ARSENAL 1-3 FC BAYERN MUNICH
Kroos 7', Muller 21', Podolski 54', Mandzukic 77'
Att: 59,974
What a massive game this was predicted to be. Arsenal fans worldwide were tuning in eagerly to see this Champions League Last-16 tie. Could they expect a result? As I wrote on Saturday, the season was virtually over after Blackburn calmly dispensed with Arsenal in the FA Cup - unless the Gunners could get a result against arguably the most in-form team in Europe (other than perhaps Manchester United).
The starting line-up would be pivotal. Wenger opted to leave Frenchman Olivier Giroud on the Arsenal bench, perhaps with a view to using him as a "super-sub", placing Walcott in the centre of attack, with Podolski and Ramsey on either wing. Arsenal were gifted with the return of Laurent Koscielny, which was a huge boost given they were without Kieran Gibbs (Injury) and Nacho Monreal (Cup-tied).
So to the game, and in reality this game was already full of its prejudices. Bayern's blistering league form thus far speaks for itself, but the fact that they have conceded 0 goals in 2013 really sticks out like a thorn in Arsenal. Would Arsenal's defensive frailties cost them? Will Bayern break records for goal-scoring? We'd know by 9:40.
The Bayern fans were raucous, but the Arsenal fans were making a hell of a noise themselves. The game kicked off, and a seemingly breathtaking tie was underway. Arsenal started brightly, as was to be expected. A cross from Cazorla found its way into the arms of Manuel Neuer in the second minute, but it was a confident burst to say the least. However, Bayern weren't going to be suppressed easily, and they themselves also enjoyed a racy start. In the fifth minute Arsenal earned their first corner. If they were going to score, it would be via a set piece most probably. However Cazorla could only send his cross long.
In an instant, however, Bayern were in front; TONY KROOS scoring a goal on the half volley after being found by fortuitously by Mueller. A mighty blow for Arsenal, their mountain was made a hundred miles taller. Arsenal fans did not boo, they were too stunned. A commanding finish from Kroos beating Szczesny, Bayern had made the best possible start imaginable.
The first ten minutes were allowed to pass almost secretly. A ninth of the game gone. The Arsenal defence appeared winded by that early succour punch, and they needed to freshen up. If Arsenal were going to earn anything from this tie, it was to be earned in the home leg at the Emirates. So far, Bayern hadn't been made to flinch yet. It wasn't as if Bayern enjoyed all the possession either, the game was relatively even in this factor. The sides differed in their efficiency with possession. Bayern appeared far more measured than their English opponents, they seemed more composed and balanced than Arsenal, who were at their most dangerous on the counter attack. When Bayern sat back to give Arsenal time on the ball, the Gunners seemed unable to use the ball wisely.
For a period of ten minutes, Bayern were subjecting Arsenal to wave after wave of attack, earning several corners. And soon it was 2-0. THOMAS MULLER flicking in 2 yards from goal after Szczesny saved a powerful header from Van Buyten. Arsenal were getting desperate, and the tie was barely 20 minutes old. Sagna recklessly earned himself a yellow card with a violent lunge soon after, and it was clear that Arsenal were starting to lose their composure. And again, Arteta; booked needlessly for a hideous tackle, really showing his frustration. Surprisingly, the Arsenal fans, who so forcefully vented their anger on Saturday, were muted by this display of excellence from their German counterparts.
A quarter of the game had ticked by, and Arsenal recorded 0 shots in goal, with Bayern Munich already 2 goals to the good. Walcott, a spectator in truth, was the only glimmer in Arsenal's dying light, everyone else looked average. Even the critically acclaimed Jack Wilshere was left to look fairly infantile by this stage of the game. The Arsenal fans celebrated the booking of Schweinsteiger, Bayern's first of the evening. A somewhat satirical jeer, Arsenal fans really were left with nothing to feed on, their best efforts left unrewarded.
Remarkably, the game seemed to sag temporarily. Bayern were still overwhelmingly in charge, but they seemed content with allowing Arsenal to play into their hands. Arsenal were broken down all too easily in the final third, and the forwards really didn't seem to have a plan B against such a dominant set of defenders. Bayern were perhaps being generous to their hosts by holding fire. It was so nearly 3-0 when Mandzukic headed ever so slightly wide. A real scare for the Gunners, Wenger will have been left flabbergasted by some atrocious defending which gifted the Croatian a free header.
And so the first half ended. A chorus of boos greeted the referee's whistle, but when these faded they were replaced by the trademark "Come On Arsenal" chant in an attempt to rally the team before facing Wenger. Arsenal fans were left to mull over a half which proved disastrous.
A change was needed, and fast. However, Giroud remained benched, as did Oxlade-Chamberlain, as Wenger stuck with his starting lineup. Bayern could afford to be happy with the current score remaining until the end of the game. Arsenal had obviously been given their orders, but realistically they could only be happy with salvaging a draw at best. That is, realistically speaking.
Arsenal begun the half in similar fashion to the first period, confidently. They looked a different team, especially with the fans rallying them. The Arsenal fans had paid dearly for their team, and they could expect better in all honesty. You might expect Bayern to charge between £62-£123, not Arsenal. And then the breakthrough. A soft corner (which was never a corner to be honest) was nodded in by German LUKAS PODOLSKI, a player very familiar to Munich fans given he is an ex-player. A vital gift, and with 35 or so minutes to play, Arsenal were given a lifeline of the unlikeliest form. Still, at least the Gunners could boast scoring before anyone else against Bayern in 2013.
Muller was booked in the 57th minute, and Bayern began to collect cards. Neuer, usually so confident, flapped at the resultant free kick. For the first time in a long time, Bayern looked slightly at risk. A confident Arsenal side were clutching at every straw they could, seemingly begging for free kicks that had only half a prayer. Bayern were still there though, Javi Martinez's headed effort touching the top of the net. Soon after, Arjen Robben was introduced, Franck Ribery succumbing to the bench, a seemingly stale match for the French maestro.
Robben had expressed his desire to move on from Bayern months ago, but had remained at the German side anyway. Since joining the field of play, he see,ed to want to have the ball almost instantaneously. And who could blame him, a renowned finisher in England and Germany, he could bury the tie for Bayern.
However for the time being, Arsenal refused to be buried just yet. Arsene Wenger was criticised for waiting so long to make a change on Saturday. And yet, he again waited until the 70th minute, bringing on Tomas Rosicky and Olivier Giroud at the expense of Aaron Ramsey and Likas Podolski.
Giroud could have scored instantly, a sweet volley from Walcott's delicious cross, Manuel Neuer saving well. As poor a first half performance as Arsenal produced, they could take solace in their second half performance. They unlocked Bayern on numerous occasions, demonstrating a kind of attacking daringness that simply didn't exist in the first period.
But Arsenal's bubble was burst as rapidly as it had been fabricated. A low drive from Lahm that ricocheted in off MARIO MANDZUKIC, whistling into the net in peculiar fashion. A bitter blow that was reminiscent of Arsenal's season. For all the potential on show from Arsenal, a team of greater quality was there bossing the show, closing the game out when necessary. Bayern were simply better, but Arsenal's deep weaknesses surveyed in the first half will not go away so easily.
As the Arsenal fans filtered out of the stadium, the game petered to an end almost as quickly. Boos rang out around the Emirates, and the stadium was being made a fortress by the exstatic and frankly brilliant Bayern Munich fans. The final score after all that hype: Arsenal 1-3 FC Bayern Munich
Where do we go from here? How can someone best analyse such a damaging result? Rather simply, I'd say. Arsenal were simply outplayed, out-passed, out-thought and outclassed from start to end. There were hints of positivity, especially that period of 20 minutes in the second half, but realistically Bayern had so much more about them. Arsenal should be worried considering they were made mugs in their own backyard; it doesn't bear thinking what Bayern will do at the Allianz Arena.
This game says nothing about Arsenal's ambitions in the Champions League; in reality, to beat a team like Bayern Munich requires strength, character and an ounce of luck. The real implications of this game are of the defeat to Blackburn on Saturday, and the strength of Arsenal's squad as a whole. To exit the FA Cup to a team of Blackburn's quality is simply inconceivable, and it places added pressure on Arsene Wenger and Arsenal FC as a whole. Maybe the pressure Wenger is receiving is unjust, it can certainly be argued so. However, I believe that should Arsenal not progress further in the Champions League, Wenger should feel obligated to accept that his squad is weak and need freshening up. To stay ambitious requires ability to compete with the top clubs, and Arsenal simply aren't doing that. They haven't dispatched a top European side from this competition since AC Milan in 2008; it speaks volumes when you consider how many of those players are still at the club.
What does Arsenal's season hold now? Well, for the time being they still have a Champions league knock-out tie second leg to play. But in reality, Arsenal fans may be asking for something that just isn't doable. Let's just say that it has been arguably the most catastrophic few days for Gooners since...well since 2012 really. Same old Arsenal, same old, same old.
Woe is me, t'have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Shakespeare is turning in his grave.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Enough is enough
Today, Sunday 17 February, is a somewhat gloomy day for me. The general consensus in seasons past is that once Arsenal exit the cup competitions, their season is in effect over. This has been the case every season in the past 8 years, bar the exception of the odd failed title push. Needless to say, Arsene Wenger needed to show that he valued the domestic cups on offer for English clubs.
And so yesterday saw Arsenal host Blackburn Rovers at Emirates Stadium for the FA Cup 5th round tie. I rummaged around my savings to find £40 to buy a ticket for this "prestigious" game. I was lucky enough to find myself within shouting distance of the Blackburn away fans who were, in general, great company in a stadium which was teeming with misery and disbelief by 16:50. Of the 58,000 Arsenal fans in the stadium, I can honestly say that only those in the executive boxes and hospitality ares were reasonably happy throughout the game - I mean they never make any noise anyway.
As the game kicked off, the Gooners surrounding me were uncharacteristically lairy, taunting Blackburn keeper Jake Kean before moving on to a rather portly Blackburn fan. While the fans were full of vim and vigour, the same cannot be said for most of the Arsenal XI. While Diaby and Rosicky were put in the starting lineup, Santi Cazorla and Wilshere were benched, and Arsenal were missing the artistry of the two talismanic midfielders. A few nippy passes opened some space for the returning Gervinho on the left wing, and time after time he could only salvage a corner at best.
It was in the first half when I seriously considered Gervinho's value at the club. I do not like targetting players, I don't believe a club of Arsenal's stature hould have to deal with such issues; but like the much-maligned Santos, Gervinho just did not come up with the goods to prove his worth for the shirt. I sat frustrated, there seemed to be no communication between him or Monreal, and Blackburn barely had to break sweat to keep the Arsenal out. The defining moment in the first half was when Gervinho was found clean through by Tomas Rosicky, but the Ivorian only managed to slice a shot wide - he had to score.
My fellow Gooners were left flabbergasted by that inexplicable miss, but as Mike Dean blew for half-time it didn't seem that Arsenal would lose. They had so far demonstrated the kind of performance that was normal; it can be said that Arsenal are very much "second-half performers" - most of the time, the results are grounded out in the mid-late second half.
And yet, as the teams returned to play the second half, Blackburn were clearly under strict instructions from Michael Appleton; a disciplined, organised plan was set in motion to deal with Arsenal's fledgling attack, and from the first minute to the last, the Blackburn defence dug deep and stopped Arsenal's advances. They rarely slipped up, and Tomas Rosicky was unlucky not to score when given space on the edge of the box, his sharp drive rattling the crossbar.
That was as close as Arsenal came to scoring. Soon after, Wenger made three changes in one go, Wilshere, Cazorla and Walcott replacing Gervinho, Rosicky and Chamberlain. The game had barely restarted before Blackburn launched a rare attack. As Olsson raced into the box, his shot was palmed by Szczesny, but COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS obliged in finding the net. His half-volley bounced off the floor before finding its way into the net via a fortuitous nick off the post.
If some Arsenal fans were feeling shaky at half time, most were decidedly hacked off at this point. Cue panic-stations. Instead of playing more direct football, Arsenal opted for playing more passes in a hope they could unlock the Blackburn defence. It seemed as if Arsenal were playing pass after pass with no intention of having a shot. As the Arsenal fans grew more anxious, the time slipped away and the result appeared a formality. Arsenal just didn't look deserving of a goal, and when Mike Dean blew his whistle to signal full-time, the deal was done; Arsenal's FA cup campaign was over.
The boos rang out, and while Blackburn fans celebrated, the Arsenal fans trudged toward the exits. Feeling disillusioned, I left the stadium quickly. It was hard facing the idea that Arsenal's season was all but over. Granted, the Champions League is still there but by golly, it would have to be some performance given teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are all equally fitting contenders for the title.
So what happens next? Personally, I've always tried to stick with Pro-Wenger fans; I just can't see how it would be beneficial to sack Wenger now, given the vast empire he has built up in the club. What's more, he is unlikely to be sacked at all, given the board's steadfast support for him; as Wenger has raised the value and overall profits of the club substantially, the board will feel that they can only make more money with Wenger in charge. That's not to say that Wenger's primary motive is money, but you get the idea that the board in particular are concerned only with their bank balances.
If Arsenal progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, one can only fancy them to win the entire tournament given how much of a force Bayern are, and especially given that the Champions League will surely be a Wenger's priority after this disappointment.
I said at the start that Wenger needed to show he valued the domestic cups in England. As I survey the season's events so far, I notice that Arsenal exited both cup competitions in the quarter-final stage, losing to lower-league opposition; what's more, they lost with near enough first-team lineups. If this doesn't prove that our squad is weak, then I don't know what will.
Enough is enough. Time to strengthen Arsene, otherwise you risk facing the wrath of even the most loyal Arsenal fans - that is if they are worth anything anymore. I've never witnessed such a divided fanbase as Arsenal's, and it needs fixing soon.
And so yesterday saw Arsenal host Blackburn Rovers at Emirates Stadium for the FA Cup 5th round tie. I rummaged around my savings to find £40 to buy a ticket for this "prestigious" game. I was lucky enough to find myself within shouting distance of the Blackburn away fans who were, in general, great company in a stadium which was teeming with misery and disbelief by 16:50. Of the 58,000 Arsenal fans in the stadium, I can honestly say that only those in the executive boxes and hospitality ares were reasonably happy throughout the game - I mean they never make any noise anyway.
As the game kicked off, the Gooners surrounding me were uncharacteristically lairy, taunting Blackburn keeper Jake Kean before moving on to a rather portly Blackburn fan. While the fans were full of vim and vigour, the same cannot be said for most of the Arsenal XI. While Diaby and Rosicky were put in the starting lineup, Santi Cazorla and Wilshere were benched, and Arsenal were missing the artistry of the two talismanic midfielders. A few nippy passes opened some space for the returning Gervinho on the left wing, and time after time he could only salvage a corner at best.
It was in the first half when I seriously considered Gervinho's value at the club. I do not like targetting players, I don't believe a club of Arsenal's stature hould have to deal with such issues; but like the much-maligned Santos, Gervinho just did not come up with the goods to prove his worth for the shirt. I sat frustrated, there seemed to be no communication between him or Monreal, and Blackburn barely had to break sweat to keep the Arsenal out. The defining moment in the first half was when Gervinho was found clean through by Tomas Rosicky, but the Ivorian only managed to slice a shot wide - he had to score.
My fellow Gooners were left flabbergasted by that inexplicable miss, but as Mike Dean blew for half-time it didn't seem that Arsenal would lose. They had so far demonstrated the kind of performance that was normal; it can be said that Arsenal are very much "second-half performers" - most of the time, the results are grounded out in the mid-late second half.
And yet, as the teams returned to play the second half, Blackburn were clearly under strict instructions from Michael Appleton; a disciplined, organised plan was set in motion to deal with Arsenal's fledgling attack, and from the first minute to the last, the Blackburn defence dug deep and stopped Arsenal's advances. They rarely slipped up, and Tomas Rosicky was unlucky not to score when given space on the edge of the box, his sharp drive rattling the crossbar.
That was as close as Arsenal came to scoring. Soon after, Wenger made three changes in one go, Wilshere, Cazorla and Walcott replacing Gervinho, Rosicky and Chamberlain. The game had barely restarted before Blackburn launched a rare attack. As Olsson raced into the box, his shot was palmed by Szczesny, but COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS obliged in finding the net. His half-volley bounced off the floor before finding its way into the net via a fortuitous nick off the post.
If some Arsenal fans were feeling shaky at half time, most were decidedly hacked off at this point. Cue panic-stations. Instead of playing more direct football, Arsenal opted for playing more passes in a hope they could unlock the Blackburn defence. It seemed as if Arsenal were playing pass after pass with no intention of having a shot. As the Arsenal fans grew more anxious, the time slipped away and the result appeared a formality. Arsenal just didn't look deserving of a goal, and when Mike Dean blew his whistle to signal full-time, the deal was done; Arsenal's FA cup campaign was over.
The boos rang out, and while Blackburn fans celebrated, the Arsenal fans trudged toward the exits. Feeling disillusioned, I left the stadium quickly. It was hard facing the idea that Arsenal's season was all but over. Granted, the Champions League is still there but by golly, it would have to be some performance given teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are all equally fitting contenders for the title.
So what happens next? Personally, I've always tried to stick with Pro-Wenger fans; I just can't see how it would be beneficial to sack Wenger now, given the vast empire he has built up in the club. What's more, he is unlikely to be sacked at all, given the board's steadfast support for him; as Wenger has raised the value and overall profits of the club substantially, the board will feel that they can only make more money with Wenger in charge. That's not to say that Wenger's primary motive is money, but you get the idea that the board in particular are concerned only with their bank balances.
If Arsenal progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, one can only fancy them to win the entire tournament given how much of a force Bayern are, and especially given that the Champions League will surely be a Wenger's priority after this disappointment.
I said at the start that Wenger needed to show he valued the domestic cups in England. As I survey the season's events so far, I notice that Arsenal exited both cup competitions in the quarter-final stage, losing to lower-league opposition; what's more, they lost with near enough first-team lineups. If this doesn't prove that our squad is weak, then I don't know what will.
Enough is enough. Time to strengthen Arsene, otherwise you risk facing the wrath of even the most loyal Arsenal fans - that is if they are worth anything anymore. I've never witnessed such a divided fanbase as Arsenal's, and it needs fixing soon.
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