Thursday 11 March 2021 Europa League R16 Leg 1 Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus USA TV: TUDN, CBS All Access 3pm ET Well, well, well... look where we're traveling back to. Only this time it’s as the away team. I.e. we’re actually playing on our opponent’s home field. And in a week’s time it’ll be reciprocated with a legit home match for us in N5. Damn near almost like a real cup tie! Just without fans An opponent we have previous with, as recently as last year, same tournament R32, where each team notched away wins, but the Greeks went through on dreaded away goals. So LETS SCORE SOME ... PLEASE?!! And a reunion with our buddy Sokratis. Apart from him having inside scoop on us, maybe we should be happy to see him... I hear he’s not been chosen to play much due to his... quality, but now they’re short CB’s so he may have to start... rust and all. Team News? Unfortunately no Mikel presser yet, hopefully tomorrow. And no training pics to make speculative inferences from. However no new injuries from last match I think. And maybe hope that ESR will make the squad. So no pressure guys. You basically just have to win this match, ideally by some margin, if we’re to continue to try to salvage a tepid season.
Right on cue, Arteta gives his presser today: https://www.arsenal.com/news/were-better-team-now-last-years-tie I didn't watch it but skimmed the transcript. Almost zero mention of injuries, which is a good thing I guess. And yes, ESR is still iffy.
And then the training video... https://player.arsenal.com/video/good-vibes-only-olympiacos-v-arsenal-inside-training Eveyone yuckin it up in this session. Everyone wore several layers & long sleeves except one person in short-sleeve T... not too hard to guess who that was!
Sadly I have something this afternoon that's become even more pressing than an Arsenal R16 match. I know, I know, how can that be you ask? Oh well I'll catch up later. In the meantime, I hope this thread has more posts than 7 when I get back. And... COYG!!!!!
F***ing Willian again 📋 Tonight's @EuropaLeague team news!🇧🇷 @DavidLuiz_4 paired with @Biel_M04🇬🇭 @ThomasPartey22 alongside Xhaka🇬🇦 @Aubameyang7 leads the attack#️⃣ #UEL— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 11, 2021
The lack of accountability regarding Xhaka is shocking. Anyway, Odegaard should've done a lot better with that chance.
Olympiacos has their first dangerous spell of possession, caused by a grade-school error by Xhaka. Cool, cool, no one could have seen that coming.
Didn't know that former Arsenal* legend Yann M'Vila played for Olympiacos. * assuming the transfer rumors are true
Odegaard has looked like a League Two player so far, but ******** me that is some kind of strike. Way to make up for the first 33 minutes.
Our entire team is made of braindead morons I swear to God. How many times do Luiz and Xhaka and Ceballos and whoever the ******** else have to make stupid errors like that before Arteta grows a spine and benches them? Or is this all just fine to him?
We get a corner, pass it back and go around their box and the ball ends up back with Leno in ten seconds.
Olymp.game plan- play physical and press in spurts to cause panic. It's working. Arsenal struggling to find riddim. Terrific goal. Partley so avg not worth 40 mil plus. I'll take ceballos or Torreria.
Two points from the first half: 1). Xhaka seems to have infected the nearly the entire team with the loose back pass virus. Hopefully is only a 24 hour virus and everyone is recovered by the weekend, 2) Arsenal desperately need a free kick specialist. I thought Pepe was that player last year when he scored two free kicks in a game while Emery was still the coach, but Arteta doesn’t favor him as a starter and when he does start him, he doesn’t seem to use him in that role.
Great sub choice there, Mikel. Ceballos's loan never should have been extended, and he should never play for this team again. Utterly destructive player.