Arsenal have one foot in the Europa League semi-final after putting four past CSKA Moscow, with the only negative coming in the shape of an away goal. You would certainly expect us to score against this team in Russia as well, so it is almost job done.
The Gunners did not exactly get off to a flying start, taking a few minutes to settle in nad being thankful for an iffy offside call when the Moscow striker Musa was through on goal, but we certainly grew into the game. It took just nine minutes for Aaron Ramsey to score the opener with a sweet strike after a hard and low pinpoint cross from Bellerin.
For a short spell it looked as though we might chuck it all away, as three succesive errors at the back from Mustafi, Xhaka and Koscielny gave Golovin the chance to strike an unstoppable free kick past Cech and the Russians looked threatening afterwards but found themselves 4-1 down at the break.
A well taken penalty by Lacazette restored the lead before Ramsey scored an absolute beauty with an instinctive flick over the keeper with his side foot, assisted by Ozil who also provided the assist for Lacazette’s second and that gave the German a Europa League record. He nearly made it five just before halftime as well but put the ball wide.
Arsenal really should have added at least one more goal in the second half, with Ramsey unlucky to hit the post instead of capping a great flowing move. Welbeck was also denied, somehow, by a point blank save that Akinfeev knew little about.
Despite a host of chances, though, we had to settle for the 4-1 but I reckon that most Arsenal fans would have gladly taken that before kick-off.
Bpb.
a good display, but still another half is to be played next week. job is not done yet = ġooner for ever
Ramsey might’ve scored a beauty but Ozil MOTM for me…7Clearly superb, had his hands in all 4 goals
agree eddie
Me too
Great attacking play but still look shaky at the back. We always take time to settle at the start of games and a better team would have taken advantage.
Should have scored again in the second half. Laca looked pissed when he was subbed.
Those teams in the uefea leuage are no match to us with the expectation of Alt.M. So i hope to see them and us in the finals.
Todays game went as expected. We give to much credit to other teams and ignore at times our own strength. Believe in this team. We do have a good team but due of the manager and fragile mentality we show at times we forget all about it at times.
Positives: 4 Goals and having Laca back.
Negatives: Wasteful with the chances we create.
Man of match: Ozil….well he can share it with Ramsey
A very good result with excellent performances from Ramsay and Ozil in particular.However our centre backs are really poor and will cost us dearly against better opposition.
Road to the final via Moscow
Well done guys, if arsenal must be great again we need to move past Wilshire, he will be good at Everton
Exactly what i was telling my mate. What he does or bring to the team, I’m struggling to understand. To read some fans say he is better than Ramsey and Ozil is disrespectful.
To say Wilshere is better than Ozil is NOT disrespectful. Its stupid. I rate Wilshere, however he will never be near as good as Mesut. Not in this life.
Well done boys…. Ozil, Ramsey, Lacca ? roll on Sunday
Where are the fools who prefered Wilshere over Ramsey…Jack isn’t half the player Aron is…
Ibrahim calm your ( . y . ) This is not mortal kombat
“but wilshere has PASSION”
Well played team…better defensive display required going forward…
stop freakin killin’ people ramsey
True, someone died today. I know it’s a joke but it is so consistent! He doesn’t kill anyone. Much love for him
Great display. We were a bit stable at the back in the second half. Wasted too many good chances.
Ozil definitely my MOTM. Rambo next. Wilshere wasn’t himself tonight, was below par. Laca had a great game but looked pissed after he was subbed. Surprisingly iwobi didn’t do bad as I expected, made some key passes and any other day would have had 2 assists. I don’t expect us to go to Russia and sleep, one leg in the semis. #COYG
Btw, has anyone been noticing the new granite, dude looks more composed and assured with that left wand of his…still made a silly tackle but overall he’s been quietly effective as a deep CM
There is potential…… he does give the ball away a lot though
OMG what is Wilshere doing in this team?He lost every single ball,slow as a snail,a brake for the attacking opportunities.Get rid of him fast,don’t make the mistake renewing his contract.A mediocre player at its best.Elneny looked like Maradona after replacing him,not spectacular but very precisse in passing and movement.We dropped the wrong player(Ox),keeping the mediocre one.But he is Wenger’s darling…
Dropped the wrong player???
“Elneny looked like Maradona after replacing him” hahahaha. Too good mate.
Ramsey was amazing tonight. So let’s rave about Wilshere
But seriously, great performance. Freekick nothing could be done about, good job to come back into the game and get some goals. Ozil was spectacular, same with Rambo. Laca back amongst the goals as well, which is great to see. I hope his next season we see what he is really capable of.
Wenger has turned all of you into all moaning miserable people. lol. Wilshere and Ramsey are both running out their contracts. My say on this is.
Ramsey and Wilshere are useful but not key players one can build the team around. They should accept whatever contract condition Arsenal offers them, other then that i would let them both go. But i am sure that both of them will continue their careers here at Arsenal. Finger crossed.
for the amount of cash wilshere wants getting rid makes more sense. I think a lot of managers would love to have a player like Ramsey in the team and can get the best out of him. We’ve seen what Ramsey/Ozil are capable of when they play well. I wouldn’t give Ramsey an automatic starting position though if I were to try and make a competitive squad, but he’d be one of the players getting regular game time and would be in competition to be a starter. There are certain players im not ready to write off yet because I think they can do better under a different manager. Bellerin is another one that I wouldn’t want to see go yet. I just don’t see the same situation with Wilshere tbh.
I understand, but Arsenal needs players who want to be here and see this club as a place which is more then an working place. This is very important. Ramsey is doing good but his game is gaining momentum due of his surrounding in the pitch.
Same with Xhaka. One can not ignore that he is having some good games lately too. This comes due of a good reason. Jack, Ramsey and Xhaka does work. But man i wish we had Santi in the middle of the pitch still. >:( ohh santi Cazorla.
I miss that dude so much!!!!
Don’t put Wilshere and Ramsey in the same pot.Ramsey is good,Wilshere is mediocre.Get rid of him.
That’s my view too
They are great to have as squad players/bench but if we want to compete for the Title we need central midfielders like box2box players of similar quality to Cazorla, Rosicky, etc. And good defensive midfielder ie similar to Kante, Matic, Wanyama, Fernandino etc. Or box2box who can also play defensive like Viera did.
Wilshere and Ramsey arent the besr starting options for us. They are very injury prone too
Ramsey was excellent tonight though
What about LACA?
Didn’t his two goals help?
lol
arsenal should get that boy called Golovin from CSKA this summer!!..he would be a great player within two-three years..that’s a promise.
Ramsey and Ozil were both magnificent. But coming from CM I have to say Ramsey’s driving performance and contribution on the night is the match winner. He’s a force, I love it when a CM player packs a punch.
Well done lads.
3 assist for Ozil and influential in another. Ozil plays well when all our attacks our making runs behind defenders. Want to see more of Bellerin doing the same on the flanks, that low cross becoming more effective.
Great going forward but defensively we were fragile AGAIN.Mustafi-what on God’s earth was he thinking about with that clearance that resulted in the free kick for their goal?He is proving himself a liability and Kos wasn’t exactly dominant either.That game could have ended 12-5 or something ridiculous like that.Still we have enough to get through and we would have taken that score line before the game.Ozil was majestic out there last night and Ramsey did what he does best.But Wilshere was very poor and you wonder now if the writing is on the wall for him.He continually lost the ball and offered nothing going forward.
I still can’t help but believe our name is on that cup this year.We seem to produce the results we need and CSKA are no mugs.Just sort out that defence FFS and we can be confident whoever we face on the semi final draw.And yes I am counting the chickens before they have hatched.
Slightly off topic-We look a completely different side going forward with direct pace from Laca and Mikki.This as opposed to Walcotts pace down dead end alleys and Giroud with the speed of the BFG on a good day.We seem able to get Ozil on the ball in more dangerous areas and he is picking out the runners for fun.And that’s without Auba.
Also a big thumbs up to Laca who looked hungry and direct.Looks the player we all wanted him to be
I agree, our back four could’ve let the team down. Maybe unwise to bring Kos back like that, he should’ve been slowly brought up to speed. Chambers was doing alright, less mistakes than some of the others.
Also Jack gave the ball away a few times in the unlikeliest of mannerism, he’d hit a two meter ball straight to CSKA from directly outside our area. Ozil done it once or twice too, lost it in a very bad position as we had men pouring forward. I allow for that in a game, mostly every player will lose the ball during a game, it just depends where and when it’s lost and was it pressured or was it a pass that should be making it’s way to free player[s].
Because of Ozil’s fingerprints all over that match, I wouldn’t even slight him in the slightest, he was heavily involved from beginning to end, and even went out wide and got a good defensive shape for us by making the 433 look like a 451 when defending. Ozil has matured this season, he took Alexis’s mantle and he’s talking, gesturing, while acting a responsible figurehead for the team. He does it better than that sulking little sh&t you know who. And in fact, I like Ozil and Mkhit in those roles behind the striker more so than I ever like Ozil & Alexis when they played there.
Reading my mind, once again. Great to read some perspective on here, among all the overhyped confidence. I see no way we can be confident of ever beating a top side like Atletico with our so called “defence”. As a fan since 1958 I cannot easily EVER recall a worse defence than right now. A great shame as you correctly outline the positives , attacking wise. If only we had a manager who even understands the need for, let alone actually COACHES the defence. But very soon now, WE WILL!
Sign Ramsey to a four year contract. Replacing him will cost a lot more than giving him good money.
Defense still very shaky -CSKA were not good enough to take advantage. Xhaka was good but we need a top DM to block attacks and not leave D alone.
Ozil is great playing against weaker teams, I dont remember him in games against top teams though
Auba,Ozil,Laca,Mikhi,Ramsey,Bellerin, are good for next year, all the rest need better alternatives.
Monreal, Koscielny and Cech are getting old. Jack is on his way out and xhaka is a good squad player but we need a much better DM. Mustafi is super inconsistent.
We need at least a DM, a CB, and a GK to walk into the team.
u cant compare jack an ramsey,ramsey is a better polished player
a decent-minus performance was enough against pathetic CSKA. they didn’t press our passers, so Ozil could do what ever he wanted, and they let Ramsey roam free into the box every time with no caver. it was more like training than a competitive game. and still we didn’t press them or really dominated, first half was a box to box game, they got way to easy into our box, only we were sharper.
a nice win but get real, that is not the kind of level that will win us EC.
Take it easy. We did what we needed to win the 1st leg of the tie and give us the advantage for the 2nd leg.
The Moscow tie will be more compact.
This was not the final, neither was it the semi final.
Athletico beat a ‘lowly’ sporting 2-0.
If and when we do get to the final, with or without your support, we will play it like a final!
Well said and great to read. So many foolish and rather silly, unrealistic fans, overhype our chances of winning this comp and ignore our colander of a defence. No proper defence team can never win this competition! Realism!
I love the fact that Lacazette got on the score sheet… The guy is a poacher. I wish Arsene Wenger would accommodate him and Auba together in the EPL so we can see what they are capable of. Moving on, who else thinks Mikhitaryan performs best when deployed on the right flank?
Mikki plays best when deployed in Wilshere postion,central midfielder.But Weelchair needs to play,even if is a mediocre player,so Mikki is pushed in flanks where his movement,speed and passing abilities are limited