28/09/17 | BATE Borisov 2-4 Arsenal | Europa League

[elkanofan]

Seen highlights. BATE were dire, easy game, we won easily despite the poor defending.

[starmandb]

Giroud scores

Why didn't theo take it?

True team play from Theo. Legend.

Because he is rightfully well behind Giroud in the penalty taking pecking order.

But he's on his hat trick...

Situations like these we have seen plenty of times when the game is won, the player on the hat trick takes it.

Right decision based on their penalty taking ability imo.

Giroud penalty record
13 penalties, 12 goals
92.3% success rate

Walcott penalty record
1 penalty, 0 goals
0% success rate

Walcott did score to level it up in the shoot out v Roma in 2009
But giroud was the right man to take it tonight
He scored

[starmandb]

Mustafi / Mertesacker - which one is worse?

They're both utterly Bate (shite)

Only for Ospina it would be 4-3

Yes that playing a goalkeeper thing
Good move

[starmandb]

The one good thing about tonight is that it is revealing how utterly shite Mustafi and Mertesacker are.

They're an utter insult to anyone who ever played in defence for Arsenal - Willie Young and Gus Caesar were miles ahead of these useless wasters.

Mertesacker 9 games at Wembley 9 wins
Including winner for his national team
Equaliser in semi and goal in final
Gus ceasar 1 game at Wembley 1 defeat
Nobody over 34 would believe gus Caesar a better option than what we have now at the back
I was at Wembley when he did the okey Cokey v Luton

[starmandb]

booooooring

More horrific defending from our side but how is witnessing 6 goals in 65 minutes boring?

The goals were ugly besides our first and we have been incredible poor in the 2nd half.

Never seen us beaten by a pretty goal

[starmandb]

I have seen maybe 1 good goal this entire match.

The rest were all because of horrendous defence.

This is a clown tournament and we deserve to be in it.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 athletico Madrid 4
Champions league last 16 last season
Never saw simeone in a collapsing car
We deserve to be in it because that's what we qualified for

[starmandb]

I have seen maybe 1 good goal this entire match.

The rest were all because of horrendous defence.

This is a clown tournament and we deserve to be in it.

BATE have been a CL team past few seasons as well

They have been in the cl group stages in 5 of the last 8 years

[starmandb]

Moral of the story.

Don't drink.

And remember that these unfamiliar thursday nights have stupid kick-off times for no reason whatsoever.

It's for television
Because there are more teams than in the champions league and they only get one night
The half the games in two so they can give better coverage

[DiamondGooner]

Missed this game as I was travelling back from Lanzarote, will download as 6 goals is worth watching the game.

I notice Theo scored two here, tbf I don't rate him that highly as an all round player but playing devils advocate its getting pretty easy to make a case for him, he's a goal scorer, do we not need goals?

[Markx]

Moral of the story.

Don't drink.

And remember that these unfamiliar thursday nights have stupid kick-off times for no reason whatsoever.

It's for television
Because there are more teams than in the champions league and they only get one night
The half the games in two so they can give better coverage

Not really...there is a 4 hour time difference I think so to fit our times they woukd have kicked off at midnight

[Cripps]

No player ratings thread?

[theHotHead]

Bate were not great but managed to carve us apart at will for 60 mins, reflected in them having more shots than us which I think its embarrassing, considering we dominated possession. Our defending was shocking, I'm not sure if Wenger gave the midfield any instructions to stay solid but they melted away far too easily.

We were far too gung ho at 1-3, this is Wenger's Achilles heel and lack of tactical common sense. You are winning 1-3 away, stop over committing - Bate were no threat and only became a threat because you gave them the space to do so. It should have been a complete cruise in the second half.

That said, Elneny showed again he is a decent enough centre mid, Wilshere looked much better going forward - which is his best position, Walcott scored which is something he tends to do - even if he has no football brain, misses too many chances and is inconsistent.

Even with a severely weakened team we were much too good for Bate, I expect this will be the template for the remaining EL group games. I will repeat, this is a tournament Arsenal "should win comfortably.

[starmandb]

Moral of the story.

Don't drink.

And remember that these unfamiliar thursday nights have stupid kick-off times for no reason whatsoever.

It's for television
Because there are more teams than in the champions league and they only get one night
The half the games in two so they can give better coverage

Not really...there is a 4 hour time difference I think so to fit our times they woukd have kicked off at midnight

There is a 2 hour time difference
If you notice generally it is games in this part of the world that are made the earlier game for that reason