Arsenal vs AC Milan (2-0 agg)

Well that would suggest Gods Cock but none of your other posts have insults in which would be too much to expect from him

 

Aaah I see. You were just looking for an argument on an otherwise friendly football discussion. As I rightly said - knob jockey.

 

Great performances over the two legs. Don't think anyone can say we didn't deserve it.

Calhanoglu's goal bothered me because, although it was a superb strike and the ball dipped at the last minute (could Ospina have moved his feet quicker?), Milan never threatened us until that point. We were controlling the game. They were struggling to get the ball from us. We were probably the better team. Yet they scored a wonder strike from 30-yards out.

What impressed me was the response to going 1-0 down. In previous games gone by, we would have capitulated and let Milan go for the jugular. However, we were instantly looking for a response and felt determined to not repeat errors of the recent past.

I was bitterly disappointed with Welbeck's dive, though. Don't like to see players doing that. We were still ahead on aggregate and looked more likely to get the next goal anyway, so there was no need for it. It overshadowed what was an energetic, workmanlike performance from him. He performed surprisingly well over the two legs.

Thought Mustafi had a good game and Chambers did very well when he came on, too.

Xhaka again dictating play from the middle of the park. It helped that their midfield was never really pressing ours, which allowed him the time to pick his passes. He's best suited to games like this when the tempo is slow. Great distribution.

Overall, a decent enough display and 5-1 on aggregate which I never would have envisaged when we got drawn against them.

Into the Last 8. Avoid Atletico and we've got a very good chance of winning this!

 

Team has maintained their mental side of things and put in two good performances against a decent but green AC Milan. For me this performance confirms that we've been fairly consistent through the whole season. It takes a very good team to beat us and the only one left in the tournament is AM. Our best chance of winning this is seeing them in the Final, anytime earlier and they will knock us out. Give Simeone as little time to adjust to our team the better, that's why we will lose over two legs, Wenger doesn't have the tactical nous to match him over 2 games.

 

Looks like that from Mars as well. Tend to agree with your point re. the penalty but at the same time have a heady feeling of karma. Maybe it's just the atmosphere up here!

 

I don't think we'd get a very friendly welcome in Moscow at the moment if we draw CSKA

 

I find it strange seeing Shearer accusing Welbeck of diving when he defends strikers for cheating pretty much every time he's on MOTD

it's not quite Eduardo vs Celtic levels but people sure like to make a fuss when an Arsenal player dives

 

How's the signal quality on Mars? What do they think about us down here?

 

Wenger's comments about English players being masters of diving, has come around to bite him on the Arsene.

 

We drew CSKA. Not a great draw in terms of the travel. But we have nothing else to concern ourselves as we're out of everything else. Could be worse.

 

Wouldn't want to be a fan travelling out to the away game at the moment!

We've avoided AM which is the main thing!

Can't see Sporting managing to put them out so provided we get through we will want to be avoiding them in the semis as well!

 

Seeing as we're at the business end, this tournament needs to be the focus. Forget the league. Win where we can. We have the chance, albeit remote, to win a European title. We should be going all out now.

 

Considering What's going on will this game be played???

 

Should be the only thing we're focusing on now. Really nothing to play for in the league so we can rest and rotate players to the max. Maybe we can try some positions that are weaker for us in the league with new players? Try out some different strategies

 

Horrible next game against CSKA. Hope the fans in Russia will behave...

 

The guy from Ocean's11 has rigged up a satellite that gets espn, sky and bt tv. He's a gooner himself, so thst's handy. I don't know what the locals think because they keep scurrying off down little holes whenever we get near. To be honest with you, it's not the nicest place I've been on holiday to, but the missus said she wanted to go somewhere that lots of sun and sand - hasn't. stopped moaning since we got here. I'll be glad to get back home, have a nice cup of tea and catch up on Eastender's. Is Alfie still running the Queen Vic?

 

Shearer is a horse punching **** nugget. He's always going on about 'clever' strikers winning pens, but always has something anti-Arsenal to say. I didn't like seeing Welbeck diving to win that pen, but we've had more than our fair share of dodgy pens go against us this season, so it makes a change to see us actually get one.

 

Well, it is difficult to see on the replay, but I think the defender does make contact with Welbeck. Stop this right at 3:36 when he passes behind him, there is one frame where you can see him stiff arm Welbeck's bicep. This is what the referee sees. Rodriguez is not moving towards the ball, Welbeck is moving to the ball, and he puts his arm across Welbeck and slows him down.

When you see the replay, it looks as if he is pulling his arm back, but he has hit him and that arm has bounced off Welbeck.

It is a soft penalty, I wouldn't give it, if it happened a hundred times, but I wouldn't give a yellow card for a dive, in a hundred times either.

 

LOL. I had a dream that we were favourites to beat CSKA at The Emirates, but they ended up turning us over 2-0, despite us dominating the match.

I'm thankful it was only just a dream, but my God. A result like that isn't exactly beyond the realms of possibility. Imagine. Having to overturn a two-goal deficit in Moscow with additional political hostilities given the events in Salisbury this past week? Now that would be a nightmare.

Let's hope it never comes to that and we can kill the tie off in the first-leg.