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Arsenal draw PSV in Europa League (and Bodo/Glimt and FC Zurich)

So it looks like it is not going to be a boring Europa League Group stage for Arsenal after all , as we have drawn quite a difficult group considering the alternatives, but at least we didn’t get Qarabag!

Arsenal were the first name out of the hat, and we were quickly paired with PSV from Holland. Although they are considered a giant team at home, they have just been knocked out of the Champions League by Rangers so they can’t be that strong this year…

Bodo/Glimt are a bit of a wild card. A friend of mine called them the “Norwegian Man City” last season, and they had some great results in Europe too.  They were oly demoted to the Europa by losing in extra time to Dinamo Zagreb in the Qualifiers. Not an easy team by any stretch.

FC Zurich beat Hearts in the Qualifiers, but right now they are botton of the Swiss League without a win in five games, so should be reasonably easy…

What do you think of our draw?

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23 Comments

    1. OT
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      2. @Dan Kit
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  3. PSV and Ruud van Nistelrooy… it’ll be like old times. grrrr

    There were easier teams in each pot, especially since we’ll be wanting to give squad players a chance.

    Interesting to see Eintracht Frankfurt were given a Pot 1 seeding in the CL draw. That definitely makes it worth trying to win the EL no matter what happens in the PL.

    It’s not sensible to prioritise the EL though since the final is after the last day of the PL, so if we’re not already qualified then it’s all-or-nothing in the EL final – and all the pressures that go with it.

  4. PSV are prepared to lose Cody Gakpo, so they’d likely be weaker if the deal happens. I don’t think the rest are strong enough to contain Arsenal

  5. It’s a group we will qualify comfortably with maximum points I have no doubts
    12ponts and at least 15 goals.
    COYG…….

  7. Atleast 16 points is what we getting from this group.

    18 is very likely too.
    I’ll love to see alot of Marquinhos and Elneny, Lokonga and Reiss Nelson in this competition.

  8. At last.One game a weak isnt enough!!!!!
    —————————–Mad About Arsenal—————————–

  9. Easy group, there is nothing so special about the PSV and the rest,let our second team enjoy their moments too. At least 15 points should be enough for us and its certain….

  10. I believe 16 points is the maximum if we play our second tier players. Both PSV and Bodo/glimt play tremendous at home. Last season Bodo/glimt won their group in conference league, even destroying Mourinho’s Roma at home 6-1 (group stage) and 2-1 (last-8). In other words, we shouldn’t underestimate the cold and harsh north.

  11. Someone said it was an “annoying” draw. I cannot understand why that person is so timid. We should easily be top of that moderate group. No complete minnows maybe, but we OUGHT to get full points against ALL of them, I suggest.

    If anyone is seriously AFRAID OF SUCH MODEST TEAMS, GOD HELP THEM IF AND WHEN WE MAKE CL.

    1. I may have said it was “annoying” because it reduced the likelihood of Gakpo incoming (PSV may be reluctant to sell to an EL group rival).

      And perhaps that there were weaker teams in the pots than the ones we got, looked at from the viewpoint of rotating/resting players (not how likely it is that we’ll fail to qualify from the group).

  12. Europa League team: for first match only :

    GK.. Turner
    RB…Tomi
    CB ..Holding & White
    LB .. Tierney
    DM..Elneny
    CAM.. Lokonga
    Wingers.. Smith Rowe and new one
    No 10…Vieira
    ST .. Nketiah

    Thoughts?

  14. Tough group my Arsenal. As Sue P mentioned if we can’t get through that lot there will be no excuses.

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