Match Day Thread Paris Saint Germain vs. Arsenal (UCL Group A) Official Match Thread 2016/17

Good point away from home, worrying how easily they got in behind our defence though

 

****ing frantic end to the game. Pussy decision to send Giroud and Verrati off, handbags and nothing else.

Overall, well battled for a point and a decent result in the end seeing as we could have conceded 4 or 5.

MOTM - Ospina

 

Good result.

We looked shaky as **** though.

Need to improve by the time we play Chelsea or we will get spanked.

 

Giroud should never have got a card there in hindsight.

Anyway great result, especially as you think of the chances they had.

My ratings:

Ospina. 10 (motm)

Bellerin 9
Mustafi 8
Kosc 8
Monreal 9 (with no protection)

Coq 6
Santi 8 (for 2nd half 5 for 1st half)
Ozil 5

Ox 3 (and that's being generous)
Iwobi 6
Sanchez 6 (because he was played out of position)

 

Excellent result considering we've not played anywhere near our best. We can only get better from now on once Wenger plays all his first teamers.

 

Thought we looked a lot better in the second half. We battled well, were much quicker in our passing, pressed PSG more and ultimately got the equaliser.

We were always going to leave gaps at the back when we were pressing so much, so that's no surprise. The team deserve credit for getting back into that game and getting a point, because at one point it looked like we were going to be on the end of a spanking.

 

FT. 1-1. Decent result.

A shaky start to the game and it could, and perhaps on another day would, have been so much worse. PSG got in behind our defence far too much for my liking, but full credit to David Ospina who single-handedly kept us in the game. Definite man of the match, for me.

Our passing was disjointed and we weren't passing it around with as much speed as I'd have liked, but a much better second half where we took control of the ball more and weren't getting overran in midfield as regularly - though it still happened on occasion.

Ozil was very poor, but it was his pass to Iwobi that led to the goal, so fair play to him for that, even if he was lackadaisical for the rest of the match.

Coincidentally, we started to look like a functioning team when we played players in their proper positions e.g. Giroud up front, Sanchez out wide. Hopefully Wenger learns that next time...

 

strange decision to play Ospina in such a big game, but it worked out. He was really good.

 

In theory today was our most difficult game of the group stage, away to the hardest opponent of our fixtures. We've got a point, which particularly given the circumstances of going a goal down inside a minute, is a good result.

Ospina played a blinder.

Great play for our goal, fantastic pass from Ozil, unlucky for Iwobi and then excellent finish by Sanchez. The team worked really hard to get back into that.

 

Yep, couldn't fathom it at the start. But he had a great game, kept us in it on several occasions.

 

Totally agree. I was really pissed off wenger chose him, but he was outstanding and saved us from a spanking.

 

I thought the subs were all the correct subs to make as well, just the Giroud and Xhaka subs were slightly too slow to happen!

 

Yeah but to be fair both those players should have started.

 

Sanchez simply isn't a CF. He comes looking for the ball and leaves NOBODY in the box. That system would work if our wide men were getting ahead of him when he comes deep, but they don't. We were so much better tonight when Giroud came on and Sanchez played on the left.

 

Good result.

However, PSG are in bad form so it was the perfect chance to get all 3 points.

All evens in your group and the toughest match is out the way, so all good I guess.

 

Yeah it might work having him play like a false 9 if we had the likes of Walcott on the pitch who want t constantly make runs in behind into the box but with wide players like oxo who don't go beyond the front man often it's completely pointless.

People before the game were suggesting we start Walcott up front and I think Wenger must have been thinking he wanted pace up front and Sanchez was the better option, but it just isn't working when he plays there. When Perez has acclimatised a bit more I don't expect to see Sanchez anywhere other than on the wing!

 

On paper that was the hardest game in that group. So it was good to come away with a point.

 

The other good thing about tonight is that Basel only took a point at home to Ludogorets.

 

So are we, dont think we were ever going to pull out a worldie performance

 

The battle of the forward fluffers.
But you didn't lose, and the other game was 1-1 too.