0 Arsenal Porto 2
Posted by Up The Arse on December 11, 2008
I missed this one, maybe fortunately. By all accounts it was said to be a poor and forgettable performance.
Bendtner I hear was very bad, as has been the case from him lately. Time’s running out for the Dane, at the moment he’s getting a look in because we are short of options up front behind RVP and Adebayor but Eduardo’s on the mend, only a severe lack of match fitness delaying his return and Carlos Vela’s mounting an increasing challenge for Bendtner’s spot in the team.
He wasn’t alone though – Diaby (who I’ve liked this season a lot) and Eboue come in for criticism also. Ramsey, Vela, Denilson and Wilshere (came on for the last thirty I believe) were the few to come out of the game with a little credit, Ramsey widely touted as our best player before being substituted.
I’m not too concerned. It was a game we didn’t need to win, it was a case of the same last year against Sevilla. We’re happy to finish second because we feel we can take on anyone and beat them. Losing the home advantage is the main bitch but we showed last season that it didn’t bother us much, drawing at home to Milan and then beating them 2-0 at the San Siro.
We can draw the following in the next round:
Roma
Panathinaikos
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Four of those don’t really concern me. Panathinaikos are clearly the easy option but I’d be very disappointed to lose to Juventus and Roma, both of whom have had better days. Bayern would be tough but I would be confident of our chances. Which of course leaves Barcelona, Champion’s League favorites and the form team of Europe. Pep Guardiola took the reigns in the summer and they’ve been quite fantastic ever since. No, it wouldn’t be ideal to come up against them next round but far are they from unbeatable.
