It’s crazy to think that the more reactionary subset of the Arsenal fandom wanted Arteta sacked three weeks ago.
The turning tide
To be fair, Arsenal did look on the point of implosion after that league defeat to City. They had been bundled out of both domestic cup competitions and squandered a seemingly insurmountable league lead. The knives were out and Arteta was the main course. But Arsenal have bounced back in style, with the returning Bukayo Saka giving them a much-needed edge in front of goal. They have also strangely benefitted from recent injury issues, with Arteta essentially strongarmed into putting Lewis-Skelly into midfield. They were already on a high going into Tuesday night’s clash with Atletico, after City capitulated in epic style at Everton to hand the Gunners the initiative in the title race. Victory on Tuesday night would set them up for possibly the biggest month in the history of the club.
1-0 to the Arsenal
And I couldn’t be more impressed with how they contained Atletico. They were aggressive in the heart of the pitch, with Rice and Myles-Skelly providing just the right combination of grit and progressive intent. Gyokeres led the line terrifically, occupying the Atleti defenders and creating space for the likes of Saka and Trossard. The Starboy was once again the difference-maker, tapping in from close range after Oblak failed to deal with Trossard’s shot. The Arsenal side just feel like a completely different animal with a fit Saka circling the penalty box. Simeone’s men tried their level best to break down Arteta’s wall, but Saliba and Gabriel produced amazing last-ditch heroics every time they threatened Raya’s goal. Atletico only managed five shots in this do-or-die tie, underlining the efficiency of this Arsenal defensive juggernaut. The Gunners have become the first side to go undefeated en route to the final of the Champions League. What’s more impressive is that they they have conceded just six goals during the competition. Many have mocked this tie, comparing it unfavourably to the goal-scoring pyrotechnics on display in the Bayern-PSG epic. Personally, I think Arteta will be delighted to see how open PSG have been in this year’s competition (the French giants have conceded 22 goals this campaign, nearly four times that of Arsenal). He will believe that if they can nick one early in Budapest, they are 75% of the way to a first European crown.
PSG draw 1-1 in Munich to keep repeat dream alive
PSG and left Bayern left the entire footballing world breathless in last week’s first leg, with PSG prevailing 5-4 in an atypical Champions League semifinal clash. While last night’s 2nd leg didn’t live up to those kinetic heights, it served as a timely reminder of why PSG are currently the reigning kings of Europe. Luis Enrique’s side silenced the Allianz Arena within three minutes of kick-off, as Kvaratskhelia danced his way down the left-hand touchline before cutting the ball back for a grateful Ousmane Dembelle. It was a crucial goal that gave the Parisians precious breathing space. And the kings of Europe controlled the match from that point on, granting the Bavarians cheap possession as they trusted in their high-intensity defensive setup. Honestly, there was quite a bit of Arteta’s Arsenal in PSG’s performance last night: they got the early goal and relied on herculean defending to see the job out. They even had their own Brazilian warrior in the heart of defence, with Marquinhos evoking Gabriel’s combative resolve.
Bayern attack falls flat
Vincent Kompany must be wondering what happened to the side that set new goal-scoring standards in Germany this season. Die Roten looked relatively toothless last night, with tearaway winger Michael Olise virtually marked out of the game by Mendes in the 2nd half. Olise wasn’t aided by the fact that Laimer had his hands full with Georgian whirlwind Kvaratskhelia. Joshua Kimmich- who has been such a composed presence for much of the season- was overrun by Neves and Vitinha. Harry Kane’s late goal was scant consolation for a Bayern fanbase used to utter domination. Bayern do have some glory left to fight for, with their DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart scheduled for the 23rd of May. It just feels a bit hollow now. Incredibly, Bayern have never overturned a deficit at this stage of the Champions League. I have said it already; Enrique’s battle-hardened PSG are moving like Real Madrid these days. They flattered to deceive in the early stages of the competition but have sparked into life when it mattered most, with the marquee names- Kvaratskhelia, Dembelle, Vitinha- exploding in the latter stages. PSG will be aiming to become the first club- not named Real Madrid- to win back-to-back European Cups since AC Milan in 1989-1990. It’s amazing how far Enrique has brought this club (and without the services of one Kylian Mbappe). Enrique prioritizes the collective over the individual, forming a well-organized unit smattered with just enough individual brilliance.
Player of the Week- Declan Rice
I have been slightly critical of the Rice hype in recent weeks, bristling at the notion that he’s a true Ballon d’or contender. While I still don’t think he does enough with the ball for that type of consideration, you can’t deny his box-to-box impact against Atletcio on Tuesday night. He made a titanic goal-saving tackle in the 11th minute and kept the engine room firing all night long.
