Well we can take heart from the knowledge that we are still capable of beating a fourth division team from the north of Sweden. (Over two legs, that is)
There was quite a bit of moaning on the blog, I have no sympathy for you lucky few watching it in front of your warm tellies, being there was a far worse torture, the only crumb of comfort I took from the first half was that at least I didn’t have to watch Walcott anymore.
We are through, job done, this game will be forgotten in a nano second.
Ratings
Ospina: seemed good enough, better than Cech? Well yes I suppose so. 5
Bellerin: I guess he played because he has no back up, did ok. 6
Chambers: dumb 2
Holding: dumber. 3
Kolasinac: the thing about Sead is that when scoring needs to be done, he scores, that’s it, simple as. 5
Maitland-Niles: well there have been people like me chomping at the bit for him to start in the EPL ahead of Xhaka, well I was put in my place tonight, still a lot to learn but obviously very young, gets a pass. 4
Wilshere: the thing about Jack is that when scoring needs to be done he scores, no he doesn’t, he is all over the place. And you lot are gagging for him to sign an extension? I don’t get it, another average performance. 3
Elneny: you get what it says on the tin, a lot of running but not too much shine. 4
Iwobi: I am trying to work out who the Forrest Gump award should go to for tonight’s performance. 3
Welbeck: who is the other contender for the Forrest Gump award.
Run Forrest, Run. 2
Mkhitaryan: this is the first time that I have seen him play in the flesh so it is all still new and exciting, there is a lot a class there, working with the rest of that shower must be difficult. 6
Written by LB
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks, LB.
I like the brevity of your summary – it was one of those games about which the less said the better. Move on. Next!
Having said that, I perversely enjoyed my trip to North London last night. Yeah, we only scraped through against the Swedish Brentford, but being 3-0 up at halftime was always going to make for an uncomfortable second half.
The stadium was half full, though the Swedish fans gave us some entertainment throughout the game. Having seen chanting, jumping, fist-pumping, flare-igniting Germans, Italians, Spanish and French down in the away corner, it made a curious change to be serenaded by what seemed like an old peoples’ coach tour. The weather would have something to do with that as the brass monkey was definitely a eunuch last night. The Swedish songs were all incomprehensible; they seemed to be singing ‘Let It Snow’ at one point followed by something about marinated seal flipper.
I must admit to a resigned nervousness after the second goal, but instead of pressing home their advantage, they retreated in similar fashion to how they began the whole tie in Sweden. Perhaps the sudden realisation that they could win gave them a nosebleed.
The Beast’s goal just after half time killed the fightback and we really should have had 3 or 4 more goals in the second half.
Anyway we can go into Sunday’s Final full of confidence in the knowledge that the same team won’t be playing again (I hope). 🙂
Mkhitaryan 6?
Are you serious?
He tried and tried, but did nothing of notice yesterday at all
p.s. I hadn’t gone AWOL or bush (whatever that is) earlier, I was just having all sorts of trouble with WordPress.
p.p.s. Oh yeah, and my boiler is on the blink, so no heating or hot water. Cosmic.
chas. Perfect timing as we approach an arctic weekend, You know they will charge a fortune to repair it
Thanks mate.
LB. Thank you. Brief and to the point. As you say, we TV watchers had it easy.
I am with ArsenalDK. Giving Miki a 6 is particularly generous.
Same for Ospina who should have saved the second.
IMO only Bellerin deserved more than 4.
Boy Scouts motto
Thanks LB, I’ll continue the short/soon forgotten theme ….
pants …. incomprehensible …… why? …. how? …..move on ….. cup final …. COYRRG
Hey, the draw is at 12pm.
I fancy Colchester United.
Morning Chas
I hadn’t realised that you made the trip last night, jeez and there was me moaning with just a 25 minute trip to the ground.
I like your summary up there.
Having sold 3 strikers and leaving us with welbeck who clearly does not know where the barn door is let alone hit it from 6 inches it was inevitable that this team of hopefuls and maybe no hopers would flop as they did.
I go to very few games but to endure that in the freezing cold was an ordeal not to be repeated.
I regarded the ground as half empty not half full.
In reality, though, it was almost entirely reserve players who when playing with the first team do well usually but when they all play together do not seem to have much of a clue.
Aw took a risk and it paid off. We will see on Sunday whether or was a risk worth taking.
I am not so sure.
JJ. Had AW played a full first team we would have asked for his marbles to be checked. We won with the minimum damage to squad fitness but to lose to such opposition at home is an embarassment.
It also highlighted our worrying lack of a replacement for Bellerin
LB : amusing. Cheers.
Arsene’s comments are easily found on the web.
He pretty much agrees with LB.
I saw the whole game on TV… only Bellerin deserved more than a mark of ONE. That includes Mkhitaryan.
@Jigsol
Yes, Welbeck doesn’t fill me with confidence at all as a striker either.
How the dickens can we expect to score against City?
You know what? I’m backing Welbeck to get a brace. Seriously.
Here’s the opposition for the next round
AC Milan (ITA)
Athletic Club Bilbao (ESP)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
CSKA Moskva (RUS)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
Lazio (ITA)
Leipzig (GER)
Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
Lyon (FRA)
Marseille (FRA)
Plzeň (CZE)
Salzburg (AUST)
Sporting Club (POR)
Zenit (RUS)
In the draw coming up soon, Russian and Ukrainian teams can’t be drawn together.
Dynamo Kyiv will be the first ball out and can only be drawn against 12 other teams. Once this tie is decided, the three Russian teams’ balls go into the pot and the other 7 ties drawn.
I bet they’re hoping either Kyiv go out next round or all three Russian teams get knocked out. Seems crazy. Supposing Kyiv and a Russian team got to the Final????
LB on Maitland – gets a pass. 4
umm, I though a 4 is a fail, its less than half?
Nice post LB
lets move on now
Lazio v Dynamo Kyiv
Leipzig v Zenit
Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow v Lyon
Marseille v Bilbao
Sporting Lisbon v Viktoria Plzen
Dortmund v Salzburg
AC Milan v Arsenal hahahahaha
ty.bloody.pical one of the best teams remaining v Arsenal
Just look at the norks on that!
That was an abysmal performance, based on the two games we did not deserve to go through.
Hopefully AC Milan will be a wake up call and our players won’t take a sleeping pill before the kick off.
Didn’t watch were we really that bad
yes fred
Thanks LB
No quibbles from me over individual scores, but I’d throw in the biggest problem on the night….the team
No coherence, little structure, short on focus and application, with almost no understanding.
Anyway, stuff it, as someone earlier wisely said, with Cariboo cup out of the way on Sunday, we won’t have to watch an Arsenal XI like that again this season.
I think they were bloody lucky so many turned up.
Ok, Milan. Bollocks. I’m happy with the improved quality of opposition, just rather it was in St Petersburg or Madrid.
Weekend is upon us. Sun shines. Outlook bright
I loved St. Petersburg Micky, I spent many memorable hours wandering around and viewing the wonderful art and treasures in the Hermitage.
Perpetual rain in the past four days which in turn melts the ice and snow causing the rivers to overflow and create massive flooding in London and surrounding areas.
GN5. Not good.
Micky. Milan? I know somewhere we can stay with a few hours drive.
Yes GN5, I do remember you your visit to St P before. Jealous, and I’ve been waiting for too long for the Arsenal to land me with the perfect excuse. Might have to give up on that and just go
Erik, mmm. Spent too much time in Milan already.
Maybe we do a pretendy to our wives that we’ve drawn Zenit
A difficult last 16 draw seems familiar.
I could do a pretendie
What if both teams win and we draw Zenit in the last 8?
Mmm, definite possibility GN5. Just looked Milan up and they’re 7th
Equal level shitiness to us. Last 16 or pretendy it is
sorry, last 8
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City manager charged for wearing political ribbon
yes, LB got the ratings right; mind you even if he gave each of the tools a 2 nobody would complain. What the hell is the matter with them?? They should all be on 1 year contracts, not good – eff off boy. If they are good, double the wages plus a fat bonus for each goal and assist. Other than that I have not got a clue what could be done about them
VP
Absolute classic. Perfect way to end the day 🙂 🙂
no footy till thursday?? we have to find another topic. Winter olympics are probably most appropriate, no?
I watched that fooking abomination nomen omen Trump saying that teachers need to carry guns and his audience, including women cheering him! This is beyond belief. I would have never believed people can be THAT stupid if I didn’t see it
Winter Olympics. Britain in 18th position with 5 medals. Not great, but amazing considering the country has hardly any snow or mountains and my own country of birth, with huge mountain range and snow up to your ears in behind Britain with just 2 medals, shite.
I usually do 3 comments in sucsession, wait for others to join in, they never do, so I disappear. Good bye
Eddie
Britain in 18th is a disgrace. The whole lot of them have let themselves and their country down, and should be brought back without delay.
Walks of shame and budgets terminated forthwith
No footy ’til Thursday?????
I suppose a Final doesn’t count then.
……..if it’s in the Caribou Cup.
ha ha Chas, I thought I’d let the no football comment slip by without comment 🙂
oh shit!!!! I forgot the final!!!
No I didn’t 🙂 I am not going to watch it, we will be beaten by a few goals
The Beatles 🙂 🙂 good looking boys, shame they couldn’t sing
micky – if Britts are a disgrace what am I to think of the Poles??? No wonder my brother is keeping shtum
What a tangled web we weave (odd saying)
Oh yippee, my favourite band of all time 🙄
Cobwebs. Amazing. Proof that Darwinians are morons 🙂
Morning All,
8.33 Chopper Sophocles 😀
I’m afraid my mood is mixed. Sun shines, lots to look forward to this weekend, but I’m off to a bad start. No milk.
Damn coffee is a revolting drink without the extras. Trying to decide whether I can be bothered to drive to get some or weather the storm
Micky. Even you cannot listen to Bananarama all day.
One of the luxury problems of living in Didit Mansion far away from your nearest tenant.
Micky
Can’t you just go out and milk a cow or goat?
…or pig
Damn coffee is a revolting drink with the extras. Black and thick is my fav.
Erik
There are one or two great comedy sketches relating to football, but that Python one is genius
No comment
Oh thank God, Mrs Didit is saddling up
In fairness to me, I have a crypto Skype call at 8:30 every morning and was late up today, otherwise I would have gone.
chas 🙂
Crypto skype call. How modern.
looks like we lost the cabana cup final 2:0
Best we focus on Europa now
Worse Erik, they call the daily 8:30 a scrum. Should take 15 mins. Buy this, sell that. What everyone is doing. Done
Reality is, it normally drones on for an hour.
Let’s see how quickly I can get back today
We’re back to wearing white shorts again tomorrow (they were going to force us to wear red shorts).
City will be in white shorts too – not like last season’s semi above.
Easy boys. What will I write in my PM?
There is a New Post