the loose ball.
The crowd’s frustration was building throughout the half and by the last 5 minutes, the only noise audible on the TNT broadcast came from the visiting French fans.
A back heel on the edge of the Lille box by Madueke found Timber free but his low ball to a waiting Gyökeres was cut out for a corner. Finally we heard noise from the Gooners in the crowd but two consecutive corners came to nought.
Guimaräes then hit a lovely shot from the edge of the box that the keeper did well to block and then to bounce up and sweep the ball away from the onrushing Gyökeres. The resultant corner was followed by a short spell of activity around their box but nothing came of it and the referee’s half-time whistle brought a frustrating half to an end.
Half-time: Arsenal 0 – 0 Lille
That first half was a repeat of the frustrating first half seen against Leeds on Saturday with much endeavour, domination of possession and good territorial positions but virtually all the final balls going astray. The Arsenal needed to increase the tempo and achieve more accuracy with that final ball.
Neither side changed their line-up for the second half.
Arsenal began the second half with a pair of Madueke corners from the right followed by a Rice in swinger from the left but Lille’s big centre-backs dealt with their threat easily. The bright start continued with a series of passes down the right that ended in a Guimarães shot from the edge of the box looping high and wide. Then a sequence of first time passes on the right ended as Timber let Guimarães’ firm pass run under his foot. The crowd was again as flat as the team which prompted Bruno to gesture vigorously for some noise after being fouled but their response was sadly transient. Strangely, unlike their technically impressive play in the first half, Lille kept giving the ball back to Arsenal but the Gunners repeatedly failed to threaten their goal with it.
As the hour loomed, after a nice direct dribble into the box, Guimarães went down in the box under a challenge but the referee, VAR and even Ally McCoist were unimpressed.
The team needed a lift and Arteta acted. Havertz, Saka and Ødegaard were being prepared on the touch line. But, before they could join the fray, a square ball from Madueke found Timber inside the box, his turn took him clear to the right of goal and from a tight angle he chipped the ball over the outrushing keeper and into the net. Did the subs on the sideline provide an incentive?
Arsenal 1 – 0 Lille, Timber 61
The subs replaced Merino, Madueke and Gyökeres. Lille still couldn’t keep the ball. A high press by Timber and Ødegaard regained the ball midway in their half and Guimarães ran onto it, who with a ‘trademark vertical pass’ found Saka, running into the box. Saka’s square ball was met first-time by Eze who fired it sweetly into the net just 3 minutes after the first goal.
Arsenal 2 – 0 Lille, Eze 66
Arsenal were now moving with more pace and confidence. A through ball found Eze whose shot was kept out by the keeper. Then after some intricate interplay on the right corner of the Lille box between Ødegaard and Saka, the captain played a through ball to the bye-line for Havertz who deftly reversed the ball to Saka who stroked it from the edge of the 6-yard box, past the keeper and into the net.
Arsenal 3 – 0 Lille, Saka 71
After this, Arsenal took their foot off the gas, and Lille made virtually their first second-half foray out of defence, which ended when Konsa flung himself bravely to block their shot on goal. But at no point hereafter did Lille look capable of rescuing the game.
Our ball players were clearly enjoying themselves by now and a snap shot by Guimarães which was saved was followed by some intricate interplay before Giroud was warmly welcomed onto the field by all and sundry on 77 minutes. At the same point, White came on for Timber.
On 80 minutes, Eze went down after a challenge from Goffi who caught him on the ankle. However he resumed play without the physios’ attention.and was soon back in action. On 84 minutes, Dowman replaced Eze and took over the right wing slot with Saka switching to the left.
Dowman provided a cameo of his skill with some lovely dribbling in the box after a deft Ødegaard flick and he bamboozled several defenders and deserved more than a blocked shot. Havertz earned a yellow card in added time when the goalkeeper went down in a heap after kicking the German’s outstretched foot as he tried to block a clearance.
Full-time: Arsenal 3 – 0 Lille
In the end, we looked comfortable but the first hour was a slog against a well-organised defence and chances were few. Although Timber scored with a marvellous piece of individual skill before the substitutions were made, there is no doubt we looked a different team after Ødegaard, Saka and Havertz came on. The press was more efficient and led to the second and third goals, the ball was moved more quickly and chance creation was much more frequent. The interplay between Guimarães, Ødegaard, Havertz, Saka, and Eze was a joy to behold and these players clearly enjoy playing with each other, with Rice, Timber and MLS providing supporting roles. Once Guimarães beds in (this was his first 90 minutes) this midfield is going to be deadly as he adds verticality, speed of thought and terrier-like aggression to the mix.
Gyökeres worked hard and with a bit of luck, could have got on the score sheet but remains less involved than Havertz in the same role. Madueke also worked hard and, much like against Leeds, caught the eye in the first half and provided our greatest threat. Merino looked out of sorts and provided the least impressive performance I’ve seen from him.
Job done. Hopefully, no injuries in the warm-down!
RIP Mr Friar. Your boys are doing you proud.
A swift and comprehensive report, Bath. Detailed and accurate, ie, we saw the same game.
GHF match reporters must have the sentence, In the end, we looked comfortable but the first hour was a slog against a well-organised defence and chances were few, stored as a keyboard shortcut by now.
I’ve just returned from the match and was able to read your excellent report, Bath on the train home.
Ned’s very helpful keyboard shortcut is right on the money but this was slightly different from Saturday in that :
– Lille were nowhere near as good as Leeds and there was little danger of them going ahead. A horrified lady commuter at Kings Cross on the Piccadilly Line asked me ‘ Are you playing again? ‘ When I replied in the affirmative she asked who the opposition was . I must enunciate better – ‘ Lidl’ she exclaimed , ‘ I didn’t know they had a team ‘. I didn’t disabuse her of the notion but this lot would certainly struggle to beat Aldi over two legs .
– we were ‘ at it’ right from the start of the second half and started to find a rhythm even before we brought the subs on. All three subs contributed well and it was nice to see Max get ten minutes .
– some players did have shockers . Merino was out of salts , Madueke was frustrating but I would have left Viktor on to try to find some form
– our full backs are possibly our most dangerous players . Timber’s goal was real class . He and Calafiori who didn’t get on tonight are very dangerous in the opposition box
– I like Bruno. He works hard and is very positive, passing forward whenever he can
– The HFB got a superb welcome from the crowd . It might have been less warm if we hadn’t been winning
I think we have Carrefour or Conad on the next matchday
TTG@2: Credit to Bath where credit is due. That sentence is lifted straight out of his match report above.
Pangloss@previous drinks: I re-read the PL rules after seeing your post but can’t find anything specific about when sanctions are imposed once decided. However, it seems implicit that they take effect immediately upon announcement, except in the case of a recommended expulsion, which must go to a vote of all the PL clubs under Rule B6. However, the commission has wide latitude to organise proceedings as it sees fit, including whether to wait for the appeals process to play out before even holding its sanctions hearing. It could also affect the timing by suspending sanctions or making them conditional. The longer this sordid affair, as you well describe it, drags on, the hollower this season will feel.