Arsenal v Real Madrid 3-0: A Superb Team Performance Has Red North-London Dreaming

TotalArsenal

You know, just when you finally come to terms with it, that it isn’t going to be your season, that everyone, the media, Sky, TNT, MotD, the tv pundits, PGMOL, the Premier Lge, Lady Luck et al are against you whilst everything is going right for your main rival and you just want to see the season end. Our much maligned but brilliant manager, his coaching staff and our wonderful, wonderful players drag us back in and hope springs eternal again…

I never saw last night coming, I was expecting a draw or a narrow 1-0 win at best, just to keep us involved for another week.

At half-time I was anxious, Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo had shown us glimpses of their power and speed on the break, allied to the fact that we had missed the few decent chances we’d created, I’d seen this many times before play out, a hopeful 45 crushed by the quality and efficiency of a foreign rival with far more experience of these scenarios and an underlying confidence you couldn’t quite put your finger on, but it was in their swagger. Was it expectations?

I was waiting for the referee to give Madrid a decisive decision in their favour based on the fact that, they are Madrid. But our Bosnian friend and his capable VAR assistant showed a capacity for honesty and common sense far far beyond the capabilities of any of Howard Webbs mob of jokers.

I don’t know what Arteta said at half-time, maybe it was planned but we went for it in the 2nd 45, Bukayo and Declan in particular drove us forward like men on a mission. Declan has a love affair with European football and Bakayo is just a wonderful human being and footballer.

The Gunners drove into the heart of Madrid and showed why they’re so interested in William Saliba, because the Madrid defence crumbled.

Courtois was immense, making a string of saves; and although I’ve seen him criticised for his wall positioning at the free kicks, I think that takes away from the quality of Declan’s strikes and is almost like the pundits trying to find something to be pedantic about.

The walls covered the goal just fine but the swerve and dip Declan put on his strikes made them redundant and left one of the best goalkeepers in the world grasping for thin air, he wasn’t even close to either free kick that’s how good they were. In fact, I’m struggling to recall a better pair of free kicks in all my many years as an Arsenal fan. I think both were simply unsaveable: they were perfect.

Declan’s first was a work of art, the pace, the bend, the accuracy. We knew that Declan is a fine striker of a dead ball but this was majestic, it took your breath away, and the Madrid players looked perplexed and a little concerned after it exploded into their net. Arsenal should have made it 2-0 from open play as they ramped up the pressure but a succession of goal line clearances saved the day for the greys. Courtois must have made half a dozen top saves in this match, Raya made maybe one or two at a stretch.

Nobody noticed or commented on Kiwior, he quietly went about his work alongside the ever improving Myles, that boy is a dream.

Another dazzling dribble by Bakayo was brought to an abrupt halt by a foul but this was further out and more to the left of the goal, Courtois was favourite to deal with any shot on goal from here.

As Declan addressed the ball I know we were all thinking ‘surely he can’t do it again’ I know I was.

Well Superman Rice ran up and connected with the ball as perfectly as you could ever wish to, and it flew like a cruise missile right into the top corner of the net. Courtois was miles away, it was accurate, it was on target and it broke Madrid hearts. They just shook their heads and despite a late rally in the last 10 minutes when I was dreading a consolation goal to give them hope and an edge in Spain, we held out, all our defenders were heroes: Big Bill, Jakub, Jurrien, Myles, Benjamin and Kieran, not forgetting Raya, those guys were the foundations of this performance.

But wait a moment, just when we thought it couldn’t get any better it did. A slick move between Trossard and Myles saw the ball presented on a platter to Merino. Now what I like about our part-time striker is his calmness in front of goal, no Odegaard style miskicks over the bar for him, he simply took a couple of steps back anticipating a Myles pass and Myles duly delivered an accurate pull back with just the right pace for Mikel to run onto which he just slide-ruled it into the corner of the net.
Party time, Saliba was waving his arms as he ran towards the crowd, that boy knows how to celebrate, Myles had the biggest smile in football, everyone was dancing and laughing, it was as if a season of frustrations had been exorcised.

Can it get any better from here?
I don’t know, we should be confident of doing a job in Spain next week, after that it’s in the hands of the Gods and maybe Stu needs to have a word?

This season has been for the most part an anticlimax after pushing City all the way two years running. Questions have been asked of the manager and the club, some of them rightly, many just hyperbole, but we’ve also experienced some exquisite performances by this team, mainly in Europe.

Anyway, we can at least dream for another week and possibly beyond that, roll on next Wednesday.

By Allezkev

55 thoughts on “Arsenal v Real Madrid 3-0: A Superb Team Performance Has Red North-London Dreaming”

  • Thanks kev for a brilliant review of what happened last night. I was as surprised as you.

    I am going to watch the game as soon as it becomes available on Arsenal.com and will comment after that.

  • You’re very welcome Total, it’s a game that is most definitely worth watching again, and maybe again after that!

    I didn’t know that TNT shared their European coverage with Amazon, I saw it on another channel.

    Screwing the fans seems to be the way most associations operate nowadays, Lockdown 2020 seems to have taught them nothing.

    The FIFA Club World Club is another example of that, in time it’ll be taken around the world like the Harlem Globetrotters no doubt. 🙄

  • Amazon Crime have first,pick for the CL games on Tuesdays. I missed at least three live games this way. I pay nicely for my TNT and Sky Sports subscriptions but this is a new thing. It sucks.

  • I wonder Total, would a VPN help you access the games more easily?

    Everything in the UK is a rip-off, it always has been.

  • Ah, Kevski, you are a man in love. Super report, mate, whetting my appetite to watch the game again and again. Sporting away, PSG at the Emirates, PSV away and now wham bam thank you mamming Franco’s boys, moments in time allowing us to shed the snake skin of disappointment and angst which has slithered over this season, some respite from the troubles and corruption in our fallen world, and the opportunity to dream on.

    Great photo, LG. The ball as a postage stamp, the look of concentration on the faces of the fans behind the goal, the glorious knowledge of the story behind the image.

    I do and I will give thanks, Kev, not to those small “g” ods, but rather to He who holds us gooners in His loving hands, He who aligns the planets and names the stars, He who created Declan and Bukuyu, knitting them together in their mothers wombs.

  • Just done going through the beautifully and mostly on-point comments from the last thread(s) and it was an enjoyable read all through. I particularly liked the brilliant way GN5 was remembered. I agree he would have been chuffed by that result.

  • Fine review of the game, Kev. I did expect a win at the Emirates but certainly not by a 3-0 margin (I told a friend we could smash them by 4-0, though, but not a call I would have taken a bet on). The lads, the fans, the backroom staff and most especially the Manager all did themselves proud and I’ve got to say it is a Arteta thing, this infusion of heart when we come against the “big sides”. He just has to get the credit because the sturdy disposition of this team is something that could only have been infused from years of evidence after evidence of the manager having made the right calls/tactical approach and the players buying-in.

    Partey was immense last night, running the midfield like a Generalissimo, while Declan was his marauding self scoring two never-to-forgotten free kicks, rather unexpectedly. I had always thought we needed to have a reliable free kick specialist (it is said our last goal from a free kick was 2021) to complement the level this team has reached; fair to say Declan fits the bill and would now take some pressure off Odegaard, who is our designated taker. Our full backs, indeed, the entire back line were fantastic. Then, our front 4 put in so much work that deserved even more. The fact that their goal keeper (Courtois) was their best player speaks volumes as to how well our forwards did, in a game where we had 12 shots and 11 on target. Amazing! Not bad for a team that plays with no known striker.

    It is only “half time” in the tie so, there is a need to stay focused till it’s won. However, we need to be confident because this side we have don’t concede goals in twos or threes very often. Besides, Madrid have been conceding a lot these days, so if on the odd chance they are able to score 3 against us in the second leg, who’s to say we won’t get 2 past them to keep the tie safe? In any case, I’d like to just regale in that night’s result rather than think of the second leg now, with Brentford to come at the weekend. Need to take it one game at a time (OGAAT), right.

  • TA, I have had to do a bit of travelling, having been in Toronto for over three months. Got into Lagos, Nigeria, only last night.

  • Speaking of pedantic pundits, there’s even been talk about how we met Madrid in poor form. Too late. Some of those pundits had, pre-game, alluded to the powers of Madrid to raise their game for knock out stages of the UCL so, no excuses. Fact is we were up for this and seemed to want it more. Declan’s free kicks were unsaveable. Henry kept saying even you had more than one keeper in goal, there’s no stopping those Intercontinental Ballistic missiles (apologies to Mr. Ernest Okonkwo, Nigeria’s late commentary genius).

    Yes, the fact we didn’t say Kiwior’s name or appear to miss Gabriel just says the fans who didn’t trust the lad were wrong. Ben White is a better CB, no doubt, but Kiwior is in better form and Match fit (played 90 mins for Poland the other night) it would have been risky dropping him for an unfit White. Arteta was smart to have had him play the last two games to build his confidence; then, I imagine, drill him on how to stay off Mbappe so as not to be caught by his pace. He was immaculate after an early slip/wobble.
    I am confident we won’t lose in the second leg.

  • ???
    Neto
    White-Saliba-Kiwior-Tierney
    Jorginho-Zinchenko
    Nwaneri-Merino-Sterling
    Trossard
    If there’s ONE player I want wrapped up in cotton wool ’til wednesday … Raya it is!
    COYG

  • I wonder Eris if Berta, Arteta and the club will make an 11th hour offer to Partey, even though the temptation to return to Spain is strong? I’m sure that Arsenal could offer Thomas a deal as good as any La Liga club?

    It’s quite interesting listening to the recent views on players having operations to solve recurring muscle issues and the success these new processes have on the full recoveries and complete cures.

  • I guess it all depends on what incoming business we do Total, that and the length of contract allied to the wage demands, also what he’s offered by other clubs, I mean at his age Barcelona might be a tad too tempting?

  • Arteta seems to align with LeGall, apart from Neto.

    Arsenal: Raya, Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney, Jorginho, Rice, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Trossard.
    Subs: Neto, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Henry-Francis, Odegaard, Saka, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Merino.

    Partey as RB is a recurring motif I struggle to understand, though.

  • Arsenal: Raya, Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney, Jorginho, Rice, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Trossard.
    Subs: Neto, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Henry-Francis, Odegaard, Saka, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Merino.

    Brentford: Flekken, van den Berg, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Schade, Janelt, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Wissa.
    Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Kayode, Nunes.

  • Strong attack for Brentford. I like Mbuemo especially. Should be a good game.

    Wouldn’t be surprised if Ben White will start against his namesakes. He is such a calm player in a stressful environment.

  • Ben is said to have “picked a knock in training”, TA … we’ll know how serious this is soon enough.
    I really wish Mikel had rested Thomas tonight – we’ll need him fit and firing on all cylinders wednesday. Actually, Pb, tonight was indeed a great opportunity to give a start in the RB position to Rosiak, who has excelled there with the U21s lately.
    Michal has never received a first-team callup, which – along with Salah-Eddine – I just can’t get my head around; both are supremely gifted youngsters. Happy for Henry-Francis, though, he’s the kind of lad who always runs himself into the ground ….
    COYG

  • Legall, agreed on Partey. I wonder whether Mikel will play Jorginho in midfield v RM. If we sit deep he is excellent to play out of pressure and find the runners.

    Thanks for update on BE.

  • Disjointed by Arsenal, overly physical but expected by Brentford.

    What a shame that Tierney’s goal didn’t stand. Nice moment between the players all the same.

    When it comes to the young players it’s more about how they interact and integrate in training, do the senior players trust them or not? No point in playing a youngster if his team mates don’t have the confidence to pass to them.

  • Well, LG, I absolutely agree on Rosiak.

    However as I used to be bold enough to say that Arteta’s approach to the academy is not just a dispreference, but an actual incompetence, and he has demonstrated his interest in TA’s blog by introducing Nwaneri and MLS into the first team, I have to settle with this compromise, especially as there is a fair chance that Dowman will be the next addition to the squad next season.

    Unfortunately it means that we lose the entire U21 team, including but not limited to Sagoe Jr, NBO, Salah-Eddine, Nichols, JHF, Gower and Rosiak. Even Kacurri. And I don’t have major expectations to AHA, Copely, O’neil, LZJ, Casey, Ibrahim or Sweet either, But if Dowman and Salmon can become the next additions to the first team then we are not yet cursed.

    It is unfair to many, especially to Rosiak who plays well above his age and is a real menace when it comes to direct free kicks, but I do my best to appreciate the improvement from last season.

  • Yes if Rosiak doesn’t start in the Bernabeu then Arteta should get the sack.

  • Your cheek has a big bulge in it, Kevski.😉

    On to Madrid where no mind numbing low block awaits us, rather a destiny written before time began.

  • No addition to the injury list.
    Mission accomplished.
    (Weird experience, watching that game – we scored a brilliant counter-attack goal, but all I could think of during these few seconds was Rice’s and Partey’s hamstrings being pushed to the limit).
    I don’t know – obviously – about the interaction between youngsters and their elders at this level, Kev … This makes sense, but my guess would be that the reason for picking some lads rather than others is more pragmatic, having something to do with contract renewal (not picking some who just wouldn’t “sign da ting” when asked to do so), or picking some others just to bring ’em into the light of the shop window …
    The long wait has just started; I wouldn’t be surprised if MA got the lads drilled to a high-press start; scoring a fourth early in the game would kill it off (am I the only one to wish the away goal rule had never been abolished?)

  • Brentford hardly ever avoid defeat at our home so while a draw was a bit disappointing, we do have bigger fish to fry midweek and this has just got to play on the players’ minds. Besides, the fans didn’t bring any excitement to the stadium and, believe it or not, the atmosphere can affect tempo. As the adage goes, it takes two to tango.

    Not sure Thomas has signed a pre-contract yet as he is entitled to and there’s been no talk of interests for him so, I’d stay hopeful he is given a new contract. He seems to like it here. Like most on here, I feel we could still use him next season, at the least.

  • I would imagine that the majority of Man United and Tottenham Hotspur fans are just very very thankful for Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton!

  • I agree, Duke. The Away Goals Rule added jeopardy to two legged ties and helped reduce the outcome of teams that are at home in second leg ties benefitting from an additional 30 minutes of home advantage without the away team benefitting from any counterbalance measure.
    I’d have it back. I’d also tweak the existing format for the knock out rounds.
    Due to the luck of the draw we are at a disadvantage in both the quarter finals v Real and the potential semi final v Villa/PSG. Where you finished in the league should determine the right to play the last game at home throughout the tournament. To just draw that out of a hat and give that away, cheapens the efforts and outcomes of the league component of the CL.

    I’ve never been to The Bernabeu but understand that things can turn ugly there when the somewhat entitled home crowd is not fed a constant diet of success. An early goal for us would awaken that ugliness, should seal Reals fate and also threaten that of the great Ancelotti.

    Thomas is on huge money and, at last has fully earned it over this season. I’d keep him but I’m no accountant.

  • Hopefully, the organizers listen to you and tweak the draw format and structure as appropriate. I also couldn’t fathom why we should be at any disadvantage having been in the top end of the top 8 teams. That effort should count for something.

    It will be loud at the Benerbeau for sure. I hope we don’t get a weak ref who may get influenced by the noise levels. One early red card or a couple of yellows to key men may just have an effect on the game plan. Still, I am quietly confident.

  • Partey, Rice, Timber and Martinelli are all on two yellows each and would miss the 1st leg of the semi-final if (when) we progress.

    Get through it safely and the yellows are scrubbed.

  • I don’t think playing home first is a disadvantage, especially not against strong competition. Playing away first can leave us with an emotional setback hard to overcome at home. Arsenal rattled the RM players and got a great result to build on. The belief is huge now and I dont we would have had this if we had played away first.

  • French ref … Letexier it will be.
    He’s been N°1 French ref for quite some time, which doesn’t mean much given the abysmal level of French officiating (only matched by you-know-who(s)).
    I don’t watch enough of French football to have made a definitive opinion about him but (for what it’s worth, then) his style reminds me of … Oliver a lot (away fans, start rehearsing “Letexier, it’s all about you”).
    I don’t think there’s any chance of his being biased, consciously at least. Actually, he’ll be under the scrutiny of the French media, particularly the pundits of the most popular sport show “L’Équipe du soir”, who have been raging against the decisions favoring Real in the CL for years; the former French international Johann Micoud being the most vocal about it (he had predicted last Tuesday’s 3-0 btw – he’s very impressed by the way MA has “structured” our team).
    If I was looking for a reason to get more jittery about Wednesday’s showdown than I already am, I’d focus on Jérôme Brisard, who’ll be the VAR guy – not because there is anything fishy about what I know of him, but because the “Direction Technique de l’Arbitrage Français” is a very hierarchical structure, and there’s no way he’ll overturn one of Letexier’s decisions against us (pen, red card, …), even though it would be obvious to the whole world how outrageous it was …
    That’s all, folks … I’ll get back to shaking in my boots now (not exactly true: just like Eris, I am “quietly confident“)

  • A French referee and a Frenchman on VAR with, potentially PSG in the semi, with four players a yellow card away from suspension. Hmmmm. May they both be as sincere as Jeanne d’Arc, and as generous (towards us) as the Marquis de Lafayette was to the Americans.

  • Letexier has never officiated an Arsenal game, but he has done 4 Real Madrid games, 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss for UEFA’s favourites.

    Duke, the VAR is worry if you’re correct because the pressure on the referee will be huge and we’ll need a fail safe to any decision made in haste and emotion…

  • If the Barca fans will be allowed to buy tickets as Neutrals, it will be nice to get support from some Spanish spectators…just to rattle them a bit. 😉

    So, French Ref and VAR. So, which team would the French prefer to meet PSG in the semi-final, between Arsenal and Real? See what I am thinking? 🤔

  • There’s that too, Eris … but not for football reasons.
    Micoud is a case in point, but actually the whole French media are much more positive about The Arsenal than their British counterparts. It has something to do with the Wenger-Henry/Vieira/Pires seasons, obviously, but there’s more to it. I hear/read analyses from renowned pundits like Stéphane Guy or Vincent Duluc, full of praise for the way Arsène’s succession was handled and the one the club has backed Mikel for so long already, or for the clarity of our gaffer’s plans and the iron-fist-way he has implemented them as well; when we beat PSG in the first phase of the CL, there was a widespread admiration for our physicality, in particular. It is a “truth universally acknowledged“ too that the only reason why we’re not at least breathing down Liverpool’s necks right now is the injury-plagued season whatever gods there might be had in store for us.
    So … the reason why Arsenal might be the favored opponent of many in the semis for PSG down here, has very little to do with wishing this tie were plain sailing for them. On the other hand, Real-PSG would be manna from heaven for papers, radios, tv shows because the Mbappé-PSG reunion as adversaries would be the opportunity for a two-week, non-stop Gunfight-at-the-OK-Corral narrative with audiences going through the roof and ad money filling up the coffers to the rim.
    And … to shake your confidence a little further, there’s not a snowball’s chance in Hell Letexier might be unaware of that. How’s that for “have a nice day“ comment, mates?

  • In the final analysis it’s how we defend and how clinical we are with the few chances we’ll get. I still think that Arsenal will go to the Bernabeu and try to dominate and play in the Madrid half, after all they can’t threaten us if we’re in their half controlling possession with their fans waving their white hankies!

  • I do, Eris. I do.
    Cracking match this morning between PSG and Villa. The Villains really went at them in the second half, and but for Donnarumma would have prevailed.
    I see that all is not happy in the Madrid camp with ego’s usurping team unity.
    Victoria Concordia Crescit.

  • Thanks for the insight, LeGall. Just gives us another reason(s) to ensure we qualify for the semi-final tonight. The Ladies set the marker; the men have to follow through.

    Watching the pre-game interview, featuring David Raya and Mikel, they both emphasized they were focused on going to Madrid to win (read below on the front foot). That says to me we shall go there to defend for our lives. Mikel has been known to engage in a bit of gamesmanship every now and then so, I expect us to play with two banks of 4, or may be 5 to frustrate the crowd. Whatever happens, just get the win.

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