For the first time in a decade, Bilbao were back on the biggest stage and my word were they up for it. The stadium was rocking, the atmosphere was intense and the players were blood and thunder from the outset.
Tag: Champions League
Athletic Club vs Arsenal: We have a job to do
Football comes at you fast. It was only Saturday lunch time that we were digesting a comfortable 3-0 win for Arsenal over a pretty lacklustre Nottingham Forest side but already the focus shifted and the discussion has moved on. Tomorrow brings the Champions League and a fresh challenge. Three days is not much rest at … Continue reading Athletic Club vs Arsenal: We have a job to do
PSG 2 Arsenal 1: At least we went down fighting
Nobody enjoys losing but, like victories, defeats come in different forms and some are more palatable than others. Arsenal's defeat in Paris on Wednesday night was painful and disappointing but it was a defeat worthy of the club and the fans. It was a defeat that showed character, that showed resilience and that showed a … Continue reading PSG 2 Arsenal 1: At least we went down fighting
Arsenal 0 v PSG 1: Hopes hang by a thread after Champions League chastening
Arsenal aren't yet out of this semi-final tie but the manner of their defeat at the hands of PSG on Tuesday night makes the likelihood of a comeback seem remote. It was a disappointing night to say the least. It was a flat, listless, timid and ineffectual undertaking for large parts, so far removed from … Continue reading Arsenal 0 v PSG 1: Hopes hang by a thread after Champions League chastening
Real Madrid vs Arsenal: Do whatever it takes to get through
I am seriously considering not watching on Wednesday night. The pressure, the tension, the unbearable sinking feeling whenever Madrid cross the half-way line; I'll be putting myself through hell simply by switching on the television. We've waited years for a night like this, for the chance to play one of the world's great sides at … Continue reading Real Madrid vs Arsenal: Do whatever it takes to get through
Arsenal 3 Real Madrid: Sweet dreams are made of this
Nights like these live long in the memory. Over the course of a season we see plenty of wins, a lot of draws and a sprinkling of defeats too. But there are some fixtures, some results that just stand out above all others, that come to mind where all others fade quickly in the memory. … Continue reading Arsenal 3 Real Madrid: Sweet dreams are made of this
Arsenal v PSV: Finding new motivation
Without wishing to tempt fate, it's difficult to see any scenario in which Arsenal don't qualify for the next round of the Champions League tonight. Nothing can or should ever be ruled out and nobody wants to appear arrogant but the deficit facing our Dutch visitors is so great that it would require the sort … Continue reading Arsenal v PSV: Finding new motivation
PSV v Arsenal: Gunners need to show they can be a threat
The unravelling of our Premier League season was slow at first but then accelerated until it hit the buffers at breakneck speed. The only real surprise was that we limped on for as long as we did as we relied on makeshift formations and individual brilliance to keep our ship afloat. At Nottingham Forest, though, … Continue reading PSV v Arsenal: Gunners need to show they can be a threat
Girona 1 Arsenal 2: On to bigger and better things
I worried we might sink without a trace when Girona took the lead in the first half of last night's Champions League dead rubber. With a heavily rotated squad and not much to play for, it felt like the kind of game in which the players might sense the complete lack of urgency and coast … Continue reading Girona 1 Arsenal 2: On to bigger and better things
Arsenal 3 Dinamo Zagreb 0: About as comfortable as it gets
It feels like it's been a while since we've got through 90 minutes in relative comfort. The rigours of the winter schedule in the Premier League, mixed in with various cup competitions, has made it a gruelling month or so in north London and we have had to dig deeper than is reasonable in order … Continue reading Arsenal 3 Dinamo Zagreb 0: About as comfortable as it gets
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