Don't forget that this one kicks off a full two hours before today's other games (so what would that be, about 3 hours from now?). Here's a preview from uefa.com: http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=1712/Match=1056816/index.html Here's a preview, along with possible starters, from the Telegraph. Have to admit I've never heard of a single one of Lokomotiv's players: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ma...s30.xml&sSheet=/sport/2003/09/30/ixsport.html Finally, the other two teams in our group, Inter and Dynamo Kyiv, are featured on espn2's U.S. coverage today.
I thought the Deuce was showing WWC today (at least that's what my DISH guide was telling me). Doesn't matter, I'll be here by the PC with whatever coverage I can find. Anyone know if Capitol Gold is doing this match?
The Deuce is showing the other match from our group today at 2:30 PM ET, which make me even more suspicious of an exisisting anti-Arsenal bias in Bristol, CT.
43rd minute Sounds like we've got our hands full. Still 0-0, but they've had the better chances. Edu has a sore wrist, and it doesn't sound like we've created much on offense. Sounds like our best chance has come from a Ray Parlour(!) shot just a couple of minutes ago. Also, soccertv has just reported that the Inter/Kyiv match will be on espn2 at 1 a.m. ET this morning, due to the baseball playoffs.
HT Still 0-0, but this is what uefa.com has to say: Yikes. By the way, the new uefa.com match tracker sucks - no stats.
Halftime Score: Lokomotiv Moscow 0 - 0 Arsenal A short-handed Arsenal took the pitch this afternoon in Moscow against Lokomotiv. The Russians seemed to have the upper-hand for much of the match, which is to be expected considering the Gunners are missing captain Patrick Vieira, defender Sol Campbell, and the non-flying Dutchman, striker Dennis Bergkamp. Arsenal did get their chances towards the end of the first half, but the hero of the match so far is Jens Lehmann. The keeper has stopped several Lokomotiv shots, thus keeping the Gunners in it. Second half is starting shortly, be back in 50 minutes with the final..
63rd minute Still scoreless. Pires has had a one-on-one with their keeper, while they've had a couple of opportunities as well. I wonder if we're going for a draw. It would be risky, but I read a quote from Wenger that said 9 points would get us through. Two home wins and then "something" from the road games, although I'm not sure if he's thinking a win and a tie or three ties. Finally, and Mike I'm not directing this at you, I just don't buy the "we're shorthanded" argument. We're missing Campbell, but we shut out ManUre without him. And we've played without Vieira enough times to adjust to what that's like. C'mon, shouldn't we still be able to have some success with this lineup?
I'm glad I was trolling in the Arsenal boards - I didn't realize they were delaying the Inter match. Now I can hop in the car and watch Celtic play and get two games of UEFA this week. Friggin ESPN - don't they know that *everyone* in America wants to watch Manchester United? Arrrrghhhh!!!! hehehe
77th minute Still scoreless. Lokomotiv have made 2 subs, we've made none. Apparently, we had a claim for a handball in the 68th minute on an Ashley Cole header, but to no avail.
79th minute Toure makes a crucial block on a quickly taken free kick that catches Arsenal napping. Nizhegorodov is given a yellow for a challenge on Henry - that's the first card of the game. Henry takes the free kick but his shot on goal is saved by Ovchinnikov.
5 min left and it's definitely starting to look like a tie is shaping up. sounds like lots of opportunities with the keepers playing very well at both ends
FT 0-0 tie. I don't think this is good enough, to be honest, and we've again put ourselves in a tough position in the CL. Discuss.
OKAY... someone explain to me how we don't nic ONE past those rooskies? sure its great to get a clean sheet on the road, but that simply isn't good enough in the Champions League!! Id really like to see some of those chances that we squandered but unfortunately, a win was what we needed and just did NOT get it done.... ugh.. on to Anfield~~~ phishy~ also, any of you dallas gooners have a "the arsenal" sticker on the back of your truck (and an irish foam deal on your antenna)? first time i've seen an arsenal ANYTHING in Dallas... gave the dude a thumbs up at lunch today....
Arsenal continue to bewilder. Spirited performances against ManU and Newcastle, but now, nothing. I have absolutely no answers.
Dan - I agree that we 've had some success without Sol. but the same cannot be said when we're without Paddy. I just felt like there were too many key elements missing from today's side to make this a gimmie game like so many others were thinking. There are two ways of looking at this... 1.) - The Gunners got their first point of this season's Champions League -which give the key players who were missing, was well-earned tonight. 2.) - The other viewpoint, and the one that seems to be shared by Thierry Henry based on his reactions after the full-time whistle, was that this was a missed opportunity. Right now, I'm not sure how I feel....
I would have taken the draw before the game, but as the game went on we dominated more and more and in the end should really have won having had the better chances. Lokomotiv didn't really have great chances, a few dangerous situations in which they didn't really work Lehmann too hard and a couple of long range shots that were right at him. A free-kick in the first half that went over with Lehmann rooted to the spot was the closest they came. I think that Henry and Pires will be disappointed that they didn't finish very good chances that were presented to them, but I am pleased with the clean sheet. A good point, but the game was there for the taking at the end.
I just think we're snakebitten when it comes to playing in Europe for some reason. Even if we do well to start, we end up pissing it down our leg. Losing to Inter the way we did in Highbury is unacceptable, and Arsenal can't seem to win anything in the former USSR, which doesn't bode well since we have Moscow and Kiev in our group. I don't know if it's Wenger or what, but Arsenal can't seem to put it together in this tournament.
I look at it like this: to advance, we needed to win our matches at home and get draws on the road. Against Inter we failed to get the needed result, but we did get a draw today. All Arsenal have to do is snooker an away win from Milan or Kiev and win both home matches against teams we should be able to beat at Highbury. 8 points from the group will surely see us through to the knockout stage.
Re: FT I have to agree. Getting a shutout point on the road is good and all, but not good enough after getting shut out at home in the first game and giving up 3. It's going to be a tough road to make it to the next round. And even if we do I don't have high hopes of facing a bigger name team in the next round.
ARGH! I think we really are a good enough side to at least get 1 goal against Lokomotiv!!! Not good...not good.
I agree with Dan. Just not good enough. I have been worried for some time about our scoring ability in Europe. If you look at last year's campaign, it wasn't the defense that sank us, although it got much of the criticism. It was the fact that no one other than Henry scores consistently in Europe. We need to have 2 players that can score 5 or more goals in Europe, and right noew we have only 1. When Henry is off or is being defended well, we have no other options. All of the other quarterfinalists from last year had 2 scorers on their team, except possibly for Ajax. Today's game again proved that Wiltord is not good enough at this level, and that we need another striker. We have yet to score in the CL this year.