Arsenal vs Olympiacos
1-2
A night to forget for Arteta’s side in North London last night. A performance which displayed some very familiar vulnerabilities and confirmed that the majority aren’t at the quality required for a club the size of Arsenal.
Leggy from the off, Arsenal failed to get going and exert their dominance on the away side until the 20th minute when Aubameyang’s clearance fell to Lacazette who drove up the pitch with Pepe and Ozil as runners. The Frenchman fed an inch perfect ball through in which Pepe latched onto only to be taken out from behind, denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. Much to the bemusement of the crowd only yellow card was shown to Ba even though he was the last man. From the resulting free-kick Pepe bended his effort over the bar. Olympiacos stuck to the game plan and frustrated the home side, with Arsenal best passage of play coming down the left when Saka picked out a cross for Lacazette who fired the ball into the back of the net, however the linesman flag was raised and the goal ruled out. It was 0-0 going into the break.
The visitors started the second half brightly and put together a rare venture forward in which the resulting corner lead to the opener. Valbuena curled in an inviting cross that Cisse attacked, meeting the ball with force to head home an important away goal. Moments later a marauding run forward by the Greek sides full-back, Tsimikas, forced Leno into a stunning acrobatic save to keep Arsenal in the game. Struggling to find any momentum in the final third, the Gunners failed to test the away teams keeper until the 75th minute when Pepe fired a shot through his markers legs which was heading for the bottom corner. If it weren’t for some fine reactions, the game would have been in Arsenal’s control. However, the attack wasn’t finished as Mustafi headed the ball back into the path of Lacazette who had more time than he thought, but he rushed his effort and watched the ball trickle past the post. Extra time was now looming.
With both teams seemingly exhausted an uneventful first period of extra time drew to a close, having seen the best chance fall to Aubameyang which was blocked by the Olympiacos defender. There were appeals for a penalty, but the referee waved play on. The game seemed to come alive in the last 15 minutes, starting with a swift counter from Masouras who clipped the crossbar with a speculative effort. Then in the 113th minute it seemed this long night was coming to a positive ending for Arteta’s side when Ozil’s cross was headed up into the air, with Aubameyang alive in the box to score an outrageous bicycle kick. There was only 8 minutes left on the clock when the home side took back control so it looked as if they had managed to see themselves through to the next round, until a poor decision from Leno lead to an Olympiacos corner. Martinelli headed the ball out to a player in blue, working it nicely to whip in another dangerous cross into the box which was met by El Arabi who made no mistake with the finish. The game seemed all but over for Arsenal, but in added time a golden opportunity fell to top goalscorer Aubameyang which he swung a tired leg at, missing the target completely leading him to fall to the ground with his head in his hands. The game was over and Olympiacos won the tie on away goals.
Player Ratings
Bernd Leno
Made a couple of nice saves, however a poor decision right at the end lead to the corner which they scored from. Had an excellent season, just a rare off night. 5/10
Hector Bellerin
Doesn’t look to be the same player after his ACL. His most important asset, pace, looks to be gone. Needs to be rotated more often with Soares when he’s fit because he looks tired. 4/10
Shkodran Mustafi
For once the German wasn’t at the heart of the mistakes for Arsenal tonight. Been solid in recent weeks and continued that with another good display. Made some excellent blocks. My MOTM. 7/10
David Luiz
His passing wasn’t as accurate as it usually is, causing us to lose possession quite often. No communication for both goals, allowing players to run off him too easily. Rare off night for him. 5/10
Bukayo Saka
Looks tired, probably isn’t used to playing three times in a week. Wasn’t as effective going forward due to their being no space to work in. 6/10
Dani Ceballos
Defensive work rate was good as he stopped a couple of counters by the away side. His passing wasn’t as effective as usual, meaning Ozil weren’t as involved in the game. 6/10
Granit Xhaka
His worst game under Arteta so far. Covered the ground well in the middle of the park, however didn’t create anything when in possession. Was lucky with his back pass in the last couple of minutes of normal time. 5/10
Mesut Ozil
Picked up the ball in some dangerous positions, however his delivery was very inconsistent. His impact in the game faded as it went on. 5/10
Nicolas Pepe
Looked like the only attacker trying to make something happen. Showed some nice feet in tight spaces, however his final pass needed to be better. Had a few decent shots saved. 6/10
Aubameyang
Worked hard tracking back to help Saka out. Weren’t involved in the game as much as he would have liked. Scored an amazing goal, but missed a golden opportunity. Can’t complain with him though as he has been our saviour this season. 6/10
Alexandre Lacazette
Another sub-par display for a player who is having a tough season. The ball wouldn’t stick to him to hold it up, meaning his link up play was very ineffective. Could have scored a brace as well. 4/10
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James Humphreys
Gunners Daily 