Arsenal 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: Arsenal qualify with gritty performance

I don't know about you guys, but I really like this Arsenal side. It's not the most fluid of Arsenal sides, and it doesn't have the outstanding calibre of players that would get you off your seats. It's not even that great defensively. What it does do, is scrap. It doesn't get bullied out of games by plucky opposition. It could just be me, but I really like a team that can scrap and battle for results.

Of course, I could just be getting ahead of myself and the Arsenal I'm used to seeing will come to the surface once more, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Tonight was always going to be a difficult game. No matter what those cretins at Sky Sports tell you, Borussia Dortmund are a very good side who were well capable of defeating us at The Emirates. By no means should we have been expected to just roll over BvB.

Dortmund energetic, but little action in the final thrd
The game went as I expected it to go. Dortmund, needing a win and motivated by that pressure, started off the better side. They pressed us and kept the ball well, while we struggled to really get going in just about every aspect of play.

Arsenal found it tough to play out their own half, mainly due to Dortmund getting first to the ball and making many tackles and interceptions. Van Persie often dropped deep and tried to make things happened, but was always crowded out by three or four players and had his passing options limited. Arsenal also attempted to play direct balls down the flanks, but the two Dortmund fullbacks were always first to the ball.

Dortmund's game plan was to keep things tight and organised, so as to prevent us from building-up any attacks, and then nick the ball back and launch quick counters. It was an identical plan to the one they deployed away to Munich at the weekend.

However, for all of Dortmund's posession and terrortorial advantages, they didn't really create many clear-cut opportunities. They were perhaps a bit unlucky, since Sven Bender, a driving force from their midfield, and Mario Götze, who we all know about, both went off injured. But bar a couple of long shots, I don't recall them really testing Szczesny.

Arsenal were hardly any better. Other than the odd ocassion that a player got behind Dortmund's defence, Arsenal failed to sustain pressure and create anything note. This was partly down to their midfield having to work hard on defending and just keeping the ball, but also partly down to the excellent Mats Hummels, who made so many interceptions and tackles.

So it was 0-0 at half-time. The game would have to be decided by a bit of quality from someone.

Arsenal come out on top as Dortmund run out of steam
The second half played out like the first, but as the saying goes: goals change games. Alex Song got a little lucky initially, but produced a nice piece of skills to wiggle his was through two Dortmund defenders, and then played in an excellent ball for van Persie to nod home. People will inevitably think that van Persie has saved us again, but that goal was all Song.

Dortmund seemed to deflate a bit after that goal, and didn't look as energetic in their pressing and still looked flat going forward. Arsenal were keeping the ball much better, thanks to having more time and space on the ball, and this helped the defence since it took some pressure off of them and gave them some time to recover.

Arsenal defended well and kept an organised shape, while breaking with the pace of Walcott and Gervinho. Gervinho should've made it 2-0, but just couldn't control the ball. Arsenal eventually did score a second, through a corner of all things. It was a classic corner routine - the ball whipped into the near post, flicked on by Vermaelen and finished by, as you might guess... van Persie. Here, there, ****ing everywhere, as the song goes.

That pretty much wrapped the game up. Arsenal conceded at the end through some pretty sloppy defending. Obviously they just lost focus at the end there - perhaps down to tiredness - but it's the sort of thing they'll have to make sure doesn't happen again, as it could prove to be fatal in a two-legged tie.

The crisis club qualfies
We're probably past the days of being called a crisis club, but winning when everyone seems to still be expecting you to fail is always satisfying.

On paper, our group was probably the second strongest, behind Manchester City's group. We had two domestic champions and a former champion in our group. None of the teams in this group are easy to beat. United and Chelsea had easier groups, but have failed to qualify thus far and could not qualify at all. City's destiny is out of their own hands. Us? We've won our group.

I apologise if I come off as big-headed here, but it's a sign of how our fortunes have changed and I'm quite proud of the team.

Player Ratings
Wojciech Szczesny - 6. Had very little to do today, surprisingly.

Per Mertesacker - 6. Had a steady game, which was needed after the shakey display against Norwich.

Thomas Vermaelen - 7. Typical Vermaelen display, and had he got an assist for himself. On a side note, he managed to break Sven Bender's jaw in two places. I'm sure everyone in the #GoonerFamily wishes Bender a speedy recovery.

Laurent Koscielny - 6. Had a solid game at right back, and looked absolutely knackered when he was subbed off.

Andre Santos - 7. For someone so caviler, Santos was really disciplined today and made some really good challenges. I have a feeling he's just going to be one of these hot-and-cold players, who'll be excellent in all aspects one game but rubbish in another.

Alex Song - 8. Defensively very good; he got his tackles in, got in the right positions etc. His assist for van Persie was just excellent. Superb all round display.

Mikel Arteta - 7. I really like Arteta. Tonight he proved why he doesn't need to be playing further up the pitch to be a good player for us. He wasn't great on the ball, but his work rate and discipline was top-notch.

Aaron Ramsey - 7. Did well and played some very nice passes; indicative of his confidence at the moment.

Theo Walcott - 6. Had a solid game, but wasn't outstanding.

Gervinho - 5.5. Yes, I'm giving out a .5... Gervinho's control tonight was just poor, which is unusual since that's his biggest asset. Seldom did he look in control of the ball, and that one-on-one chance he had where he failed to control the ball and get a shot away summed up his night.

Robin van Persie - 7. Two goals... just another day at the office for van Perise. His all-round play wasn't too great though, and he was caught offside at least four times.

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Johan Djourou - n/a

Abou Diaby - n/a. He's back!

Yossi Benayoun - n/a

To cap this off...

Song, Kos, and of course RVP f

Although we started off very slow, I thought it was a great team performance.

The feck up at the end cost us a clean sheet but overall it was a solid defensive display.

Welcome to Arsenal, Mario Godze

@OptaJoe
Opta Sports
10 - Robin van Persie has scored 2+ goals in 10 Arsenal games in 2011 (eight braces, two hat-tricks). Beast.

@JoshJJames78
Josh James
Robin van Persie is the first man to score 50 goals at Emirates Stadium (now 51)

Whos mad broooos ?


We are always 10 times better in the 2nd half


Song, MOTM, what a performance. Defending 10/10 Attacking 8/10 everything else 9/10

give him a rating of 9 or 10 jay

Rvp

Ramsey

Gervinho

well done lads...got the job done

Haha!!! PARTYYY!!!!! :dance:

Song was just abnormal tonight, Ramsey was great too - RvP despite the goals was isolated by Hummels, Djourou,Gervinho

Song MOTM imo.

SONG MOTM!!!!!

good all round performance from the team..


we can finally give our players a rest and give the back ups more chance.

Good game.. Our defense rose up to the expectation.. They pressed hard in the first half and we couldnt maintain much possession.. But the second half was as expected..
Vermelen - 7 amazing as usual.. Nice assist too.. Once he is here we he have an improved chance to score from a corner..
Met - 6.5 good game
Kos - 7 solid
Santos - 7 his skills are amazing.. And as Kos stands back we are not having much problems even though he advances and i fantasy playing him as a left winger and Gibbs as LB..
Song - 7 what an assist.. Gave away ball with some sloppy passing initially.. Good 2nd half and a cruel joke on Sczeny at the end..
Arteta - 6.5 defensive shield.. this is the position which suits the team.. Ramsey or Wilshere should play an attacking role..
Ramsey - 6 dortmund pressed hard.. Feel that he is less comfortable under pressure..
Walcott - 7 good game
RVP - 8 legend...
Gervinho - 5.5 missing too many chances..
Benayoun - 6.5 better to see him than Arshavin when we are trying to slow down things..
Djurou - 5
Diaby - 6 welcome back..!

I had to watch most of the game in a lecture at the university today; to date, Arsenal have always won when I have done this! When we got the first, I had to check my girlish shriek - although the German exchange student (Dortmund fan) in my class took notice, and was not too pleased.

@Sina_TheGunner
Sina
Alex Song:7 interceptions,5 tackles,6/6 long balls,1 assist,3 dribbles ,55 passes(82% pass completion) Distance covered:9936 meters #MOTM

SONG
Schmelzer

too short

From German TV - Arsene Wenger: Many European clubs are after Götze. Reporter: You too? Wenger (smiles): Yes.”

twitter

it seems klopp also asked AW To field his first team in Greece right?
first gotze

Updated the first post.

lol Goonerjay whats your beef with Gervinho

Excellent ratings, Gervinho was really poor tonight and last game too.

Wilson37 wrote:
Arteta - 6.5 defensive shield.. this is the position which suits the team.. Ramsey or Wilshere should play an attacking role..
Ramsey - 6 dortmund pressed hard.. Feel that he is less comfortable under pressure..

Kind of a contradiction. Don't think that he will ever be able to attack without any pressure.

Song Vermaelen RVP Koscielny solid as ever - Santos getting better all the time.

Good win. We can now relax in the final group game.

agree with the ratings

Gervinho was really poor though. He was lacking pace as well, it tells u one thing that he is fatigued

Gervinho is a talented player who goes past players very easily but his end-product isn't always great. He has the potential to be top top class, and I am hopeful under Wenger he will continue to develop.

By this time next season, he could be vital for us. In a way, he is already vital, but Benayoun/Arshavin should be considered for the Fulham game right now.

He just lacks a bit of composure in the final third....he will improve

Nasri took 3 seasons to finally show some consistency

^guess he will be regular in europa league for money-grabbers just like arry who plays spuds BENCHWARMERS AT EL