EXTRA-TIME STUNNER MAKES IT EURO AGONY FOR ARTETA
GREEKS do not always come bearing gifts. This time they took the presents that Arsenal offered them – as Mikel Arteta’s side crashed out of the Europa League.
Just as Arsenal thought they had won this tie thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s late late goal – in the final minute of extra-time their defence collapsed again for Youssef El Arabi to strike from six yards to send Olympiakos through to the last 16 of the Europa League.
It was no more than the Greeks deserved after a battling display. Trailing 1-0 going into last night’s second leg, they levelled when Pape Abou Cisse headed home.
Aubameyang thought he had saved things when he acrobatically volleyed in with six minute left – but as David Luiz blundered, EL Arabi scored. Aubameyang even missed a glorious chance right at the death to send Arsenal through
It was a desperate, embarrassing night for Mikel Arteta’s men – who slipped, stumbled and fumbled their way out of Europa with a dismal, error-strewn display.
Arteta’s side were so sloppy it was hard to believe they had won their previous three matches. Passes were going astray, players were finding it hard to control the ball.
As the game unfolded, Olympiakos began to believe there might be a glimmer of hope in this tie – and the Greeks had won only one of their past 12 knockout matches in Europe.
The Gunners at last put together a constructive move as Alexandre Lacazette sent Nicolas Pepe racing through the middle.
Ousseynou Ba sent him crashing to the ground right on the edge of the area, and Pepe picked himself up to curl the free-kick just over the bar.
Alexander Lacazette, scorer of the goal that separated the sides in the first leg, had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside.
It came as little surprise when Olympiakos scored in the 53rd minute, so poor had Arsenal been.
Mathieu Valbuena floated in a corner from the left and the towering Cisse raced in unmarked from the edge of the area, as Luiz stood and watched – and totally unhindered, thumped in his header.
The Greek fans erupted and three minutes later they were almost dreaming. Kostas Tsimikas raced past two feeble tackles and shot, and only a super tip over from Bernd Leno prevented disaster.
Pepe’s trickery alone seemed to offer hope, though too often the Ivorian ran into blind alleys.
But his angled shot finally forced a fine save out of Jose Sa – Arsenal’s first effort on target after some 76 minutes – and then Lacazette nodded wide from close range.
Arsenal were throwing everything at the Greek team but were meeting resistance and paid the price.
ARSENAL(4-2-1-3): Leno 7; Bellerin 6 (Willock 84 6), Mustafi 7 (Sokratis 103), Luiz 5, Saka 7; Ceballos 6 (Torreira 72 6), Xhaka 8; Ozil 6; Pepe 7, Lacazette 6, (Martinelli 105) Aubameyang 6.
Goals: Aubameyang 114.
OLYMPIAKOS (4-3-3): Jose Sa 6; Elabdellaoui 6, Ba 6, Cisse 7, Tsimikas 7; Bouchalakis 6, Camara 6, Guilherme 6; Randjelovic 7, El Arabi 6, Valbuena 7 (Gaspar 85). Goals: Cisse 53, El-Arabi 119.