So, here we go with Arsenal’s biggest game of the season so far, and Artea has made a few changes from the game against Man City.
The boss has kept faith with Captain Aubameyang to lead the line despite his awful performance in Rome, but we do have Luiz and Gabriel back in defence. If we can keep a clean sheet we will definitely go through!
So, we jhave Tierney and Bellerin running down the flanks, and an attacking line-up all in all.
Do you think this should be good enough to beat Benfica?
📋 Tonight's team news is in!
🏴 @KieranTierney1 starts
🇧🇷 @DavidLuiz_4 partners @Biel_M04
🇬🇦 @Aubameyang7 leads the line#️⃣ #UEL
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 25, 2021
Arteta is just awful. I’ve had enough personally. This was not a hard opponent.
Apparently we’re allowed to make four subs.
If we go out here then Mikel has to go.
Aubaaaaaaaa!!!!
😱
I don’t believe it. My heart is suffering with this lot but thank god
Now for Benfica to do an Olympiakos and level the tie in Olympiakos. That would be peak Arsenal.
Bukayo ‘how may I assist you’ Saka!!!
Brilliant Sue. U are simply the best.
I have never seen Oerdegaard make so many back pass in a match that I have never seen in this match and I watch so many of his game playing for R Soceidad.
I hope the owners lose lots of money.
This is atrocius from a club like arsenal.
And arteta was never the man and will never be the man
Cmon
Laca very lucky there
Omg how did we do that? And why do we make it so hard on.ourselves and us the fans?
Glad we now have a rb at rb good to see chambers back on tonight’s showing and against city it seems both holding and gabriel cant completly be relied upon.
COYG !!!
We’re nearly there
Not going to guess what happens next.
It’s gonna be a Jimmy Glass moment for Benfica or they’re out
Sorry your team lost S.
😂😂👏
You got to wonder as well if arteta constantly shouting instructions to them is helpful or instils panic nerves and distracts them from their own mind.
You want to play Mikel?
The almost goal that came off the post Luiz just stands still worh his head down! Some games he bosses it and others like the Brazil loss to Germany he just crumbles, emotionally fragile.
Were a mess tonight, bunch of strangers playing together and badly.
There we go!!! They’ve shown character
Arsenal were lucky! Let’s hope Arteta knows what to do from now on!
Sorry your team lost
lol.that was very difficult to watch. My heart was beating fast. Wow
Thank God we won but i am highly Disappointed with the performance especially the second half
I hope someone buys me soon, I’m keen to actually play football.
I’m really pleased we won but arteta got very lucky but some of the players did ok
Bellerin and Xhaka. Back pass masters.
No one should call them Arsenal materials again.
Our defending is turning back to the comical days.
How many brain farts per game do these players have to make?
No…. one player had the “brain fart” as you put it.
Ceballos, who isn’t a defender of course, was responsible for both their goals.
The front 4 have to be Aubameyang esr Saka laca/martenilli. Ceballos should not play again for arsenal. Cedric for Bellerin
GOYG!!!!
Pleased we made it.
But that official is atrocious.
And Ceballous finally shot himself dead from the team. Always wasting time looking for who to dribble even when unnecessary.
William didn’t do anything bad from the time he came. He actually helped in our comeback.
Tierney and Saka, the two gems are never for sale, never.
Aubameyang thank you for not disappointing today.
COYG
Now’s the time to look back at the previous comments by our fans.
We are through to the last 16, the subs ALL played their part.
Of course there are negatives that need to be addressed, but until the referee blows the final whistle, support the players, the manager and the club.
Hey Ken- I hope you are well mate.
Just what do we make of this Manager and where he seems to be taking us?
My take on the game is we seemed to make very hard work of beating what was a very very average team. And just as in the first leg, we again showed no game management at crucial times which very nearly cost us this tie. The one single positive is the fact we never gave up and showed resilience and fight when going behind. Other than his there is yet again far too many negatives which seriously questions Arteta and how. we are progressing. I just do not see any signs of consistent improvement to be confident in this Manager.
A big shout out to Thomas Partey. We looked so much more comfortable and assured when he was introduced and Arteta’s future may well depend on Partey remaining fit for the rest of the season
Hi Phil, hope you and yours are well.
Partey looks the business, it remains to be seen if he keeps getting injured.
Funny seeing that stadium empty and with no fanatical fans (us of course!!!) inside!!!
I’m still unsure with regards to MA – tonight we saw a squad that never gave up… something that wasn’t happening during the last season of Arsene and Unia’s time in charge.
Also our defence is much better and Tierney has to be one of the best signings for ages.
We were constantly asking why MA wasn’t playing a creative player and, once he found one in ESR, he played him out of position in tonights game.
Why Martinelli isn’t being given playing time is a complete mystery to me.
Ceballos is not the man for me, both goals were down to him tonight in my opinion.
One has to ask the question though Phil, if MA is not the answer, who would want to come in under the set up our club is now operating under?
He is jack of all trades, but master of none (his decision to be in that position OF course) and imagine what another merry go round of faces there will be if a new manager is appointed!!
It will be interesting to see what team he puts out against Leicester, as we shouldn’t be in 11th place with the players we have at present.
Yeah thats pretty much how I see it Ken.
The Board/Owner will have a very difficult decision to make if, as expected, we do not qualify for European next season. I can see why they would prefer continuity by allowing Arteta another season, but would that not be rewarding failure?
But I’ve just looked at the teams still left in this competition Ken and there is no reason we cannot win this Cup. The strongest teams are all English and over two legs we “should” have enough to beat even those. And any team can win a final can they not?
It could just be there is a bit more left in this season than we thought.
Take care up there Ken
Benfica has been a shadow of themselves this week yet we needed a miracle to beat them and I ask this simple question how have Mikel improved this team as well as considering we’ve had more losses than victories in the Premier League, plays without direction and ambition. I am among those that welcomed Arteta with open arms but after this long can see very concrete change in mentality or an improved or improving team with far better players under his reign. In conclusion Mikel Arteta is certainly not the way forward if we wish to rob shoulders with the big boys and compete on all fronts.