Starting XI: Ospina, Chambers, Mustafi, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Ramsey, Xhaka, Wilshere, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Welbeck
Subs: Cech, Holding, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Iwobi, Nelson, Nketiah
__
Arsenal put their wretched recent form behind them to produce an impressive 2-0 win against AC Milan at the San Siro that puts them firmly in control of their Europa League last-sixteen tie.
Two assists from Mesut Ozil lit up the first half as Henrikh Mkhitaryan bagged his first goal for the Gunners and Aaron Ramsey walked in a second in stoppage time.
The home side struggled to create clear-cut chances after the break and when they did they were met with stout defending, characterised by a captain’s performance from Laurent Koscielny. The two sides meet again in seven days time.
First half
Milan were quick out of the traps winning three corners inside the first three minutes and flashing a ball across Ospina’s goal that Bonaventura came inches away from converting at the back post.
Arsenal soon grew into the game with Ozil, Wilshere and Mkhitaryan, ably supported by Kolasinac, putting together some nice moves down the left flank. Our Armenian midfielder had our first effort on 7 minutes, firing into the side netting. It was a warning for the home side.
The game was open and we still looked nervy at the back. Cutrone missed a glorious chance – he hit the side netting – after some dreadful defending by Chambers and Çalhanoğlu might have won a penalty had he gone down after a clumsy challenge by Ospina.
It was noticeable how high up the pitch Arsenal were pressing their opponents. Even better was that it seemed to work as Milan repeatedly surrendered possession in their own half. .
It was from such pressure that we broke the deadlock on 15 minutes. Wilshere and Ramsey combined to win the ball back 40-yards from goal, it was quickly worked to Ozil who in turn lofted a beauty of a pass to Mkhitaryan inside the left channel. He took the ball down on his chest, another touch to cutback on to his right foot and with the aid of a slight deflection fired high past Donnarumma for his first goal in Arsenal colours. (1-0)
It would be exaggerating to say that Milan were shell-shocked by the goal, but they certainly looked a little confused by Arsenal’s discipline after it. Ramsey and Xhaka sat deep to defend the back four, Chambers was bold in making challenges early and Mkhitaryan and Wilshere closed down space whenever it appeared.
In the five minutes before the break we created three very good opportunities. First, Chambers squandered a chance to find any of six Arsenal players in the box. Ramsey gave him daggers after a poor cross. Moments later our right-back, filling in for the injured Bellerin, tested Donnarumma with a left foot volley from 20-yards out. Then Welbeck raced through on goal but the effort was straight down Donnarumma’s throat.
Ospina flapped at a corner as the home side came back into the game but every time we won the ball back we looked dangerous. Mkhitaryan should have doubled the lead a minute into stoppage time of the half. Having been played in by the energetic Welbeck, he again cut on to his right foot but this time clipped the bar with his effort.
Amazingly, there was still time for one last attack. After some nice hold-up play by Welbeck, Ozil played a perfectly weighted pass to Ramsey who defied the Milan offside trap, controlled, walked the ball past Donnarumma and stroked home to double the lead. His celebration was one of anger and defiance. (2-0)
Second half
Welbeck came desperately close to adding a third three minutes after the break. A disastrous touch back towards his own goal by Kessie saw the England striker through on goal. Could he get there before Donnarumma? Not quite but the touch from the keeper bounced off our man, who knew nothing about it, and went just over the bar. It would have been a very Welbeck goal.
The odd break aside, Arsenal were content to sit back and defend. Three times Bonaventura, Milan’s most dangerous player, hit efforts high and wide. Koscielny then made a vital interception to stop a ball reaching Kessie who looked like he might be free on goal.
Our first change of the night was enforced on 62 minutes when Kolasinac, who’d been impressive, picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Maitland-Niles.
As the game entered the last 15 minutes our passing started to become more ragged. On the touchline, Gattuso screamed at his team to go for the jugular but they struggled to fashion clear chances. A Suso effort on the angle went out for a throw, before Koscielny made a great block to stop Kessie.
Wenger decided to shut up shop and took off Ozil with Holding adding to the defence. His first touch was to deflect another Bonaventura effort just over. With six minutes remaining Chambers, suffering with cramp, went off leaving Elneny to fill the gap at right-back.
Could we keep a rare clean sheet? That was the big question. We wasted time at every opportunity, much to the annoyance of the capacity crowd, but it did result in five minutes of stoppage time. Time seemed to stand still. All we needed to do was keep the ball, so when Xhaka decided to shoot from 30-yards – an effort that went flying over the bar – Wenger went ballistic. Thankfully, it didn’t matter.
Against the odds, we secured another famous win in the San Siro. Will this be a turning point in our season? Let’s hope so. After a tough few months, this was almost fun.
OH MY GOD WE WON AN AWAY GAME
Was great to see all the commitment and passion and defending and finishing that the team had been saving up on in the previous few games was put to good use in the game. Proper display and a great win. If the team keep up this level then no one will have a go at them. Totally a win to build on.
First time in a very long time that I’ve felt proud of an Arsenal performance; everyone really put a shift in today. Well done lads!
Make the most of it. The usual dross will return again at some point…
we needed to, considering our home form in europe
Well-played team! There could yet be some hope for redeeming our season through this competition! I feel like there was another goal or 2 for us in that first half, but a 2-0 away win after the really rubbish run we’ve been on…that i’ll take any given day. Now let’s wrap it up next week at home! 🙂
I writ my car off today and Arsenal win. Swings and roundabouts.
It was kind of like a mad night out where you’re “only going for one” but then you wake up still drunk on a barge in Belgium and you’ve no idea how you got there.
My best hopes today were for a draw, but somehow we managed to show up, play well, make Milan look average, win an away game – in Europe, AND keep a clean sheet.
The mind boggles.
That’s for talking shit!
Well done chumps, now some bit of consistency is required please
Normal service resumed
more like proper
I reckon Wenger will now stay till atleast the end of the season
If things go badly , it’s the manager’s fault and the AW out brigade are put in force …. who deserves the credit if the team wins a high pressure game in Europe ?
Players do dont they?
So then who deserves the shit and abuse if the team loses?
Kroenke
There was no way he wasn’t seeing this season through to the end anyway…
What did I just see?
Exactly
Something that resembled a team? Your not the only one shocked tonight.
Comfy, just as I predicted…not.
At least one North London side can beat an Italian giant.
(Without our two best strikers btw).
Sp*rs are the gift that keeps on giving
To be fair, Juventus would’ve given us nightmares had we played against them. Nevertheless, Sp*rs are a bunch of cunts and no opportunities to take a dig at them should be wasted.
No lets not be fair
That’s more like it! Thought the amount of diving from the AC Milan was disgusting.
To be fair, it was the guy’s honesty after Ospina clumsily banged into him that probably cost them a penalty.
Yeah, let’s give the guy a big up for not cheating !
Funny thing that guy felt hard done by his own honesty and tried a ridiculous dive against Chambers 2 minutes after
What a great win! Really professional performance. Besides Danny Welbeck kicking the ground in the final minute. Hilarious.
I think his boots are too big.
I think he was fouled
Yep, clear foul.
I hope that is sarcasm. Wasn’t touched at all. Fluffed the shot – as is the standard for Welbz.
I know this may seem obvious, but this is easily our best away performance of the season ?
There have been other away performances?
Everton
Everton was pretty good too
Thank God for that. Really needed a win.
That’s why I love this game. You’d think that you have it all figured out and bam it’s going to surprise you with something like this.
P.S. we should start Welbz in every match, he never fails to entertain.
Welbz was superb, as were they all. That boy may be far from the lethal striker we hoped but you’ve got to say he puts in a shift!!
Agreed, he had a great game
Missed a one on one to put the tie to bed. Constantly touched the ball like a newborn giraffe on ice. And the spectacular fluffed shot at the end was just the icing.
It a wonderful night, but no need to lower our standards and praise that as brilliant performance. Running a lot is just what you’d expect from anyone paid to play.
Fair play.
Chuffed with the performance. Amazing work. Let’s continue on and keep this up.
Looks like we finally turned the team off and on again
Should have tried that before
Yay ! Feels Good to be winning again. Great week so far with Spurs getting $crewed yesterday
that was nice. welbeck is an enogma. works hard but clueless
Enogma.. hmm let me pull out my welbsters?
Lol. Enigma I guess. Typo
An enigma to his apologists.
Those who know he’s not good enough already know. But like modern Arsene, he’s ours and we have to support him till hopefully we replace him at the earliest opportunity.
I’m fed up with Wellbeck jibes. He was excellent the first couple of seasons but theb had an injury and has been out for a long time. I adnit he has not been tge same since his return but does he deserve all the abuse and negative comments?? I don’t think so. He doesn’t run his mouth and runs himself to ground (literally) whenever he plays so there is no question of commitment about him. He is just struggling to keep his feet on the ground at the moment.
He’s our 3rd choice CF. Better than many other teams 3rd choice CF.
That one at 1-0 where he tackled the keeper it hit his head and went just wide. Only welbeck has that weird skill to score (almost) comical goals so consistently
He did slow up towards the end. I wanted Eddie on to provide a fresh-legs offensive threat as it gives me the shits when we invite pressure
Man of the match performance …..
Nice work Gunners! Let’s do this in the League from now on. No more shit showers please
enigma that would be
Blimey, actually resembled a football team. How i missed that simple sight.
Well well well. The players looked up for it, and surprise surprise we play like that. There is a team in there somewhere! Danny Welbeck ran his heart out and apart from tripping over himself was fantastic I thought. Calum Chambers won everything in the air. Xhaka too, thought he was really good.
Now finish the job next week
It’s amazing what can happen when your defenders defend and your strikers score.
He didn’t
Granted, but methinks his comical entertainment value is certainly worth a goal, no?
I did not see that coming.
Wasn’t expecting this, but i welcome it with open arms. Dortmund lost at home, if we focus and play well, maybe we can go far in this competition. Still dread at the thought of playing against Atletico Madrid tho
On our day we can beat anyone.
1. Great first half, scrappy second.
2. Milan a very average side.
3. We should have killed off the tie tonight with a 3rd and 4th goal.
4. Why do I get the feeling that we’ll make it hard for ourselves in the return?
5. Where were these players at Wembley against City and Spurs?
6. Wenger out – but only after we’ve won the Europa League!
Fatso, give it a rest man, why cant you let us enjoy in peace, what is these days a rare moment (an Arsenal away win!)…funny enough, I actually agree with all your points apart from the one about Milan being an average side. No they are not!…13 games unbeaten in all competitions, long history in Europe, just spent over 200 mill last summer strengthening their squad. truth is we played well tonight and you should be magnanimous enough to give credit when it is due.
Milan were pretty bad tonight, passing the ball straight out of play, terrible crosses, pretty average. They were so built up by the media, but they are 7th in that comparatively weak league for a reason.
I don’t agree with you. in my opinion, it was a game of two halves, like most top flight games are. In the first half, arsenal played well, pressed high and forced the errors….basically, they made them ‘look’ average. in the second half, they came back stronger and it was evident in the possession stats, but arsenal was compact and defended well despite all their pressure. Does tonight’s performance make them an average side? no!, they were just outplayed tonight…they can come back to the emirates next week and if we are not on our game, give us a hiding!… Read more »
i can’t wait to hear what that douche that said he felt sorry for us for drawing them says when he’s asked how it feels to lose 2-0 at home in the first leg
You know were having a good game when Wenger is barking out tactical instructions. Best game of 2018 for us.
Fair play to Welbeck he still can’t hit the back of the net but he put in a shift and more tonight..Did Ozil. Mhki and Jacks running as well as his own in the second half.
I can’t remember the last time Welbeck took a well hit shot that was on target. Chambers had a better shot on goal than Welbeck did. I’ve had plenty of patience with him, but I don’t think it will happen.
His strike against the turf in the dying minutes was impressive.
He was being fouled at the time…
Ospina…and a clean sheet! And at an away game (San Siro of all places)
Good job lads. Ozil second assist for Ramsey was a typical him.
Give credit where it os due. Running out to do a sliding clearance can also be call Ospina moments…coz Ive never seen Cech did that, instead I remember he missed an easy clearance resulting in a goal for the opposition. Shot stopping, penalty saving, one to one saves, sliding tackles….well that is Ospina. And I love him as our GK!!
We are the Arsenal. The mental, mental, Arsenal!
A little bit of confidence, a little bit of quality and collective sigh of relief can be heard throughout the Arseblog – even if it’s just for a day!
Today, we’re proud of you!
I can’t remember how good it feels to win!
Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
Sigh, good job guys..
Well!
Ramsey though?
Milan were rubbish to be honest.
It was a good performance from us (at last), but I’ve never seen a more bang average Milan side. They’d struggle against most of the PL.
Granted I haven’t watched Italian football since it was on C4 but…
Chambers had a good game
Yes, this game was the one of hundred games from Chambers. The other 99 was very bad. But..this one was realy good.
The game was won after Gunnerblog posted a video entitled “Why I wouldn’t start Mkhitaryan against Milan”. At last we know Mkhitaryn and Özil _can_ play together!
Someone should check on Gunnerblog to make sure he’s okay; there’s no telling how badly he injured himself for AFC to get a result like this
That was FUN!!!!
Xhaka > Pirlo
Well when the draw was made i commented that bonuci is only a good CB and that Juve made him top class alongside chiellini who is far away better and the juve tactical plan and I was slated and thumbed down. Well what about now also said milan have shit players and to name one players who can get in our 11 except of their GK and bonucci i was again thumbed down now you have your evidence as even welbeck looked class to comparison to their forward.
Don’t really like the tone. But I fear you are right enough without endearing yourself to anyone.
But enough about the team. Let’s hear a little about you!
Did you really get thumbs down back then???
That’s out of order, mate!
But I’m still thumbing you down tonight! ?
Getting thumbed down is your forte.
That’s more like it. Very decent win considering the rut we were in. It’s back up the stairs we go. Now the naysayers are playing it down saying its the weakest Milan side since forever…when they were trumping it up lauding Gatusso for the turn around and their unbeaten 13 game streak. Now its the players who will get credit not the gaffer. Like I said, I’d be happy to win the cup even IF Wenger then wants to see through the last season (but not another extension) If we play to our worth, we can beat anyone. Looks like… Read more »
Much improved performance but – not to take anything away from that – I was surprised at how toothless Milan was on the night.
This ‘It would have been a very Welbeck goal” got me laughing like a possessed man.
This was unqualified fun – a victory at the San Siro in front of 70000 Milan supporters against a team which had not conceded a goal in 600 minutes and not lost in 14 matches ….. no ifs and buts here .
Milan were quite poor and didn’t really offer much going forward. However credit where credit is due we still played a really solid game and controlled it well in the last 10 minutes to ensure they didn’t nick one at the end.
Two things towards the end of the game stood out for me, firstly why Xhaka thought it was a good idea to take a pop from 35 yards when we were trying to run the clock down is beyond me. Secondly I find Welbeck rather amusing.
We did aight! What an improvement. I was particularly pleased with the performances from Chambers and AMN. Mustafi even got his requisite reckless flying tackle in! Shame about the injuries though, we really ought to buy another right back. That Calabria kid looked to fit the bill, sign him up.
That’s why he’worth £350k per week – watch the match back in slow motion and there were 2 killer passes that split a defence – guess who?
They’re not great but we played well. Game was stretched from off as they clearly fancied it but we moved the ball better than we have for ages. There was good pace and movement to our play and in Welbeck a very willing runner. He had a decent game up too and showed what he’s capable of. Been a lot of negativity agsinst him of late but without the consideration that he needs a run in the side after an horrific few years with injuries. Led the line superbly at Wembley in May and again tonight. I get that’s not… Read more »
Well I didn’t see that coming. Well done lads!
Why is it that whenever we lose, we are rubbish but whenever we win, opposition are are rubbish?.. Whenever we win, it has never down to us being good to some fans..
Literally my thoughts too….and that negativity about the opposition adds to the spiral of negativity.
A nice away win. Happy that we finally won and have a clean sheet (Ospina’s clean sheet, despite the flappy moments). It was a pitty that Welbs didn’t bundled home that third goal….a very Wellbekian style indeed. Keep up the good work.
Now, the next BIG task is to fix our DISASTROUS home record in european competition!