How Arsenal took us by surprise against Real Madrid
Last Wednesday, The Gunners outstandingly advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009 after forcing current holders Real Madrid to collapse. After a nervy first half Arsenal kicked into gear, inside the 65th minute Bukayo Saka pounced on a Mikel Merino through ball finding the back of the net […] The post How Arsenal took us by surprise against Real Madrid appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
Last Wednesday, The Gunners outstandingly advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009 after forcing current holders Real Madrid to collapse.
After a nervy first half Arsenal kicked into gear, inside the 65th minute Bukayo Saka pounced on a Mikel Merino through ball finding the back of the net from the centre of the box making it 1-0.
However within only moments the North Londoner’s conceded an equaliser (1-1) following a poor defensive mistake at the back witnessing Vinicius Junior capitalise on the error.
In the final moments of the second-leg despite Arsenal 4-1 up on aggregate Gabriel Martinelli finished off the game for Mikel Arteta’s team to seal the 2-1 victory.
Madrid’s manager Carlos Ancelotti believes Arsenal have what it takes to claim Champions League glory by what he saw from Arteta’s Gunners, he told the Daily Mail:” There aren’t many complete teams in Europe. There are teams who do some things well but not many that do everything well like Arsenal do.”
It was the first time The Gunners had won at the Bernabeu for 20 years since beating Real Madrid 1-0 during the Champions League round of 16 during the 2005/05 season on their way to the final which they lost 1-2 to Spanish rivals Barcelona.
Arsenal have become “Super Arsenal” this season in the Champions League and the past two rounds of the competition have highlighted that. In the round of 16 The Gunners annihilated PSV 9-2 over both legs and this time round Carlos Ancelotti’s side 5-1 unexpectedly.
If you took the Gunners by their current league form you’d be surprised that they’d even surpassed the Champions’ League group stage, yet alone qualify for the competition.
Back at the start of the year the Champions League super computer predicted Arsenal as favourites to win the competition with many sceptical of its prediction, but now it’s become a reality through the results, players and Arteta in charge of the managerial reigns.
When Arsenal were last in the semis of the competition in 2009 we bowed out to the indomitable Manchester United held together by Alex Ferguson, but now we face PSG who we’ve already beaten this campaign in the group stage 2-0.
The Gunners should feel confident going into the semis knowing this, as well as the fact that PSG just about got past an Aston Villa side on Tuesday, who struggled to beat a relegated Southampton in the Premier League last week leaving it till the final half an hour to score three goals in desperate fashion.
If Arteta can take Arsenal to Munich and win in the final it will surely be one of the greatest days in the clubs 129 year history, but we must get past PSG first and the red side of North London are cheering them on.
If not now, then when?
Liam Harding
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