2017-18 EUROPA LEAGUE MATCHDAY DISCUSSION

ARSENAL NAME 42-MAN EUROPA LEAGUE SQUAD

What are you doing!!! WE want to forget about this. Erase history evidence.

Oh, come on... It's a 'Moan'inho template for reaching Champions League!!!

Uh, "no"...

Arsenal enter relatively unfamiliar terrain on Thursday when they get their Europa League campaign under way against Koln.

Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette, Danny Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka joined Ozil in missing out on training ahead of the match on Wednesday.

However, the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Hector Bellerin were all involved in the first team training session at London Colney, suggesting that they are likely to be involved in some capacity.

Several youngsters including Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock joined in training along with highly-rated teenager Marcus McGuane.

Potential starting XI:
Ospina; Holding, Mustafi, Monreal; Bellerin, Kolasinac, Elneny, Wilshere; Nelson, Giroud, Sanchez

CROWD TROUBLE DELAYS ARSENAL'S EUROPA LEAGUE OPENER

The match between the Gunners and Koln has been pushed back after visiting supporters attempted to swarm the home section at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal's Europa League opener against Koln has been delayed by one hour (21:05 BST kick-off) because of concerns over crowd safety.

TEAM NEWS:
Arsenal: Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal; Bellerin, Iwobi, Elneny, Maitland-Niles; Walcott, Giroud, Alexis.

Subs: Macey, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Reine-Adelaide, Nelson, Wilshere, Akpom.

Typical Arsenal game.. Lackluster in the 1st half and brilliant in the 2nd...

A wonder goal from Cordoba silenced Arsenal in the 1st half...
But..., what a thunder strike from Kolasinac, sheer powerful!!! And a stunning strike from Sanchez...

There were many things that happened in the first half that got me upset:

Walcott was not good whatsoever, Iwobi is not a center mid, Holding is not ready to play with the first team anytime soon, Elneny was the only player who made up for himself, Walcott, and Holding, Ainsley-Maitland Niles looked weak on the wing, Ospina made a terrible clearance which shows why we start Cech, Sanchez was not passing well and was playing too far back like in Liverpool, Giroud was too far back because we couldn't move the ball forward enough for him to be dangerous, Defense was O.K. except for Holding and the fact that they should have pressed like crazy after Ospina's mistake, and Bellerin was good and got better in the second half.

Little bit niggle

Also, with Red Star Belgrade, they did something Arsenal have never done in our history:

Win the Champions League!

Eh...what?

ARSENAL VS BATE BORISOV

Wenger has chosen a reserve-heavy starting line-up for the Gunners' trip to face BATE Borisov in Europa League action.
Wenger has opted to hand 18-year-old Joe Willock his first senior start while Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles make up a young-looking XI.

Arsenal XI:
Ospina; Mustafi, Mertesacker, Holding; Nelson, Willock, Elneny, Wilshere, Maitland-Niles; Walcott, Giroud.

Subs:
Macey, Dasilva, Gilmour, McGuane, Dragomir, Akpom, Nketiah

We attacked well during the game but our defense made a few errors.

Arsenal vs Red Star Belgrade

Arsenal XI:
Cech; Debuchy, Elneny, Holding; Nelson, Coquelin, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Walcott, Wilshere; Giroud.

Subs:
Macey, DaSilva, Nketiah, Akpom, McGuane, Osei-Tutu, Sheaf.

RED STAR BELGRADE 0 - 1 ARSENAL

GIROUD'S SPECIAL WINNER LIGHTS UP DRAB ENCOUNTER...

Key Opta stats:
- Arsenal have won their last four Europa League/UEFA Cup away games, after losing five of the previous six (D1).
- The Gunners have kept their first clean sheet away from home in European competition since beating Olympiacos 3-0 in December 2015.
- Olivier Giroud has been directly involved in eight goals in his last eight starts in Europe for Arsenal (seven goals, one assist).
- Theo Walcott has been directly involved in four goals in his last four European appearances for Arsenal (three goals, one assist).
- Walcott's assist was his 11th for Olivier Giroud in all competitions; only Mesut Ozil has provided more assists for the Frenchman (15).

Walcott did well there. Wish he could do more like score more goals and create more goals.

Little bit niggle

That header was just about the only good thing he did

We seriously need to sell him and get someone better. He is just taking up space where we could have perhaps a versatile wing-back so we could give Reiss Nelson some time up front instead of Walcott.

ARSENAL vs REDSTAR BELGRADE

Team Lineup:

KEY OPTA STATS

• The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 16 games in all competitions at the Emirates (W14 D2), however this was the first time since May that they failed to take all three points (2-2 v Manchester City).
  
• This was the first 0-0 Arsenal have been involved in at the Emirates since October 2016, when they drew against Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
  
• Arsene Wenger’s side failed to score in a European home game for the first time since February 2016 (0-2 loss v Barcelona in the Champions League).
  
• Arsenal have not lost any of the nine home games they have played on a Thursday under Arsene Wenger (W8 D1), with the first of those being a 3-0 win v Nantes back in 1999 (UEFA Cup).
  
• Red STar, meanwhile, are the first Serbian team to keep a clean sheet away from home against English opposition since FK Partizan in August 2003 (1-0 v Newcastle in Champions League qualifying).
  
• Jack Wilshere made his first start at the Emirates in European competition since August 2014 (1-0 v Besiktas in Champions League qualifying).