Europa League: Arsenal vs Benfica Fan Perspective

Round of 32. Leg 2. Arsenal vs Benfica. This one could not have been good from my health. So here’s the match… from a Arsenal fan’s perspective.

Pre-game:

I’m not going to lie: I rated the line-up. I rated in the first leg however, and a better result was needed. Typical Arteta 4231. In my opinion, one of the best lineup we could have put forward.

I had high expectations, not to mention slight doubt to. We have managed to ‘Arsenal’ these types of matches before (ahem ahem Olympiacos 2020). I was confident – surely we would beat Benfica.

21st minute:

Arsenal 1-0 Benfica: Aubameyang

GET IN! There is nothing I did not like about this goal. A beautiful ball from Saka – perfectly weighted, perfectly positioned, perfectly placed. Then you have the finish. Cool. Calm. Collected. A little dink over the keeper from Aubameyang, just as we saw for his first club goal and for so many more. Brilliant team play.

Morale: Happy.

41st minute:

What. A. Chance.

Ceballos slips through Saka beautifully. A sly pass through the defensive gaps, right into the box. Surely Saka scores this? No. Great save from the goalkeeper. Bottom hand gets to it and steers it clear. A better finish was needed, but it would inevitably have been ruled offside.

Morale: Still relatively happy.

43rd minute:

Arsenal 1-1 Benfica: Goncalves

In all honesty, I can’t really be mad. The most pinpoint free kick I have seen in my life. Absolutely wondrous strike. Still however, it’s a goal. 1-1. Level terms. Level away goals. This could go either way.

Morale: Could be worse.

50th minute:

UGHHHHHHHHHH. Auba through, another lovely dink finish. Back of the net. Offside. So, so close.

Morale: Slightly irritated.

61st minute:

Arsenal 1-2 Benfica: Rafa

I’m going to let my messages from the group chat describe this one. The watered down version. No. The soaked down version.

“Arsenal’d it. Absolutely Arsenal’d it. Dani Ceballos. Arsenal’d it. It was bound to happen.”

I was not happy. As soon as the goalkeeper kicks it forward I had a bad feeling. Ceballos gets caught under it and in an extremely underwhelming attempt to head it back to Leno plays Rafa right through on goal. This forces Leno to commit, who is irrelevant as Rafa takes it past him. Goal. Surely not in the Round of 32 again. Surely not to a minor team again. Not. Again.

Morale: Livid.

The fact that Willian was subbed on directly afterwards did not help at all.

67th minute:

Arsenal 2-2 Benfica: Tierney

HOLD THE PHONE. MY LEFT BACK. Kieran Tierney has strapped the club on his back and pulled us out of a ditch… again. Willian got an assist? Forgot that was a possibility. Beautiful work from Tierney though. Receives the ball just inside the box. Takes it past a defender on the left and thumps a drilled shot into the far bottom corner. Absolutely clinical. Absolutely instrumental.

Morale: Hopeful.

87th minute:

Arsenal 3-2 Benfica: Aubameyang

Now I’d just like to apologise to anyone that lives on my street, because when this went in I was jumping up and down the road in celebration. Saka again with a beautiful delivery to the back post, where our captain was free to header it in to the open near post. 3-2 in the game. 4-3 on aggregate. We have done it. Surely we can’t choke this now. Surely.

Morale: Ecstatic.

93rd minute:

Cross comes in. 4 unmarked Benfica players on the edge of the six yard box. Rafa gets on the end of it… the ball deflects of the post and is cleared.

Morale: I don’t even know anymore.

Heart Rate: 0-200 in 0.5 seconds.

Actions: going to change into another set of pants.

Full Time:

We. Have. Done. It. It is only the Europa League Round of 32 and it is only against Benfica but what a match. The best one I’ve watched in a while. The Gunners are through to the next round. Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney have single-handedly saved me from an absolute slaughter from my mates on social media. But they’ll have to wait.

Morale: Life is good.