Arsenal scrape past Shakhtar as drab win lays bare Champions League problem

ARSENAL 1-0 SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Mikel Arteta's Gunners laboured to a constrictive triumph implicit their Ukrainian counterparts successful the Champions League aft Dmytro Riznyk's unfortunate ain goal

As responses go, this was beauteous underwhelming. Rather similar the caller Champions League format.

Mikel Arteta desperately needed a morale-boosting triumph aft Saturday’s decision astatine Bournemouth to assistance the temper - and yet this was a turgid turn-off. Arsenal conscionable astir sneaked a win, they missed a big of chances - including Leandro Trossard seeing a punishment saved - and were near with much wounded worries.

Riccardo Calafiori limped disconnected with a genu wounded to permission them woefully abbreviated of acceptable defenders to look Liverpool successful Sunday’s rubric showdown. But, conscionable arsenic concerning, was Arsenal looking sluggish, sloppy and abbreviated of the zip they volition request to flooded Arne Slot’s aboriginal gait setters astatine the Emirates.

You cannot beryllium excessively captious erstwhile a squad wins successful the Champions League but this caller format is not producing capable thrilling contests because, with the other 2 games, determination is simply a chiseled deficiency of jeopardy and urgency successful the aboriginal games.

Arsenal hardly played with immoderate existent strength and occurrence and yet an ain extremity saw them crossed the decorativeness enactment to marque it 2 wins and a gully from their archetypal 3 games. But Shakhtar Donetsk volition consciousness they did themselves arrogant and ne'er gave up which says everything astir their spirit.

Shakhtar had travelled 1,400 miles by coach, bid and level to London specified is their nomadic beingness since the Ukraine warfare and they person agelong since stopped playing successful Donetsk.

The Ukrainian nine has been galvanised by those challenges and they looked to person weathered the aboriginal tempest until atrocious luck conspired against them. Calafiori and Trossard missed aboriginal chances which would person enactment Arsenal successful control.

But past it became each excessively slow, pedestrian and sluggish which was the large occupation astir Arsenal’s decision astatine Bournemouth. They are missing Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka done wounded and they cannot travel backmost soon capable due to the fact that Arsenal look a airy shadiness of themselves without their astir originative players.

William Saliba volition miss Sunday’s crippled aft his reddish paper astatine Bournemouth and acold excessively often Arsenal had to trust connected their defence to support retired Shakhtar successful what became a nervy last fewer minutes. It was brainsick considering Arsenal went up aft 29 minutes - and should person enactment the crippled to furniture agelong earlier the last whistle.

Gabriel Martinelli darted down Arsenal’s near wing, chopped wrong the punishment container and past his debased changeable smashed against the basal of the post, rebounded out, deed Shakhtar keeper Dmytro Riznyk’s backside and past deflected into the net. It gave a full caller meaning of 1-0 to the Arse-nal. Jesus, Trossard and Martinelli could - and should - person extended the lead.

Ben White went disconnected astatine half-time - possibly much to bash with a booking than an wounded - and was replaced by Mikel Merino arsenic Arsenal besides had a tactical reshuffle with Thomas Partey going to right-back and Trossard pushing further forward.

Calafiori went disconnected which means they could present beryllium without him and Jurrien Timber portion Saliba is suspended for the sojourn of Liverpool. Then Arsenal could not adjacent instrumentality vantage of a acquisition from the punishment spot. Merino’s transverse deed Shakhtar Valeriy Bondar’s manus and, nether UEFA rules, it was fixed arsenic a punishment aft a VAR check.

But Trossard’s mediocre punishment went consecutive down the mediate and Shakhtar keeper Riznyk saved with his legs. In the end, Arsenal really had their fans connected the borderline of their seats. Shakhtar substitute Pedrinho’s deflected changeable successful wounded clip was saved brilliantly by David Raya arsenic it was excessively nervy than it should person been.

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