Arsenal v CSKA Moscow (H) match thread

[Midz]

Less than 500 cska fans here tonight. Not that many more Arsenal ones either

[Midz]

Just a comedy attack we have now so not much chance of a goal.

[rodders999]

The Polonium Posse in the corner having a whale of a time before they have go back home and queue for bread.

[Sean]

Another bye for this round then?

I can't say I have missed watching Arsenal at all in the past few weeks of interlull and PL friendlies. Although it was a good line-up and a decent bench for a change. At last! It seems that even The Old Fraud has been forced to finally take this competition seriously.

Mkhitaryan shot wide from a good chance early on. Ramsey had a goal chalked off for offside, before putting us one up a few minutes later. I was worried we were sabotaging ourselves with this maddening over-intricacy, when they should pull the trigger before the play gets too condensed.

Then Crying Kos gives away a cheap free kick, which was converted well for an away goal for CSKA. Our Czechian geriatric had no chance, in any case. Then they almost went 2-1 up. Looked like another textbook Arsenal capitulation yet again.

Fortunately, Ozil went through on goal and bottled having a shot, but fortunately a clumsy challenge led to a penalty which Lacazette stuck away, sending Akinfeev the wrong way. Nice to see him get some confidence back after having his spirit well and truly broken by TOF's insanity much earlier than most new signings do.

A good ball from Ozil was volley-backheeled in for Hollywood Ramsey. As absolutely frustrating as he is with his wastefulness and Fancy Dan bollocks, it will be a shame when he leaves without an Arsenal manager other than TOF to direct him properly and tell him to cut out the shit. Last I heard, Hollywood was refusing another contract after 2019, so he's surely a goner this summer if the club want their pound of flesh.

Then another routine defensive cluster-fuck forced Cech to run out to claim a loose ball. Fucking amateurish. Soon after, a crossed ball from Ozil in for Lacazette who was left in enough space to take a touch and stick it away. Then after a few chances we escaped at the back, then wasted a couple up front, it started to look like we were taking the piss already. With all the goals, it was a pretty entertaining first half for our usual pedestrian shite. I expected us to take our foot off the pedal as we tend to do after a rare first half blitz.

Mkhitaryan missed another chance early in the second half. Ozil really was creating a lot of chances. Wilshere and Ramsey missed chances to score from Akinfeev's parry from Mkhitaryan, who later came off injured for Party-Going Yes-Man Iwobi. He and Lacazette later contrived to miss another chance to make it five.

Unsurprisingly, Lacazette was hauled off on the magical 70th minute to deny him a chance of a hat-trick. He was right to look a little pissed off about it, as the perpetual victim of The Old Fraud's OCD in his pre-arranged substitutions madness. Ramsey hit the post soon after. Unsurprisingly, we failed to add to our advantage in the second half. The game was effectively done by half-time.

But all in all, a pleasant surprise tonight. Even Robbie Cúnting Savage's typical verbal defecation couldn't ruin it. Much

Why do people keep forgetting who hot blonde presenter Lynsey Hipgrave is? Is it because she hides her Geordie accent when on telly? I've had to name her more than once on Europa nights. Shape up, my fellow perverts

[sk-gtfo]

Went out shortly after the we scored the fourth, just got that feeling that we wouldn't score any more, how right I was!.

Good win but yet again defense looked fragile, Atletico are strong faviroutes for this though, they are far more organised defensively than us, we are the second best team in the competition, I just hope we don't draw them in the semi's, as over two games I can't see us beating them.

[Nos89]

Enjoyed the game. They were better than I thought. Great free kick and at 21 I'd sign him in the summer, he looks a quality player.
We should have scored 8 but they could've had at least 4 with better finishing. A 4-1 win in the first leg is pretty much game over. Onto the semi final.

[Ray C]

Handy lead to take to Moscow. If they had put away their chances the game could have been 4 - 4. If we had put away ALL of our chances we could have scored 10. We WILL score over there so we're in the semi's.

[Wilson]

Moscow will be a hostile place to go to. A 3 goal lead is not to be taken as a given. That being said, we should go through to the semi finals.

I really would love to win it, and Wenger leave on that note. But he wont - he wont walk away from one last shot at the CL.

Fuk it, ive given up all hope of Wenger doing the right thing. Im just gong to put in in the back of my mind and cheer the team on and hope we win it and then worry about what comes after.

Its been a long time since I enjoyed watching Arsenal. But I really am enjoying this europea league run.

[Eboue-Why?]

That blonde in the studio......YES PLEASE

What's her name

Lynsey Hipgrave (her maiden name was Horn....I kid you not!)

[falkirk goon]

Watched the highlights lastnite and as good a win as it was,Atletico will tear us a new farter if we bump into them.The only way possible to win this cup is if someone else knocks them out..very doubtful imo.

[OneBardGooner]

Watched the highlights lastnite and as good a win as it was,Atletico will tear us a new farter if we bump into them.The only way possible to win this cup is if someone else knocks them out..very doubtful imo.

That IS entirely possible as wengercunt signs a new deal with Satan (a good friend of Stan) where he sells off 10 of the youth academy to an infinity of buggery and torture in hades.

I kid you NOT.

The ink of beelzebub is made of Youthful Dreams and their Blood.

[goonersid]

Watched the highlights lastnite and as good a win as it was,Atletico will tear us a new farter if we bump into them.The only way possible to win this cup is if someone else knocks them out..very doubtful imo.

Meet them in semis and it’s goodnight Irene but anything can happen in a one off final.
I really do fear we will win it and deluded Wenger will see next season as one more attempt at winning clge. The akbs will hail him and our dreadful season will be brushed under the carpet.

[GranadaJoe]

Positives: Lacazette looked sharper than at any time since he joined and Ramsey's runs into the box are what he does best.

Negatives: Jack, who I like, looked half asleep and Miki faded in and out of the game, but the Keystone Kops in our defence were an embarrassment.
Monreal was OK, but the other three continued their terrible run of form.
Two shanks from inside our own box, followed by Kos' ridiculous challenge allows them to equalise and they then had two or three good chances to take the lead.
Distribution from defence continued to be poor and, as the game was drawing to a close, Mustafi decided to dribble past every opposition player, but lost the ball in THEIR penalty box and found himself 90 YARDS out of position.

Mustafi, Kos and Bellerin are fuck-ups waiting to happen.

A 4-1 win is great, but the serious issues remain.

[Midz]

Jack had a poor game last night kept giving the ball away. Add this to his likeliness for injuries and I still say we should get rid.

[arseofacrow]

A good result with Ozil and Ramsey very good.

Negatives: Wilshire (time is up and he looked like a player being offered a quarter of the other guy) and Bellerin.

Fortunately, it wasn't a powder keg atmosphere.