RED-FACED Arsenal stumbled into the last 32 of the Europa League after scaring the pants off poor Freddie Ljungberg.
But don’t hold your breath on them going much further in this competition despite somehow topping their group.
Arsenal enter the Europa League knockout stages as an accident waiting to happen against every opponentCredit: AP:Associated Press
Because even though they will avoid Champions League outcasts Ajax, Inter Milan and Red Bull Salzburg in Monday’s draw, this lot are an accident waiting to happen against every opponent.
This is the 21st year in a row that Arsenal have reached the European knock-out stages, but never have they made it through in more unconvincing fashion.
With 12 minutes to go in freezing Belgium, they were two-down and clinging on to qualification by the tips of their fingers.
But two goals in three minutes coupled with Eintracht Frankfurt’s stunning late collapse at home to Vitoria Guimaraes meant that Arsenal finished the evening in first place.
God only knows how they managed it and at least Ljungberg had the decency to look embarrassed by his team’s good fortune at the final whistle.
Because having cruised through their first three group games, qualification for the knock-out stages should have been an absolute breeze.
But after conceding a last minute equaliser in Guimaraes then losing at home to Frankfurt in Unai Emery’s last match in charge, they arrived in Liege still unsure of their place in the last 32.
It would still have needed a five-goal victory for Liege to progress at the Gunners’ expense, and even a defence as porous as Ljungberg’s was unlikely to ship that many.
They gave it a go, though, and midway through the second-half there was the distinct whiff of panic emanating from the Arsenal dug-out.
The interim boss had done his best to guard against the seemingly impossible by opting for the belt and braces security of a back three featuring centre-half Konstantinos Mavropanos for the first time this season.
The Greek international had managed just 149 minutes of first team football during Emery’s 18 months at the helm and showed his rustiness with a suicidal early pass across his own area.
Fortunately for the young defender, Mehdi Carcela was unable to take advantage of the opportunity with a tame shot was straight at Emiliano Martinez.
It was a moment of carelessness which Arsenal could not afford to repeat if they wanted to enjoy the luxury of a rare stress-free evening.
But on a pitch which wouldn’t have looked out of place in the local park, the young visitors continued to make life difficult for themselves by regularly losing possession.
Not that their opponents were much better as they left themselves open to the counter every time their press was found wanting.
Emile Smith Rowe had a chance to calm Arsenal nerves in the 13th minute when he was played in by Alexandre Lacazette but his low shot was diverted for a corner by the outstretched boot of keeper Arnaud Bodart.
Bukayo Saka brought another sharp parry from Bodart then fired over from the edge of the area as Arsenal finally started to find their rhythm.
And they could have been ahead right at the end of the first-half when another Saka effort was blocked before Reiss Nelson’s follow-up header was saved by the sprawling Bodart.
Having watched his team reach the interval in relative comfort, Ljungberg would have been forgiven for anticipating more of the same after the break.
But life is never straightforward for Arsenal these days and within three minutes of the restart they found themselves behind when Samuel Bastien’s shot deflected past Martinez off Sokratis.
It was the 13th game in a row in which Arsenal had failed to keep a clean sheet and worse was soon to follow when they fell further behind to another deflected goal, with Martinez once again going down in instalments.
This time it was Mavropanos who inadvertently applied the final touch to Selim Amallah’s 70th minute toe poke after Joe Willock had failed to clear.
All of a sudden Arsenal’s worst fears looked as though they were about to become a reality as even a five-goal defeat did not look beyond them.
But just as at West Ham on Monday night, there was a sting in the tail from a team who are nothing if not tenacious.
Saka’s 78th minute cross was nodded in from close range by Lacazette in his first match as captain.
And two minutes later the impressive Saka showed nerves of steel to snatch an unlikely equaliser with a low shot through a crowd of defenders.
If all of the players showed as much fight as 18-year-old Saka, Arsenal might not be in such a mess right now.
Now they have just two days to regroup for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday. It’s not about to get easier for Ljungberg any time soon.
Saka’s cross was nodded in from close range by Lacazette in his first match as captainCredit: AFP or licensors
Saka showed nerves of steel to snatch an unlikely equaliser with a low shot through a crowd of defendersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
