Sevilla v Arsenal: Champions League – as it happened

  • 10/24/2023
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That means we’re done here, so thanks for your company and comments – sorry I couldn’t use them all – and see you next time. Peace and love, people. Apologies, my internet has packed up. However, look at me tethering! I am young! And here’s Sid Lowe’s match report. I didn’t realise that penalty FCK missed at Old Trafford was taken by Jordan Larsson, son of the great Henrik. Get yourselves caught up with the great Scott Murray. Or, put another way, if Arsenal win the return in two weeks, they’ll be close to through and, if Lens beat PSV, they’ll be actually through. Elsewhere, Lens found an equaliser against PSV, so the group looks like this: Arsenal P3 Pts 6 Lens P3 Pts 5 Sevilla P3 Pts 2 PSV P3 Pts 2 FULL TIME: Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal Phew! Great win for Arsenal – Sevilla pushed them hard but they scored two jazzers and defended just about well enough. They seize control of Group B! 90+7 min Acuna hits a huge switch out to Ocampos and his first touch is terrific, bringing the ball down and delivering it into his stride … but he slices wide of the near post! 90+7 min At Old Trafford, three minutes over the allotted injury-time, FCK have a penalty … and Onana saves it! Decent night for United’s fall-guys. 90+5 min Nyland comes up but Arsenal get the corner away and Sevilla build again, but Acuna humps a terrible ball into the box and this time Raya collects cleanly, falling on it and staying fallen on it. That should be it… 90+4 min NOW THEN! Juanlu skips inside a lazy challenge from Trossard, swishes in a minging cross … and Raya panics, diving high at it … the ball grazing his knuckles and flying behind, just! That was so, so close. 90+3 min Arsenal knock it about, Rice scything after the ball trying to win a free-kick off Lamela … but nothing doing. What I love about Rice is that opponents know that, if they’re facing him, win or lose they’re in for a painful night. 90-+1 min Kiwior replaces Martinelli, and what a signing he’s been, £6m from Ituano. The scout who spotted him should be feeling pretty stoked, especially if he’s Australian. 90+1 min There we go, six added minutes and Rakitic crosses into the box … but Arsenal clear. 90 min Sevilla build patiently, Lamela trying a one-tow off En-Nesyri, but Tmiyasu is wise to the ruse, stepping in to intercept. 89 min It’s a while since Sevilla have seriously threatened. I don’t think there’ll be loads of injury time, but we’ve had a few injuries, subs and two goals, so that could easily be six minutes. 87 min Nketiah loses possession and Juanlu drills a cross into Tomiyasu that flies out for a throw. In co-comms, meanwhile, Lucy Ward notes that Rice has come alive as the game’s got tense, and I agree. I still don’t think he’s got enough on the ball to play as an 8 – though if he can score a few more he can change that – but his ability to cover the width and sprint the length is exceptional. 86 min By the way, is it just me who thinks that Leandro Trossard looks not unlike the Guardian’s Owen Jones? 85 min Sevilla had momentum just before and just after they scored, but the changes – and, in particular, the work of Declan Rice – have helped Arsenal keep that in check. 83 min Aha, at the same time as the Nketiah change, Trossard replaced Saka. 81 min Absolute sake. We mentioned Jesus staying fit not that long ago and, diving away from Soumare, he pulls up with hammy-twang. He’s replaced by Nketiah, which is fine for now, but Arsenal won’t want to be without him for long. 80 min “Here’s another one!” returns Charlie Robinson. “This time from Kanu – at 1.10 minutes, how to round the keeper one-on-one without actually touching the ball!” Yup, I posted that below, but the video deserves its own space. 79 min Another change for Sevilla, Juanlu for Navas. 77 min Saliba, though; what a player he could become, what a player he already is. He easily confiscates possession from En-Nesyri, sets away an attack, and Saka threatens down the right. But he can’t make anything of it, Sevilla attack down the right, and Navas swivels into a surprise cross that forces Saliba to make an emergency intervention, leaping and relieved to see the ball skim off his head to relative safety. 75 min I’m really interested to see if and how Arsenal close this out. Sevilla are giving them no peace in possession now, and when Lamela looks to have stolen away form Saliba, he goes down on the edge of the box … and is booked for diving. 73 min Arsenal make a change, Havertz replacing Odegaard. That makes sense – I’m sure Arteta wants his physical presence and ball-holding, not to mention his height defending set-pieces. 73 min Back at Old Trafford, Harry Maguire has put United ahead. 71 min And now Sevilla respond, winning a corner down the left, Rakitic to take. 69 min Sevilla’s changes have worked well, though game-state is presumably part of the reason they’re controlling possession now. But have a look at this! Rice again picks up a loose ball, taking Jorginho’s interception not far outside his own box and barrelling forward close to Sevilla’s. But with Jesus free to his left, he instead looks right for Saka, who’s quickly crowded out. 68 min … and now we’re back, Sevilla in search of an equaliser. 64 min My coverage jumps… 63 min Soumare clips a crossfield pass into the box, Diaz controls on his chest, the ball drops … and he astonishes a shot against the underside of the bar! Did Raya get a finer to that? I’m not sure, but then the flag goes up for handball – that chest control wasn’t as good as I thought it was. 61 min “You mention rounding the keeper in a one-on-one situation,” says Charlie Robinson. This is not only the best example of the genre, but also one of the best goals ever scored at an international tournament – please stand for Davor Suker against Germany at Euro 96.” His goals at that always vex me because some of my mates drove up to Hillsborough for Croatia v Denmark and my parents wouldn’t let me go with. But, as the Joy of Six below notes, you can’t beat Kanu v Depor. 59 min Elsewhere in this group, PSV lead 1-0 in Lens. If they hang on and Arsenal win here, they’ll be a very long way to qualified. GOAL! Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal (Gudelj 58) Or not! Rakitic’s corner flies flat, just beyond the near post, and Gudelj, up first and in front of Jesus, hammers a fine header inside the upright! Game on! 57 min Double change for Sevilla, Lamela and Diaz replaced Sow and Lukebakio. I fear it may be too little, too late … but they win a corner down the right… 56 min This is excellent from Arsenal, who’ve started the second half like animals. Again, Rice seizes upon a loose ball and drives forward, it ends up with Saka, and he’s barged over in the box by Ocampos. It’s not a penalty, but it’s not far off. 55 min Jesus is under pressure as an Arsenal centre-forward and he’ll know it. He does so much so well, but he needs better numbers and goals when they’re really needed, else he’ll be replaced. Well, he’s on his way – if he can stay fit and in form. OHHHH WHAT A GOAL! Sevilla 0-2 Arsenal (Jesus 53) We said he was feeling himself, but now he’s eating himself! Raya kicks long and Rice collects the weak headed clearance, finding Jesus down the left. He cuts into the box from the side, dips inside Navas … and curls a rasping brute into the far side-netting, two-thirds of the way up! Two stupendous goals from Arsenal, and this is over! 51 min Arsenal have been solid at the back tonight snd, as i type that, Tomiyasu stands strong to see a ball over the by-line, Lukebakio doing all he can to intercede and giving away a free-kick. 50 min Jesus is feeling himself here, showing for the ball and setting another attack in motion. The ball goes right, Saka crosses, and Jesus is now in the middle … but Gudelj jumps well and prevents him heading for goal. 48 min Arsenal maintain pressure, Martinelli on the left and lifting over the defender for Jesus down the side of the box. Nyaldnrushes out, the ball hits him and falls for Odegaard … who snatches at his shot, lashing over. 47 min Conceding then, like that, will have devastated Sevilla and Arsenal are at them immediately, White, Odegaard and Saka linking before the former thrashes wide. 46 min We go again… Looking again at the goal, though I know Sevilla were squeezing, playing a team like Arsenal you’re always likely to give up chances with so much space in behind. Respect to them for pushing in injury-time, but giving themselves so little security was naive. Still, though, there was so much work to do. Jesus’ first touch was impeccable, allowing the Cruyff turn that created the passing space and lane, then Martinelli finished really well. Rounding the keeper is clearly the best way of finishing a one-on-one – feel free to tell me I’m wrong – but it’s almost disappeared from the game so any night we see it is a good night. I’ll be back with you shortly, but in the meantime, here’s tape of the only other time this fixture has taken place.

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