Given the paucity of options brought about by having 3 first choice forwards unavailable along with the Pyramid’s Pirlo, Tierney and Odegaard off games with a note from matron and ESR still being nursed back following injury, the pre-match discussions around what team to put out were rendered pretty much null and void. Perhaps Arteta considered playing Tomi and Holding from the start but that’s really the extent of the changes which could have been made against a team representing a club like Sporting, while still keeping an eye on the need to rotate ahead of a far more important Premier League game less than 3 days later. So, in came Turner in goal, Kiwior for Big Gabby with a midfield of Jorginho, Xhaka and Vieira with Nelson and Saka wide and Martinelli leading the line.
Rather oddly, the ground seemed to be half empty, not just at the start but right through. Which made the awarding of slightly less than 3,000 tickets to Arsenal fans even more curious. If anyone has any insight on that, I’d be grateful to learn the reasoning.
The game started with the disappointing news that Hector Bellerin, once of this parish, was missing with a knee injury. Perhaps he’ll be fit for the second leg. We started promisingly with good control and possession while not really creating too much. The opposition seemed content to get players behind the ball and try to catch us on the break, a ploy which has been our downfall in European competitions in the past. And in Marcus Edwards – lest we forget, a Spurs product – they had a player well able to hurt us. In the 21st minute, Saka and the lively Vieira combined down the right to win us a corner. From the corner taken by Vieira a curiously free Saliba netted with a delicious glancing header from inside the 6 yard box. The tv then showed a clear foul by Zinchenko on one of their players who was being held in the manner of a WWE wrestler, I thought. The ball was never going to arrive behind Saliba into the vicinity of the Lisbon player, however it was still a foul. I would have been unhappy if it hadn’t been disallowed if it had happened at the other end. The referee, fortunately, did not concur.
Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Going behind seemed to kick Sporting up a gear or two and they began to take more possession and create rather more threat. In the 33rd minute, Inacio shot from 30 yards out and Turner made a good save, parrying the low shot out for a corner. From the corner, taken, inevitably, by the aforementioned Edwards, Sporting scored an identical goal to ours, again, with nobody seeming to take ownership of Inacio who was able to nod in from inside the 6-yard box. Further inspection by the commentary team showed that new boy Kiwior looked to be shaping to jump but then suddenly ducked, as if he had heard a shout, presumably from the keeper. It was all the more odd considering that the keeper looked as if he had started to come for the cross and then backed away. Questions will be asked this morning at London Colney, if they weren’t on the flight home.
Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Sporting now had their tails up and in the 39th minute, Edwards, again, hit a scorching shot from outside the box which required a very good save again from Turner, as the ball bounced just in front of him low down to his left, and he managed to turn it out for a corner. Just before half time, a deep corner from the left found White at the back post, whose header was gathered up awkwardly right on the line by the keeper. Martinelli was booked for impeding the keeper in the ensuing scramble which seemed harsh.
Half-Time: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal started the livelier again in the second half and in the 48th minute Zinchenko, in the inside left position, played a smart through ball into the box for an unmarked Martinelli to attempt a dink over the onrushing keeper, who saved well. Actually, the smarter thing to do would have been to square it to Vieira, unmarked on the penalty spot to roll in. Then on 55, an equally smart dinked pass, Edwards again, into the box led to a shot requiring a reaction save from Turner. Unfortunately the keeper could only parry it out to the oncoming Paulinho to tap in from 5 yards,. Disappointing, as for the first 10 minutes of the half Arsenal had been well in control.
Sporting 2 Arsenal 1
In the 59th minute the effervescent Martinelli was fed the ball just inside our half and set off on a run, evoking memories of that night at the bus stop in Fulham from a few seasons back. He beat 3 players and then raced through on goal, knocked it past the keeper and then, the hard work seemingly done, he took a poor touch when he might simply have knocked it in with his favoured right and a defender did very well indeed to get back to put it out for a corner. Frustrating and exciting in equal measure.
It was now rather more open as Arsenal sought to press forward and a minute or so after Martinelli’s miss, Sporting really ought to have taken the lead as we were caught square at the back and Paulinho ran through but managed only to put the ball high, wide, and not terribly handsome. Phew! Straight after this, it was our turn. Saka won the ball in midfield, fairly, despite the complaints from the opposition, and squared to Xhaka who arrowed home a 35 yard rasper into the bottom right corner on 62. Ok, actually his attempted slide rule pass into Martinelli came off the luckless Sporting defender and caught the keeper off balance as it squirmed into the net. Imagine if you will, a considerable proportion of a certain F. Lampard’s goals for the denizens of the bus stop. That’s how much of a deflection it took.
Sporting 2 Arsenal 2
Arsenal began to exert more control as the game wore on as subs were brought on – Partey, ESR, Tomi all adding notably. By the end, the Sporting press, which really was very good at times, had faded considerably and perhaps the fact that they don’t play in such a competitive league as the Premiership, with all its physical requirements, was showing more than a little.
I think Sporting were happy to go away with the draw.
Full Time: Sporting 2 Arsenal 2
In the final analysis, we take the opposition back to the Emirates without 2 of their first choice defenders, even if one of them wasn’t good enough for the Premiership. For our part, it was a good performance from Vieira who at times was asked to be the back-to-goal centre forward and showed considerable improvement in terms of physical presence. It was minutes for Kiwior, bringing him into the team and improving his understanding of what is required not least in terms of communication with the goalkeeper. Perhaps on the part of Turner, for whom simply being at Arsenal represents a significant step up in terms of the required level, it was a lesson from which he will learn. If the performance and result were offered to me ahead of the game, it’s a Hobson’s choice I would happily have accepted.
Cheers, CER. Fair report. And I would have accepted that too.
Key is no injury and hopefully not too much energy expendited (I’m probably making this word up) ahead of the more important match on Sunday at the non-bus stop in Fulham.
Cheers CER, fine work, lightning quick and a fair analysis although you’re possibly more generous to our keeper than I am on this occasion. Step up or not, he is the USA keeper and claiming a headable ball 3 yards from goal is fundamental. I worry that he looks terrified most of the time and seems to make our defenders a bit uncertain.
Nice pic at the top, too !
Excellent report, CER. I only saw the first half as work commitments contrived to block my availability to watch Martinelli’s efforts.
It was as you saw it.
On Martinelli (who, an observant LGtY once noted, curiously shares his name with a brand of sparkling cider), I always thought he had the makings of a proper CF. It’s good to see that come to the fore.
Saka always plays within himself. Love that young man.
A draw was a fair result. We have bigger fish to fry come Sunday.
Win the next match!
MCMBD.
Cheers CER!
With the two fortunate incidents you mentioned CER (no foul called on Zinchenko and Xhaka’s pass caroming off a defender for our second goal) I think the draw might be a bit more than we deserved on the evening but I’ll bite your hand off for the result and say onward to the bigger event on Sunday. Thanks for your excellent reporting.
A very fair report, CER which casts, appropriately, a more positive light on the outcome than I feel. I think our A team would have humbled Sporting last night and it was disappointing to see so many passes go astray and our defence wither under pressure of no great substance. It wasn’t our A team, we came away with a draw, and we have a very reasonable chance of progressing with a home win next week. What’s not to like?
Win the next game.
Thanks CER, a very fair report. I think the early kick off and some kind of public transport problems were the reason for the half-empty stadium.
As many have said it wasn’t a bad result and on we go.
Thank you for the report, CER. Your description matches what I saw, which, like Lonestar, was only the first half. Sporting pressed energetically and well in the first half, and we gave the ball away far too often. The goal conceded will have infuriated Arteta with good reason. Turner is a better keeper than he looks. However, like Gabriel’s defensive heading at set pieces, you notice Ramsdale’s presence in the six-yard box when he is not there. No one paying attention thought the trip to Lisbon would be a walk in the park. We return for the home leg with everything still to play for, and the odds of our getting through to the quarterfinals are shortening, according to the gentlemen of the turf.
Cheers CER, comprehensive and moee than fair riport.
I felt we were somewhat lucky to get away with the draw. We didn’t play badly only we were not in control. In the end it was a fair result.
Win the next game.
COYG
Your report is bang on the money CER and we looked, in truth, somewhat fortunate to emerge with the draw until the four second half substitutions stiffened our defence and allowed TP5 to run the show. Inevitably the six changes destroyed the silky machine we have grown to expect.
I too was impressed with Vieira – surely his best performance to date in an Arsenal shirt – and Saliba who despite the age deficit, was clearly the senior defender on show until Gabriel joined the game. I was less impressed by Turner who looked a bag of nerves all night and if it was evident on a TV screen over 2,000 miles away, must have contributed significantly to the defensive uncertainty on show. Not a good look even allowing for the lack of game time.
I am optimistic that next week’s team, hopefully with a few more A-listers and a true centre forward (though Martinelli did make a fist of the role asked of him) will win the second leg.
On another note, congratulations to one of the true athletic greats, and a personal heart throb, Mikaela S.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-sports/64915032
CER
I’ve been slow to read this excellent and balanced report of an interesting game. I tend towards the Btm view that here was a game for the winning but as some will know I couldn’t believe Arteta put Saka particularly through 90 minutes in Portugal three days before a much more important game at Fulham. But then again , we were down to the last ice lolly with even the most promising next gen Hale Enders ( eg Cozier- Duberry ) injured. So Arteta rotated during the game as best he could except for Saka ,
I’d love to have seen Martinelli score avChelsea like 60 yard dash effort and he was unlucky not to do so . Arteta has chosen to bring in a false 9 type in Trossard but this side lacks a focal point striker and has done since Giroud left . Arteta’s attacking vision is extremely successful and exciting and may not need one but Balogun might have returned from Reims when we knew the extent of Jesus’ injury . You always need players at the back end of the season.
I thought we did alright. Turner needs to play more to build up confidence but he is not gifted with his feet. Top CBS shouldn’t duck under crosses as Kiwior did but the lad had scarcely played any football for months and Sporting were a gifted counter-attacking side who could damage us next week.
The game also showed how incredible Partey is at controlling games. The last twenty minutes were virtually all ours after he came on . Let’s hope we don’t have a bug at Colney
MOTD pundits downing opinions this coming Saturday in solidarity with Lineker being sent to the naughty step by the BBC over his social media posts.
One can only hope that this is the start of a trend…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64920557
@13 yeah, I laughed at that too Ned.
LaPorta the Barcelona president after they were charged with continued corruption in business……
“ Barca has not bought off referees and that has never been the intention. That’s a categorical No. “
I laughed at that too though I shouldn’t really as I haven’t forgotten 2010.
A lot of old trophies might be reallocated with big question marks over the ethics and practices of Barca, Juventus and Man City . If Chelsea bust the FFP rules ( please!) it may dissuade some of the arrogant cheats looking to ride roughshod over rules to purchase clubs . But I doubt it . Maybe we could, instead of a European Super League have a European Cheats League for all the miscreants . We would have to be in it too I guess because some of our players got excited after we scored last Saturday and some hounded a ref after we didn’t get a penalty once .And that Arteta runs out of his technical area and kidnaps children. We are clearly the worst culprits
This is the way that the Spuds might eventually win a trophy . But Brentford will probably pip them
Heh! TTG @16.
>>>>>>>