Match Day Thread Arsenal vs FC Zurich - Matchday Thread

please log in to view this image

Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: Thursday 3rd November 2022
KO time: 20:00 BST

Overall Record

Wins: 1
Losses: 0
Draws: 0

Last six meetings

FC Zurich 1-2 Arsenal

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

​

 

Pretty strong side. Expect us to win this comfortably. Happy to see Lokonga in a freer role now that Elneny is back and providing protection in the middle of the park. Jesus is clearly starting cos he’s lacking confidence in front of goal, hopefully he can get on the scoresheet tonight.

 

17 mins gone so far and I have to say, Zurich have looked the better team. They’ve been more aggressive, winning a lot of first and second balls, and are getting a lot of joy on the flanks.

…and just as I type that, Tierney scores a banger to make it 1-0 excellent technique. Good goal.

Against the run of play, so let’s hope the display picks up.

We need more stability and cohesion in the middle.

 

Holding’s lack of pace is a problem. Every time they ping a long ball into the channels, their forward is beating him in a foot race. We need to make sure he’s not isolated 1v1 too much.

 

Ramsdale, wtf are you doing? Just putting us under unnecessary pressure

 

I’m a bit confused at Lokonga’s positioning. Why is Jesus dropping so deep and Lokonga virtually playing as a forward?

 

Nketiah should have had a penalty for having his shirt pulled there but because he didn’t go down, it didn’t get given.

 

Starting to get a bit frustrated with Nketiah. We had a promising counter, where it was obvious he should have passed it to Nelson who made a smart diagonal run, and then he hogged the ball for too long and ended up getting crowded out. Not the first time he’s been too greedy.

 

Tierney’s had an excellent game so far. Such a useful outlet and beating his man every time. Does some great work on the byline where Fabio Vieira should have scored there to make it 2-0. That’s an awful finish. Way too timid.

We’re starting to dominate but we need to do better in the final third.

 

HT. 1-0.

Dodgy opening 15 or so minutes, then we scored and should have scored a few more, but for some timid finishing and wastefulness.

Zurich have looked far better than they have in their other games (new manager bounce?), and clearly are trying to push for a Conference League spot, but we really need to end this as a contest asap.

Really need to see more from Lokonga. He’s not showing for the ball enough and isn’t providing any link from midfield. May as well not be playing.

 

What more does Gabriel Jesus have to do to score?! This goalkeeper FFS…

 

There’s a lot of stuff happening off the ball that the referee just isn’t picking up. This referee has been crap.

 

Elneny is soo average.

Nicest bloke but really not good enough - he's not creative at all.

 

Nketiah ****ing up another promising attack…

 

Holding just isn’t good enough at all. He can do a job where we need to defend in a deep block and clear the lines, but in games where we need to dominate and are possession-oriented, he’s so far off the required level.

 

Elneny off, Partey on.
Jesus off, Saka on.

Shame Jesus couldn’t get on the scoresheet. Hopefully goals will come again soon for him.

 

Vieira has been absolutely ****ing useless every time he’s had to shoot. **** me.

 

Partey's already done more than Elneny.

 

This really hasn’t been a good performance tonight. Giving away cheap fouls, no fluidity in our passing, getting outmuscled in midfield and now Zurich have just scored an offside goal. Warning sign is there. Need to fix up.

 

I’m sorry but that’s awful from Nketiah to not stay onside there.