Starting XI: Ospina, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshere, Xhaka, Ozil, Lacazette, Welbeck
Subs: Cech, Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac, Nketiah, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan
__
There will be no goodbye trophy for Arsene Wenger after his battling Arsenal side went down 1-0 to Atletico Madrid courtesy of Diego Costa’s strike in first half stoppage time.
The Gunners toiled and toiled as they tried to find an equaliser that would take the tie to extra time, but there was a serious lack of quality in the face of the home side’s masterful defending.
Over two legs, we played well. But you can’t miss chances at this level. And you can’t lose concentration as we did for both tonight’s goal and Griezmann’s in the first-leg.
First half
Arsene Wenger pondered how Atletico might approach this game. He thought they might sit back and hit Arsenal on the break but from kick-off they were quick to press in packs. Sitting on an away goals victory didn’t seem to be on the home side’s agenda.
We were panicked into giving away a corner inside a minute. It was headed clear but when the ball was returned to the box, Ospina had to dive over Koscielny to punch it away. We looked nervy.
Chances for both teams followed. Ozil fed Lacazette on the right and his fantastic cross had to be chested away for a corner. Nothing came of it.
Atletico struck back. Monreal was outmuscled by Costa and through one on one with Ospina. He fluffed his lines shooting wide.
Then disaster for the Gunners. Captain Koscielny fell to the turf with nobody near him. He was in agony, screaming and pounding the turf, seemingly holding his ankle. At the break, it was confirmed he’d torn his Achilles; the problem he’d been nursing for years coming back to haunt him at the worst time. Wenger signalled for a substitution immediately as the stretcher was sent on for the centre-back. Awful luck. On came Calum Chambers. Wilshere took the armband.
As was the case in the first-leg, we did well keeping our width and spreading the play. Atletico were pushed back, if only our crosses had been a bit more accurate. Bellerin and Monreal were both guilty of failing to find a striker.
We continued to probe. Ramsey fed Lacazette who rounded Oblak but he ran out of space and couldn’t get a shot off. The ball was worked back to Ozil but his cutback was blocked. Not long after, Monreal burst through the left channel but he couldn’t control Ramsey’s deft pass.
The home fans went quiet. It was noticeable. Costa started snarling at the Italian referee. In the stands, Simeone, banned from the dugout, looked very concerned.
We looked in control before an awful Ospina pass, which went out for a throw, signalled a change in momentum. The home side sensed an opportunity to pressure.
Koke’s volley had Ospina clambering across his goal before the effort bounced wide. Within a minute, Griezmann fired inches wide on the turn from a tight angle through a crowded box. The Metropolitano found its voice again.
Four minutes before the break, Wilshere lost his head and charged into Gabi. He was shown a booking. The referee had been spoiling for a chance to reach for his pocket.
It looked like we might make it to the break with a clean sheet. Then two minutes into stoppage time, added for Koscielny’s injury, we conceded. Chambers’ attempt to clear a long ball by Oblak was won in midfield by Partey. The ball dropped to Griezmann who sprung Costa inside Bellerin and the former Chelsea striker, so often our nemesis, smashed past Ospina. It would be hard to write a worse finish to the half. (1-0)
Second half
Could we find a goal? Did we have the gumption to wrestle back control of the game? Griezmann didn’t want to let it happen.
The Frenchman pumped up the crowd at every opportunity, leading from the front with his pressing and high tempo play. The Wanda delighted in his attitude.
Gabi picked up a booking for a cynical foul on Welbeck. Classic shithousery from a side well-practiced in such behaviour. The resulting free-kick, having been lofted into the box, was cleared to Wilshere whose shot in turn dropped to Ramsey. Time stood still as the Welshman swung a leg at the ball but it just wouldn’t come down in time and he thighed it wide.
There was no respite in the action. In front of the Atletico Ultras, Chambers did brilliantly to dig out Mustafi and stop Costa from grabbing his second. Sloppy play gifted Griezmann another chance to break. He danced forward, Monreal snapped at him. He got nearer the box. Monreal snapped again. This time he made contact and earned a booking. The Frenchman picked himself up, dusted himself down and curled the free-kick wide.
Back came the Gunners. Ozil bundled his way through the Atletico defence, he took his time, looked up, but saw his cross blocked. The German, free again in the box, with another cross. Once more it was cleared. Xhaka took matters into his own hands, firing at goal from 30-yards. Oblak got down low to push it round the post. Mustafi headed over the corner.
The pulsating action continued. Griezmann, just yards out, controlled and shot. Chambers blocked and the ball was claimed by Ospina. Awesome from Calum.
Wilshere made way for Mkhitaryan. Ramsey took the armband. The Armenian’s impact was almost immediate as he controlled a ball on the edge of the box and fired just over Oblak’s bar. Needing a goal, Monreal pushed further forward. He made a great run to head back a lofted Xhaka pass but Welbeck wasn’t near enough to capitalise.
It’s fair to say we were living very dangerously at this point. In attempting to push forward we were increasingly open at the back. 14 minutes remaining and Xhaka’s last-ditch challenge denied Griezmann. A brilliant sliding tackle. He finally timed one! Costa and Mustafi then had a coming together after the striker chucked the ball away. Both went in the book. A Costa goal and booking. How predictable. Thankfully, the ugly prick soon signalled his need to go off. On came Fernando Torres, another player who has caused us plenty of pain in the past.
Arsene Wenger, on the occasion of his 250th European game, crouched on the touchline, lips pursed. Little wonder. Inside the final few minutes and the home side were doing their utmost to run down the clock deep inside the Gunners half. Ospina beat away a Torres effort.
As the game reached stoppage time we desperately worked the ball forward, but we just couldn’t find the quality to unpick the Atletico lock. They really are masters at the art of defending deep and sponging pressure. Fair play to them. We only had one shot on target all night.
And then it was over. All over. 22 years of Arsene will end at Huddersfield on 13 May. Our dreams of a trip to Lyon done.
needed Giroud
No one was surprised, the players can’t put in a good cross, can’t defend can’t attack what a totally useless side. Its alright for smashing some weakos every now and then, but by and large by no means a side good enough to be a top tier or even a top two tier team. Much work lies ahead for whoever comes in. As for Wenger just sack him tonight and send out a message that Arsenal done with emotional judgements runing the team on the pitch. Fire Wenger, I doubt he is going to get much of a farewell anyway.… Read more »
A very timely reminder for everyone who were still defending Wenger.. this should also make his sendoff that bit easier.. you cant make serial bottlers into winners buy a flick of a switch..
What saddens me the most is that we were responsible for our own demise. We lost not because Atletico displayed some extraordinary play but due to our own frailities. Shit crossing, lack of urgency, pathetic clearances, leaving open gargantuan spaces, we were always heading for disaster. The premier league is known for its physicality but our players were being toyed with. The worst part was the attitude that the players displayed after playing a wrong pass or having been intercepted. Instead of trying to recover the ball, they’d sulk like a 5 year old kid. Spineless, the whole bunch of… Read more »
We used to be quite deft at playing one touch football. But now, everybody needs to make a hundred thousand touches before passing/shooting the ball. Forget about half chances, even simple tap in opportunities are lost by the time our players are able to get a good hold on the ball.
This ^ is EXACTLY how I felt watching the game this morning. I was angry after the first leg but this….I think it was the lack of passion that has upset me the most….for fuck’s sake, NONE of our players looked up for it tonight.
I swear wenger is leaving the team in the worst shape ever. A team full of a bunch of useless players that can’t even get it up for the big occasion.
Whoever takes over has got a massive job on his hands to change the culture of the club. The team is weak in every possible respect.
Are you talking about football, or your prom night?
This is one of the reasons I’m happy that Wenger is resigning
Thanks for the memories Arsene. Please take Bellerin xhaka Welbeck and Ramsey with you. Will never challenge for major honours with players like these in first team.
Don’t forget to bring away Willshere
Xhaka and Chambers were the only players that looked even remotely up for it. Agreed on Bellerin though, take the 50m from Barca this summer.
Xhaka did look up for it. Unfortunately he is too slow can’t tackle and switches off too often. Being up for it is not enough
No but there was a tangible difference between the way he played compared to Ozil & Ramsey. They were shocking. Bad!
Ozil did ok. Trouble is he needs to be playing with quality and so often the cunts round him picked wrong pass
He was arguably our best player.
Agreed Jean. It has to be frustrating playing with so many technically not good enough players
Xhaka was good, had heart and fight in him.
Clown
ramsey was one of wengers top ten signings
Clueless.
A sad end to Koscielny’s Arsenal career. Firstly, fucking up last week to literally hand the tie to Athletico, then tearing his Achilles when he had the chance to make up for that mistake and be a hero in Arsene’s swansong. But that sums up our season really. Disappointing and underwhelming when it mattered most. Thanks for the memories Arsene. Its a shame the love story didn’t end the way you wanted it and deserved. But its now time to look forward to a new chapter in our great club. Hopefully another glorious era, where we win trophies and become… Read more »
Kos’s career started with gifting Birmingham the Carling cup, and has ended with gifting Atletico the Europa.. and many blunders and bottle jobs in between, sprinkled with a few inspired performances here and there..
Yes..sorry Wenger. As much as u want that Europa Cup for your farewell, you just couldn’t get the best out of the team anymore.
The romantics dreamed of winning a European trophy for Wenger but the realists must have known that wasn’t going to happen. That’s why he’s going.
Not even Giroud could have done anything with the crosses being delivered today. So frustrating to se every attack going forward water out to nothing.
Not it really. Every cross bar one was crap.
Giroud used to run to the near post, so yeah we missed him.
How no one figured that if they got to the front post they would get a goal during all those crosses I will never know. Could have bagged a hattrick
Well looks like noone got the memo – it’s the second leg and we need a goal. Nothing like pedestrian football for 90 minutes in a European semi-final when you need to score.
The most sickening thing was watching Costa and Simeone jumping around. Made me wanna punch taze my own balls.
Ouch!
I switched the tv off (with sky box still on, so I can go back and watch) at 75 mins, as it was frustrating and stressful. Even if we had scored, our defence doesn’t inspire confidence that we’ll shut them out.
They beat us without having to attack us after 10mins of the first leg..
the global image of Arsenal that wenger has helped to create in recent years is of well known bottlers.. I’ll be more than happy if that is spoiled..
With wenger gone, hopefully, the curse of a player making us cry everytime they play against us will also be lifted. Drogba, Rooney, Costa.. we made Rooney look world class everytime he played against us.. also the charitable losses against struggling teams and players will come to an end too..
Pedestrian…I cannot think of a more fitting term for what we witnessed tonight! We fought but we didn’t fight. We put in what should be evident week in and week out but ultimately the team who are better managed, better motivated and have the grit and determination. Everyone expected this tonight, we all hoped a better ending, but we all knew….
The time wasting and defend-counter strategy by Atletico was so good it pissed me off to no end. Bellerin was so average. Great athlete, but poor on the ball, unconfident with the pass (unless it’s backwards), never takes on his man when there is space to attempt a dribble, and his crosses are sometimes maybe shit. I blame the lack of dribbling on the manager. We all know he’s all about high ball retention with little penetration. 95% of the balls that go out to Bellerin are going to be passed backwards. It’s predictable. It’s easy for the opposition. But… Read more »
What a fucking horrorshow that was.
As expected. Now let’s ditch the deadwood, backroom staff, coaches and get some people with balls and turn Arsenal back to the team they were
first player I’d sign is that Thomas guy on Atletico. What a beast. He can play in mid too. Exactly the type of player we’ve been dying for.
Season over
since 2017
Since 2015
It was over on August 11.
Really saddened that the players didn’t turn up AT ALL for the manager when it counts. So lethargic, slow and boring. No energy. I’m really sad he couldn’t go out with a bang but fuck I’m looking forward to a new start, this is the icing on the cake of a horrible campaign.
Blogs: Why are trolls like jimmythegoat on the live chat not being banned?
I see we deployed our cross at all times strategy again.
To be fair not sure what else you can do …
Would’ve helped if we did it better
Honestly it would help if anyone actually went after a cross. Every time we’re always going to cross we just see a bunch of players standing there hoping it goes EXACTLY to them
every team beats us quite easily with quick balls over the top. How come we never try that? We walk the ball up the pitch and allow all 11 men to get back on D. It doesn’t make any sense…
Do they ever work at how to defend those long balls over the top in training??
But crosses were the best way to beat their defence. The sad thing was that Bellerin and Monreal could barely manage a good cross between them, and no one was attacking the few crosses than did make it into the box. We looked weary and slow. The closest to a goal were the long-range shots from Xhaka and Mkhitaryan.
Clueless
Can we now all agree, Ozil is not worth keeping over the summer (especially considering his salary). Infact we need a completely new team.
Are you some sort of cunt
Assshavin probably over the top…..but 350k a week for Ozil is up there with the worst financial decisions in the club’s history. A good player but just nowhere near good enough that he should be one of the best paid players in the league & roughly double the next highest paid player on our squad. His agent played an absolute blinder to be fair to him.
How he managed to play the whole game amazed me! He wasn’t there tonight! Awful infact, big games you expect your big players to turn up and he didn’t tonight
He rarely fronts up. Never really been the player we all hoped he would be. Shud.ve been sold along with alexis last summer. Arsenal is the new byword for awful management. Wish we could.ve have got through and won this trophy. But we didn.t. Huge changes required in the playing staff. Hopefully the next manger has the nous to make said changes
1st: it’s not 350k..
2nd: Ozil was well underpaid for over 2 years as he didn’t renew earlier..
You know this how exactly that It’s not 350k? Those are the figures that pretty much everyone reported…..and when quoted on here no-one disagreed.
Ozil is a coward, don’t expect anything less
I don’t know what people expect from Ozil. If your teammates are standing still and the opposition is defending with 8 men, then what are you supposed to do?
Run around?
Create or score a goal in a difficult situation maybe? That’s what 350k a week players do.
My question was how Ozil was supposed to score or create goals in a difficult situation and your answer is he should have created or scored a goal in a difficult situation?
Stop using his wage as a straw man. A higher wage bracket does not mean a player can supersede football’s nature as a *team* game.
It’s not a straw man argument at all. Players on that high a wage are supposed to be elite players who CAN supersede football’s nature as a team game. I said he’s a good player – I just think financially It’s a shocking decision from the club as (as you yourself admit) he isn’t that type of player….and it’s a salary no other club would have paid him either.
well why don’t he do something, if he is as good as people say he is, why should he always wait for someone else to do something, he does fuck all every game, he is fucking useless, waste of money, wenger only bought him because of wengers ego, wilshere as usual was pulling all the strings for us tonight
Couldn’t agree more, it’s like people expect him to be able to run through everyone, do some swivels; and put the ball either on a plate for someone or top corner every time. People saying ‘ah that’s what £(X)k per week should get you’ are just plain wrong. Ask yourself what would have happened if we didn’t tie him down? Those same people would be banging on about how we’ve let our last world class player run down his deal, Arsenal are a disgrace, Wenger ruined this club etc. I think a lot of the problem is that a lot… Read more »
“For some ridiculous reason”
Wenger called Xhaka a defensive midfielder when we signed him. Don’t blame fans for taking our manager’s word for it.
Ozil didn’t play at Old Trafford. He should have been relentless in this game. We didn’t get the “playing for a new contract Ozil” last night, we got the guy who shoots frustrated looks at his team-mates when things weren’t happening.
If he can take the contract, he can take the criticism.
Ass having a laugh!!!!!
He is being deployed as a left wing in all our big games (because he doesnt defend enough), and on the wing, he is bang average on the wing. So what exactly is his worth? He can get 4 assists against cska?
Ozil is class and i’m glad he stayed. He has won 3 FA cups for us and he will win a lot more before he leaves.
I’m not letting keyboard warriors destroy him. Not today.
He stayed COS no f……r wanted him, get real!
The problem is not the players. Everyone knows that They are world class bought by Arsenal but unfortunately the manager cannot get the best out of them. This problem will be addressed at the end of the season which is already over anyway. Next season we are not going to have European Games and it will be a new Arsenal with a lot of Aubameyang. It is really sad that it ends not the way Wenger expected but at least thinking of the prospect of having a brilliant new manager next season get me somehow excited about starting a new… Read more »
No European games? We will be in the Europa League again!
never mind folks, only three more games of misery
Athletico knew how to handle the occasion, we didn’t.
In a nutshell – that’s it. Whether some people can accept that or not – I don’t know.
But they need to ; and so does the new Manger. Because if he does – then the players might. And then – at some point in the future – we can correct that and vault the obstacle – and become winners.
Massive +1 to this.
They just overall felt more professional than us – like their players just knew what to do in different situations, even with their manager sitting up in the stands.
It hurts to admit things like this, especially when over the two legs it wasn’t exactly obvious why they were better than us (i.e. we weren’t blown away by their football, they weren’t unlocking us at ease), but all they had to do was put in a professional performance and it worked.
what a disappointing result – was really hoping for Wenger to go out on a high. looking at the tie the real issue was the away goal as they could just sit back and park the bus the entire game – which is pretty much what they did. we just aren’t set up to beat a team that sticks 10 players in the box for 180 minutes. hopefully we can hold off burnley so we don’t have to play Europa league qualifiers. jack can be a valuable squad player for us but we simply cannot keep playing Ozil on the… Read more »
Last 10 years summer up in a game. Didn’t play that badly in large parts but made stupid mistakes and mucked it up when it mattered. Lost my voice screaming at players to shoot and why he took off Wilshire who was having his best game in ages and not Ramsey I’ll never know.
Couldn’t agree more. Savage “Ramsey is arsenals most influential player with his runs into the box” the cunt was useless. He is useless in 8 out every ten games.
Ramsey and Wilshere were both pretty useless, but Arsene is like a father to them so they must play. In the meantime we’ll stick our most creative player, the one Simeone was most worred about, out on the wing to acommodate them. Simeone must have thought it’s Christmas. This result was not what Arsene wanted, but the game showcased all the usual issues, and the result was probably what he deserved.
One thing I eagerly look forward to is seeing all those players that Arsene loved for whatever reason being given a reality check and put in their place by the manager. That place preferably being some other club being suckers enough to take them off our hands.
LOL. Wilshere having his best game in ages? He was freakin’ invisible most of the night. He barely touched the ball until like 5 mins before he was subbed, and when he was mentioned, it was usually because he screwed up (notice that it was Wilshere who was supposed to be marking Griezmann when Griezmann wasted that great chance he had when he got the ball from the free kick in the first half?). If this was Wilshere’s best game in ages, then that tells you exactly where Wilshere is right now. As in, nowhere near the level needed at… Read more »
I wore a wilshere jersey tonite and his display was a fking joke. He got me so mad at times for jogging in the box.. .At least from him i expect much more everything and especially spirit in such a big game.
He was jogging back when the opportunity was there to go win Chambers’ knockdown on the goal we conceded. Instead Partey just steams past him and wins the ball for Griezmann. Cost us the game.
Match Report: Arsenal successfully lets down Wenger for one last time
He’s let down the club quite a few times too…
He’s never done that. He’s always stood up for this club, despite what went on behind him. This goes way way deeper than just replacing Arsene. This team has absolutely no character. If you’re a professional footballer, and *this* is what you show up with for a european semifinal, I don’t care who your manager is, or how clueless he might be – I still expect you to make an effort. My god, I lost count of the times we had the opportunity to make an early cross when someone was actually in the box – but instead we pass… Read more »
Couldn’t give a f*** about not giving Wenger the send off. I’m sad because we lost and we lost the Arsenal way we have seen for a decade. We dominated midfield and attack over two legs and let two defensive farts kill us off. I feel that due to the nature of the loss and it’s repetitiveness despite the squad we have on each occasions it happens, that this is Wenger who is 60% at fault and the players 40%. He crafted his own demise. This 2-leg loss was so “Arsenal”, it’s our DNA now and I’m praying a new… Read more »
Well there it is. Wenger’s last stand with us and a disappointing one it is. We were defensively good for a change but lacked the ability to punch a way through to their goal.
So this is it for the season. Bring on the new man in charge, whoever he may be, and let’s put this shit season behind us.
Having to make countless last-ditch tackles doesn’t count as ‘defensively good’ as far as I’m concerned.
Really, the tie was lost in the first leg. Even a 1-0 and we were in the driving seat.
If that was a defensively good performance, then we must’ve been watching a different match.
Well maybe but to me the defence looked better than it has most of the season which perhaps says enough. Either way I can’t really be bothered anymore. I’m glad this abortion of a season is effectively over. Roll on the new season with a new man in charge – a new broom and sheriff to whip this team into the shape it can be.
Good riddance 17/18!
What a toothless, damp squip of a performance. They could not even go for it on the old man’s last shot at Europe ?
Living on borrowed time a few of them !
I was begging for Mkhi to be brought in earlier for his direct passing play and no nonsense style
Props to Özil for getting in on defence
Feel the sadness deep in my heart at our helplessness
That first leg will haunt my dreams forever
absolutely guted…. for the Arsenal, for Kos, for Wenger, for Football…
This was simply not enough ?
Wilshere was nowhere near a renewal, though I appreciated Chambers display.
On to next season…
Gutted for kos because? If we were a complete side after that howler in the 1st leg he should have been lucky to get on the plane. I didn’t miss him a jot.
Well… to leave the field that way after 7 min…. and missing what should have been his last World cup…
There’s good news and bad news. The team really really tried out there today, no heads went down, I thought Chambers did especially well coming on in a pressure situation. But, we are so far from a competitive team at the highest level it isn’t funny, and Wenger leaving isn’t going to fix that. Kos is finished, the injury he’s been bravely carrying all season seems to have finally done him. He needs the Mertesacker role next season. Monreal has been a great servant but we need a replacement there. Bellerin….pfff, been a shambolic season from him culminating in tonight’s… Read more »
When we lost a game like this, there is nothing good, alright?
Agree with you for most of that, but I’d ship Mustafi as well. He dives in sliding into everything. There is no calm or composed defending from him.
Sad end to an era, but mistakes have become commonplace in the defence now and we have met a side that certainly know how to capitalise on them.
A few pointless run outs to go, then time for a new beginning.
We need a new manager, goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and strikers.
Is there anyone who genuinely believed that we would score a goal away to athletico?
We played against 10 men, for almost 90mins, at our home and we still managed to score only one goal and concede too.
I know the new coach can’t bin every single player but, wenger has left a bunch of shites for whomever it is to deal with.
Gutted.
Bellerin can’t cross. Bellerin can’t defend. Monreal can’t cross and was shit. Welbeck can’t pass. We need a new team.
When you expect Mikhitaryan, Wenger gives you Willshere… Bye-bye
Everyone poor except Chambers. Need fresh tactics and ideas. Gutted , onto next season
Selling Giroud in January was huge mistake. The guy was Mr Reliable in these occasions.
Anyone seen Ozil?
I hope whoever the next manager is he encourages our players to shoot a bit more. It is so frustrating that every time we get into the box we seem to have to take an extra touch and then lose it.
“This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper” – T.S.Eliot
Goodbye Wenger, so long.
Anyone else just fucking gutted?
I have never been so disappointed and infuriated after an Arsenal game. Surely this time, I thought. Over to you Sven and Raul.
A bit ashamed of the way we ended the game but I can’t be gutted about such a clear result and by that I mean the control and dominance Madrid had.
I was more angry after the first game. That’s when we really lost the semi-final. Down to 10 men all game and we let them tie it up in the last 10 mins…
We didn’t deserve to go through. They outplayed us so bad today and should have scored more.
Results like this always bring out all the knobheads on this site
Hi, knobhead!
I was actually suprised by our body language. Except chambers and danny(&maybe xhaka) at times it was so dissapointing to watch. More sad than angry,
Wilshere on the bench at the closing minutes…
Cute, but sulky little boy…
I wouldn’t be bothered if 2/3rds of these cunts never wear an arsenal shirt again. Let’s put this into perspective. Watching this bunch of idiots amble around a field while their half as talented north London rivals stretch away in the league and Liverpool get to yet another cl final with displays of blood and thunder make me feel sick. To think, regardless of AW’s flaws, they play like this on his last chance to win a trophy, in a European cup semi final, and then pick up their disgusting salaries. They can all fuck off.
oh well, tearing it all down will feel good
Gutted…. worst way to send off the greatest manager Arsenal has had.
Sad. End of an era. I really wanted him to go out on a blaze of glory but sadly not to be. for me, we lost the tie really in the first leg when we failed to finish them off when they were down to 10 men and allowed them to score an away goal….this to a team that last conceded a goal at home last in January. from then, it was always going to be an uphill task, and the whole game just played to their typical script. Well the season is effectively over now, on to the next… Read more »
We scored more against Barcelona with Xavi, Messi, Iniesta et al.
Monreal crosses looked liked a debutant LB is playing for the first time in front of a huge atmosfere trying despereatly not to make a mistake when crossing and not like a expirience LB composed who know how to cross properly when we need a goal. As for bellerin he was making his hair when forgot about tracking back letting costa alone as for his crosses we all know he is shit in crossing if you ask me take the money from juve or barca overhaul is needed enough with players dont give a fuck. Chambers was really good and… Read more »
Monreal put in a disgusting performance
At least its one step closer until we can finally see the back of this completely uninspiring team and the antiquated manager who created it, both are utterly bereft of talent and ideas.
Let the youngsters do this business in the league for the rest of the season and sell 90% of the senior squad in the summer. – good fucking riddance
The most fitting way to end the last 10 years.
We needed a big performance. We got one that wasn’t terrible but was just meh & frankly a bit dull to watch. Kinda poetic that Arsene’s reign ended that way given that is the story of the last few seasons.
Bitterly disappointing.
3 and a half month…
and a big, big, big breath of fresh air!
Should have started Mikihitariyan tonight. Really should have.
Oh well, can’t say Atletico didn’t deserve to go through, based on tonight. We blew it last week.
I wonder who is going to be there to frustrate us next year?
Everyone knew what the Atletico tactics were going to be. Yet we still did our best to shrink the width of the pitch by allowing Ramsey and Ozil to drift centrally.
There is no cut and thrust. We need proper wingers and a #10 who can dribble a man and put in a delicious cross or a shot on target.
Koscielny’s record in our last two European exits:
2017 Bayern 1st leg – off injured
2017 Bayern 2nd leg – sent off
2018 Atletico 1st leg – kicks clearance into own face
2018 Atletico 2nd leg – off injured
It’s a similar story in nearly every big game he’s played. Has there ever been a more overrated defender? Complete donkey with no composure or awareness.