Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Alexis
Subs: Cech, Holding, Gibbs, Xhaka, Elneny, Lucas, Giroud
—
Arsenal had Alexis Sanchez, and some shocking finishing from PSG, to thank as the Chilean’s equaliser gained them a point with a 1-1 against PSG in the Champions League tonight.
There were some surprises to Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up with David Ospina replacing Petr Cech in goal, and Alex Iwobi coming in for the injured Theo Walcott. Alexis Sanchez was preferred to Olivier Giroud or Lucas Perez up front, while the Coqzorla midfield partnership was given another run out, leaving £35m summer signing Granit Xhaka on the bench.
What Arsenal needed was a good start and what they got was quite the opposite, going down inside 42 seconds. Serge Aurier got free down the right hand side, he whipped in a cross and Cavani got free at the near post to head in from close range. 1-0.
The Gunners had Laurent Koscielny to thank after he made a good block in the box, while Marco Veratti picked up an early yellow card for a foul on Coquelin.
Ospina was the busier of the two keepers, palming away a corner which was curling in and then coming off his line quickly to head away as the home side looked to get in behind.
Arsenal’s first chance came to Oxlade-Chamberlain at the back post, but he headed Monreal’s cross back across the goal rather than have a go himself. Coquelin picked up a 24th minute yellow card which was pretty harsh, and PSG should have doubled their lead just after the half hour mark.
Monreal intercepted, wrongfooted Koscielny and the ball fell to Cavani. He went around Ospina but remarkably pulled his shot wide of the post with the goal gaping like a dysentery-hit hippo’s chocolate starfish.
He was guilty of another horrendous miss just a few minutes later. The ball came to him in our box, he’d beaten the offside trap, but rather than chest it down and score he just fell over like a startled goat. Arsenal were lucky that they weren’t playing someone who is actually good at football.
When the half-time whistle went, Arsene Wenger’s side could count themselves lucky that they were only the one goal down. There were no changes for either side at the break, and Arsenal did begin with plenty of possession in the PSG half, chances were still hard to fashion though.
At the other end there was another clear sight of goal for PSG when di Maria got in behind, under pressure from Monreal he mis-controlled the ball then fell over looking for a penalty but the referee was having none of it.
Coquelin saw a stinging effort from outside the box deflect over, Aurier hit one into the side-netting, and good defending from Bellerin prevented Matuidi from having a tap-in again from an Aurier delivery from the right hand side.
Wenger made his first chance on 63′ with Olivier Giroud entering the field to whistles from the home fans as Oxlade-Chamberlain went off. But it was PSG who still looked most dangerous, Ospina had to be alert to save from Aurier as found himself one on one with the Arsenal keeper.
Moments later he did it again. The ball rebounded to Cavani in our box, he had just the keeper to beat but again the Colombian stood up well and made the save.
Granit Xhaka came on for Coquelin in the 71st minute and once more Ospina was called into action, tipping over from di Maria after his poor initial distribution caused a problem in the first place.
PSG would come to rue all those missed chances, as the Gunners leveled the game in the 78th minute. The initial chance came to Iwobi, he hit it straight at the keeper, but it rebounded out to Alexis who smashed it into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
There was almost an immediate response from the home side. Cavani was through again, powering away from Koscielny, he was going around the keeper, but the Colombian put out a hand and scooped it away.
At the other end Alexis created a great chance for Iwobi to put Arsenal ahead, but his shot was a little bit weak and the keeper made the save. Mohamed Elneny came on for Ozil in the 84th minute as Wenger looked to shore things up.
Giroud picked up a yellow card for dissent, and late on he picked up a second yellow for nothing much at all after a coming together with Veratti, who also got sent off. It was silly stuff but hardly worthy of red cards for either player.
Right at the death there was a great chance for PSG but Marquinhos couldn’t connect with a corner under pressure from Bellerin.
In the end, the Gunners can be thankful of a good away point but boy did they ride their luck at times.
PSG did an Arsenal. Donks! Now on to Hull…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSPINA!
Shocking defensive display from our back four!
More a shocking defensive performance from the whole team. We can’t cope with high pressing teams. Nottingham new.
Nottingham? How the fuck did autocorrect get Nottingham from the word “nothing”? Truly amazing.
Probably looking forward to the match against Forest.
That’s Nottingham new for me
Truro Amazonia?
TGSTEL has taken over your phone!
I agree. You would think with the technical players we have in the team that we should be more than capable of playing through a high press. And the tactic of using Coquelin as a decoy just does not work in my opinion – on more than one occasion he was our highest player up the pitch which should not be the case.
Oooooooospinaa.
Beat me to it!
Better than the Ooooooooopsina from last season. 🙂
Not sure what Wenger was thinking about with the starting lineup. Should have started with a striker and I think we could have won the game! Alexis just looked lost. I don’t think he likes playing the striker role at all. Ospina showing us what a class act he is. Still a draw is not a bad point at all. Would have taken that before the game. COYG!
Agreed – take a great combination of attacking speed and defensive grit and stick on his own in the front where he can do neither!! Too boxed in to run at defenders, especially when continually receiving the ball static with his back to goal and too far forward to do his usual sterling job chasing back on defence. That left Iwobi (who I thought was utterly inconsequential tonight) to do the chasing back which email he’d clearly not read as Montreal was continually left one on two with Di Maria and that other very quick fella with the long name…… Read more »
He was saving players for Hull, so as to be sure of coming fourth and qualifying for Europe, so as to save players for the league, so as to . . . Qualifying and pocketing the 20m for the group stage is what this is about and has been for a good many years. I didn’t have a problem with Ospina, I actually like him, but since Wenger clearly sees him as second choice it was obvious he was choosing to put out a weakened team. Why spend 32m on a defensive midfielder and then leave him on the bench… Read more »
Well, maybe not all is doom and gloom with the club and the manager if away draw with psg is, rightfully, seen as an utterly disappointing result. You know, psg are not that bad after all.
Not sure Alexis can even be described as playing the striker role. False 9, maybe? Whatever it is, it is not really working right now. Hope Alexis without Giroud develops as a good option — just not sure it has been effective yet.
Sometimes I do wonder what more Ospina could possibly do to displace cech
Slam his fingers in a door? Almost any other Premier League club, he’d be number 1. Fair play to him for staying and being professional.
Practice his distribution!
I’m going to say it: I actually prefer Ospina. You could nip to the kitchen, switch the kettle on and make a brew in the time it takes Cech to get down to a shot from outside the box!
Actually, I would love to see Ospina get a run in the team, he is quicker than Cech and maybe we need that in a GK. Ospina was lighting quick today. If he improves his handling of the corners, he would a very good No.1.
I agree, I think he struggles with corners because of his height.
I agree mostly but I find his distribution sometimes puts us under needless pressure.
I see the vultures circling above Cech’s head now.
Ramsey is injured, Giroud is benched, but the vultures are hungry.
The fact that we managed to salvage something from nothing is one of very few positives from today’s game. In the end a respectable result from a game that could have been a complete whitewash had Ospina not stepped up.
Iwobi’s going to be class for us too. Looks the business at 20, in spite of the miss/save late on.
Would like to see him help out more defensively to be honest. But wow is he impressive with the ball. And impressively consistent at such an age
The same Ospina people here wrote off even before the game began.
TY Ospina for telling the fans to get behind the team rather than mouthing it off before a ball is kicked.
Hahah yea, i know!! Fickle fans, what can you do. Its high time we don’t jump the gun on a players abilities. Ox is going to get a hammering, but lets not forget how bad Ramsey was before his purple patch.. Ox needs to fight it out on the pitch, if he serves, he would be a very handy winger. As AW says, OX puts too much pressure on himself, maybe he needs a proper sit down with a sports psychologist.
Ooooospina 🙂
Almost like we play better when players are in their proper positions, who’d have thought?
Get that filthy conformist attitude out of here! 😛
Hands down the most retarded game of football I have ever seen. I still can’t get my head around what just happened.
Oooooooooospina!!!!!!!!!
That was incredibly fun to watch! That’s what a European night should be like! Well done to the lads to secure a hard fought point.
Not sure how much credit anyone apart from Ospina and Cavani can get for our positive result.
Our goalscorer might have some part in it, too.
Possibly. He didn’t have the greatest of games though. With the caveat of he shouldn’t be playing upfront
He didn’t have the greatest 60 minutes, no. But the 30+ minutes after that, he scored, set up Iwobi for a big chance, tracked back and dealt with their RB on a few occasions.
It’s not like the concept of him being far more influential for us on the wing than up front is alien to us. Lambasting him for where the Manager puts him and ignoring his positive influence on our spark revival when moved back to his role, is futile.
I agree with you but who lambasted him? I didn’t lambast him at all. I didn’t think he played very well upfront which isn’t his fault but where he played for most of the game.
We should have been 4/5-0 down by the time we got the goal and the fact we didn’t concede those goals were for deficiency of others more than our credit really. Also going forward until the last 20 minutes we had done nothing.
Ultimately we got a good result so I’m not too unhappy.
Questioning the credentials of danny higginbotham to explain what Arsenal are missing to win a champions league… I think Paul Blart has gotten closer to an Oscar than Danny did to a champions league medal.
2 games in a row we get very lucky. Team is not gelling well at all so far, need to sort it asap. No shots first half and should have been a couple more down. Kudos to the team for keep going and getting a point. But Oxlade should be no where near first team atm, Sanchez has to shift left.
Does anyone just sit there thinking we play the same every game. Pass pass pass, no shots, no movement in behind or stretching defenders. It’s also in front of them. Mini rant over. Well done.
We look lost, static and play balls into players who have no chance but to play it back. Sometimes it clicks but it seems that most of the teams we play show a lot more purpose in their play. PSG were allowed to stroll forward almost at will some times.
Indeed there are many things to be critical of, I simply chose to focus on the exciting(often of our own making, positive and negative) feel of the match.
Seems counterintuitive but “Let Cavani have 7 great shots” was good enough for a draw.
Jesus Christ that was terrifying. Ospina’s finest match in an Arsenal shirt. You are a legend. COYG!
This one and the FA cup game against Liverpool at the Emirates in 2013
Didn’t even play for us in 2013
This is what a world class player brings to your team. This was a hitchcock thriller, starring alexis and ospina. Main lady was cavani, poor lassie.
Scary looking lass.
I think we must double Alexis’s wages and employ him not only as our new assistant fittness coach but as our new sport psychologist too.
I know he scored but he’s absolutely shocking as a centre forward. I’d even prefer theo
He’s never really done the business for us at CF, I think he had one or two good games, but in general, he needs someone to run off. He’s not a hulking 6 footer who can muscle other 6 footers off the ball. We know it, he knows it, Wenger may even know it.
But you can’t blame him for playing poor in a position he really shouldn’t be playing in, he doesn’t pick the line up.
The difference in his influence on the game was night and day when he was moved back to Left Wing.
Ospina, man of the match
Oooossspppiiiiiinnnnaaaaaaa…….what a performance.
Had a very bad feeling after the first goal, could have been a massacre, but the lads showed great spirit.
COYG!!!
We must be paying Cavani’s wages as he missed a lol amount of chances today.
And people think cavanni would be an upgrade for giroud.
I like the standing up for our players, but probably not right after Giroud was sent off for the 2nd year running in our first CL game.
But he didn’t even deserve one yellow… can you really blame him for the ref making a horrendous decision?
Ospina was incredible tonight! We might actually have won if Xhaka and Giroud had started.
Ox continues to frustrate, feel a bit sad for the lad.
A point away to the top seed: Result!
Cavani couldn’t score in a brothel.
He scored after 47 seconds of literally the match you just watched..
I actually thought we played well in the 2nd half, especially after Iwobi came on.. Got hit on the counter a few times against a very good counter attacking team but what’s the difference really of losing 2-0 over 1-0 so pushed pretty high to get the equaliser.
The team looks good when we have all 11 players playing in the positions that they play in.
Uhhmm Iwobi actually started the match
Iwobi literally started in the mtch you just watched
Great result. Bad performance, no fluidity at all. Credits to Ospina, he showed he has the quality to be our no. 1 afte Cech hangs up his boots.
On the other hand, I thought that Giroud should have started. After him acting as he did, in only 30 minutes on the pi
Sorry. On the pitch, he should be a substitute until January. Needs some serious ego and focus calibration.
It took Mr. Wenger 4 years and 250 million to build a team that plays second-rate football. Happy with the point, considering everything that happened on the pitch. Even if we had won, it wouldn’t have mattered as watching The Arsenal has become a dreadful experience; it’s been like this for years. I feel that these players are capable of much, much more but our manager doesn’t know how to get them to play nice football. Sorry for being negative, I’m gonna go back to my cave now.
I get the frustration in the first half, we were terrible, but for the majority of the 2nd half, we played some great stuff and looked the far more dangerous of the two teams.
Not sure which game you were watching, but must say that was a fantastic game of football. Even if we had lost, I thought he players moved the ball quickly and pressed the opposition when not in possession. If we play like this in the PL, I believe we will win most games.
Also, thought the manager got the subs absolutely spot on.
The players showed that they are capable of passing the ball quickly, as they have shown in the past. But they have no idea how to create chances with quick passes. Most of the time we either improvise or over-complicate things. Just look at how easy it was for PSG to create chances with a few simple passes. We two of the most creative midfielders in the world playing behind one of the most talented forwards and the first shot on target came in the 78th minute. That tells you a lot about the way this team is playing at… Read more »
For me. Alexis up top and giroud on the bench was a terrible decision and im not just saying this after the game, as soon as i saw the line up I knew it was a bad idea. We had no outlet and no height, making any set pieces a pointless exercise. Sanchez was lost upfront, constantly trying to do too much, always with his back to goal. Giroud should have started and sanchez outwide instead of the ox. Girould would have bullied their centre backs allowing much more from the likes of ozil, iwobi and alexis.
Makes me laugh how so many people thumb down a decent intelligent comment.. I don’t know what game Dazzlo was watching either. What’s certain is that he was wearing the same rose tinted glasses as Wenger generally wears
Giroud being a petulant little dick
Maybe it’s just me but I thoroughly enjoyed Giroud’s performance. He came onto boos from a French fans that saw him score three goals at a European Championships. He then went on to piss everyone off, put himself about and showed he wasn’t to be messed with. Think he really made a difference to our attack created a focal point. Not really sure he deserved to get sent off and I just loved seeing him, cunting about rather than lying on the floor wagging his finger. What I’m trying to say is, I don’t agree with your analysis. Many things… Read more »
PSG played like I want Arsenal to play. Arsenal played like we have been for far to long.
Pathetic. No movement from any players whatsoever. We have been here before. Just crowding near the edge of the box. And why do we don’t have any players who can put one straight cross inside the box.
Cos no one’s ever in the box
And that player we were linked to, Aurier, was putting in the sweetest crosses. He is a complete tool but was easily PSGs most dangerous player, until Monreal “dealt with him”
If we (Arseblog people) went one down within a minute, after that team selection, we would have lost the game 9-0.
Fair play to the resilience of the chaps!
Great result!
Well done boys!
as far as i know we’re not professionals who get paid thousands a week. just sayin
Just wanted to say….i love your comments and opinions. They make me chuckle on a consistent basis. Please keep up the good work!
We should’ve lost by 60 minutes but somehow Ospina kept us in the game. However, after Sanchez scored I felt we could’ve won the match. Harsh sending off or Giroud and Xhaka should’ve really started the match; looked much better when he came on. Given the circumstances a point in Paris doesn’t seem bad at all. COYG!!!!
Giroud’s done very little for the second yellow. Simply stood there – Veratti a little shit. But clearly his head was out of it, had already pissed off the ref. He and Xhaka both probably wondering why they were rested both Saturday and tonight. Giroud rested Saturday, assumed he would start in Paris. Perez started despite AW saying after the game that he would obviously be short. Yet you would think that AW had already decided to start Sanchez at CF. What have we bought Xhaka for 30M+ if he can’t start away at PSG in the first Champions League… Read more »
When Arteta was fit, he used to pay just about every game. Now we have a bigger and better Arteta but he doesn’t play. Strange! So badly want him to get going.!
Oh Olivier, you total numpty.
That first half was as enjoyable as masturbating with sand paper. Alexis is not a CF. Please never again. He is a wide forward and must play there, offers so much defensive cover, creativity and threat out there.
Why Wenger went with that starting XI is beyond me. We’ve stolen a point away in (on paper) the toughest game of the group so can’t be mad at that. Could really have been 6-2 so massive props to ospina.
Iwobi I thought was excellent tonight. No room for Ox I’m sorry moving forward
Seriously what were the reason for giroud,xhaxa not to start the game??
Maybe the manager felt that they weren’t the right players for the game? Maybe he felt that they will have a bigger impact coming off the bench? There are many reasons. Sure, in hindsight we can all agree that his team selection was a bit off, but we have very little insight in how the game is played or planned and demanding an explanation for every single decision just makes us sound like self-entitled little brats.
Brilliant point, on another day could have lost by 3 or 4 though, defending far too lax
I hope by brilliant you mean extremely undeserved and lucky
I hope by extremely undeserved and lucky, you mean “I don’t really get this football malarky”
Well thats football isn’t it.
what a ridiculous statement
lucky draw..
Take the point. Hope we improve. I fear our plan of giving up tons of scoring chances and creating very few is going to lead to us taking a real pounding in the near future if we don’t shape up quick. Giroud should give his head a shake.
As long as Ox plays a big role for Arsenal we can expect shite.
That goes for walcott as well
Dear Arsene,
I love you. I will never be one of the Wenger Out people. But, seriously, let’s review. Positions where Alexis Sanchez has had success over the course of his career: both fullback positions (Udinese), both wings (everywhere), no. 10, central midfield. Positions where Alexis Sanchez has not had success over the course of his career: Centerback, goalkeeper. And, most importantly, as a lone striker. Please make a note of this.
XOXO,
Daniella
Seriously! I have no clue what Wenger sees to put Sanchez as a striker. He is a Griezmann type player who needs the big striker to play off of.
We scored the goal when everyone’s preferred starting line up was on the pitch. Funny that. That was lucky as anything but a draw away to PSG is a decent result. Would just now love to see a starting team and some fluency in our play. It’s now been over a year since we have found good flowing football with any consistency.
Whoa! Was about to rip shreds off this comment until I read it a second time.
Yes. Agree! 😀
But why the fuck does Wenger keep fucking with the good set-ups?! In the Saints game Perez looked shit because he got no decent service, surrounded with Ox (shit at the moment), Walcott who barely contributes anything meaningful to build-up play, and disinterested-looking Ozil who had a very average game by his standards. Sanchez came on in his preferred position and we became lively instantly. In this game, again, Sanchez all alone, ineffectual up front, no one to bring the game to him. Ox shit as usual, Iwobi trying his best, Ozil sloppy…. Just fucking leave your strikers (a proper… Read more »
Thank the lord for Cavani. Good point but when are we gonna stop playing terrible?
We got away with one tonight. The wrong starting 11, the wrong tactics. Whilst other clubs develop their high intensity pressing TEAM game we play in the same confused, uninspired, frustrating style (or non-style) that we have for years (with a few exceptional games).
The right 1st 11 need to reach the potential we all know they can or some of that best 11 will not be signing new contracts.
Ospina was outstanding tonight, more so considering the lack of games under his belt. Girouds beard has been upgraded from awesome to ‘wizard’ level. Alexis up front doesn’t work, especially away from home against a top European team. I guess Wenger went for counter attack pace, but looked so much better with Giroud on the pitch. PSG just waltzed down the wings which was concerning. Koscielney immense as per usual and Mustafi settled as the game went on. Gutted I didn’t get to see Perez but made the right decision shoring up the midfield. Good result in the end. Onwards… Read more »
Furthermore the PSG fans jeering and whistling of Giroud coming on was a shame in his national stadium. Fuck em!
Ospina really does deserves praise and IMHO more game time here. Rotation is a good option.
Agreed, Alexis upfront gets lost, he is better on the left.
PSG waltzing down the wings was expected rather than worrying – Arsene effectively neutered Alexis’s defensive shift by marooning him up front – Ox proved himself to be a lazy little shit with little tracking back and Iwobi didn’t seem to know that that was what he was also supposed to do to support Nacho!
Shocking finishing from Cavani. Glad we didn’t sign him for 50 mil.
Funny game where we were lucky to get a point and yet could have won it at the end with Iwobi. We were much better when Xhaka and Giroud came on. I don’t understand Wenger at times.
The referee must be under the tutelage of Mike Dean it seems.
OOOOOOOOOOSPINAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. HE WAS THE MAN OF THE MATCH.
What happened was our two big guns didn’t fire on all cylinders but we still did well.
Looking good going forward…COYG!
We were awful, as simple as that. SOmetimes i do wonder what goes inside Arsene’s head, does he really works on tactics anymore or he just goes and select players randomly. We need better wingers, I’ve been one of the persons who says Ox can be great, and maybe he can, but as of right now we need someone who can deliver ASAP, and neither him or Walcott are those. Thank god for Alexis goal, Ospina was great, still dont know why some people rate him so low on here (maybe because he isnt called Woj and doesnt play anti… Read more »
Think Cavani has been our best summer signing by far..
Me too. By hey what the heck,
Ooooooooospina…
“Oliver Hollywood”…not good enough!
*Olivier aka hfb 🙁
Crap performance.
Crap team selection.
Crap tactics.
Good result.
10 quid on Ox being in the starting XI against Hull
Not a chance (that I will be taking that bet).
You can see it on his face when he is taken off that he knows he has played poorly. But he will start again very shortly, no doubt, and continue making pained expressions when hooked off.
It’s a shame, but he’s clearly buckling under his own potential right now and I am not sure that playing him into the form is more detrimental to us than beneficial.
In the words of the film “Arthur”…”I think it’s as a gonner” sadly.