ARSENAL RESCUED BY LACA AND SAKA!
Gunners win the group after late fightback
If ONLY Arsenal could convert some of this courage in coming from behind into an ability to control games from start to finish, then freddie Ljungberg would be laughing.
After three goals in nine minutes on Monday, a burst of brilliance from Bukayo Saka inspired Arsenal to leave Liege with a draw, ensuring they finished top of Europa League Group f.
In the 77th minute, Ljungberg’s side of striplings were trailing 2-0. With Eintracht frankfurt winning against Vitoria Guimaraes, Arsenal were set for the less desirable half of Monday’s draw.
By the 81st, Saka had an assist and a goal, Vitoria then turned it around, and all was well in the world of Arsenal again. In to the hat for the next round they go.
There was an element of luck to it, but bravo to Saka. It is too soon to dub the 18-year-old the Eden
Hazard of Ealing, but his endeavour and energy was enthralling.
‘Amazing’ and ‘tremendous’ were the words used to describe the teenager by Ljungberg, who is no nearer to knowing how long he will needed to fill in as interim head coach.
One wonders what out-of-work Carlo Ancelotti made of this comeback in Liege. If the three-time Champions League-winner was watching at home, he might have been behind the sofa whenever David Luiz and Co tried to play it out from the back.
Prior to kick off, Ljungberg had called on his players to be courageous — but there is bravery and then there is stupidity. Arsenal’s attempts at passing it out were cringeworthy at times.
Still, Ljungberg knew all his side had to do was avoid defeat by five goals to qualify. With Liege needing a miracle to go through, Belgian newspaper Het Laatste
Nieuws tried to inspire the home side by reminding them Lenny Kravitz once said: ‘ Baby, it ain’t over ’til it’s over.’
Het Nieuwsblad were less optimistic, opting for the headline ‘ Mission Impossible’, a more realistic take on the situation.
‘I’m really proud,’ Ljungberg said of his young side. ‘That’s what I said to them after the game. They need experience, they need to play, that heart, that fight, that belief, it was amazing to see.’ Luiz was at the heart of a three-man defence that also included Konstantinos Mavropanos, the 22- year- old Greek making his first senior appearance this season.
The pair were almost caught out early on. A poor header by Luiz led to Mavropanos giving the ball to Mehdi Carcela, who should have tested Emiliano Martinez with a better effort.
Martinez later tried to take part in tiki-taka by his own box and came close to embarrassment, too. At least there was excitement — the good kind — at the other end for Arsenal.
Emile Smith Rowe slotted in nicely on the right side, while Saka ran riot on the left. Were it not for goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart, Saka might have had a first- half hat-trick.
Two minutes after the restart, Standard had the lead. Samuel Bastien fired a speculative 25-yard shot and it took a wicked deflection off Sokratis, who had turned his back on it.
That was poor from the defender and harsh on a helpless Martinez, who had already dived to one side only to see the ball trickle by him on the other.
fireworks were set off in one corner of the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. The side sitting third in the Belgian first Division — and who lost 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium — had the lead. They were controlling the tempo, too. Indeed, Standard soon had a second.
Joe Willock passed the ball into the feet of Selim Amallah. The
attacker danced a little then created a yard of space for a shot, which led to another deflection, this time off Mavropanos.
Martinez dived but could not reach it and Arsenal were staring at a surprising defeat.
Alexandre Lacazette had been anonymous in attack up to this point. With 12 minutes to go, he suddenly showed up.
Saka crossed and the Arsenal No 9 got his head to the ball,