THE66POW PHOTO GALLERY. CLICK HERELast pre-season, the Emirates Cup was shelved, because of building work that was taking place, within the sprawling interior of the cavernous ground, that would subsequently reduce the stadium capacity, so that more comfortable and spacious facilities for disabled supporters, could be provided.
This year, due to further ground works, only a very limited timescale was available (i.e. just today to stage the Emirates Cup, so planning a weekend tournament, was logistically a non-starter.
So Arsenal took the opportunity to stage a one-off game against Olympique Lyonnais for their men's first team, while showcasing their Premier League championship winning women's team, earlier in the day, with a showpiece encounter against Bayern Munich Women.
For what it's worth, I thought that the two game combination worked very well... and despite seeing both of their teams slump to narrow defeats, the home crowd were treated to two decent games.
Owing to me having been busy elsewhere, this afternoon was the first time that I've actually had a spare date, and the opportunity, to attend an Arsenal game, since Unai Emery was installed as their new manager/head coach, back in May 2018, following the expiry of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
Emery arrived at 'Ashburton Grove' (to give the Emirates Stadium it's non-sponsored original title), following the 'resignation' (did he jump, or was he unceremoniously shoved?) of the longstanding Arsenal manager Arséne Wenger; who won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields between 1996 and 2018, while taking charge of 1,702 competitive first team games (plus friendlies).
Although Wenger's trophy haul marks him out as Arsenal's most successful manager ever, he never actually managed to provide the Gunners with any European honours, which was used by many as a yardstick to undermine his domestic achievements.
That said, the last time that the North London side actually won the Premier League title was fifteen years ago.
And even though they saw their team lift the FA Cup four times during the interim decade and a half, that was dismissed as a mere consolation prize, by a good number of Gunners supporters, who had obviously become used to better things (AKA: they were spoilt rotten), in the immediate aftermath of the Frenchman's arrival at a club that he effectively revolutionised.
Alas, Wenger couldn't sustain the impetus that he initially generated at Arsenal, and it is widely felt by many that he ultimately outstayed his welcome... and to hear some fans talk, it seems that they'll best remember him for not getting out while the going was good, as the game moved on and he failed to adapt. And even now, a whole season since he departed, opinion is split over what kind of legacy is most apt for the ex-manager.
Incidentally, only two previous Arsenal managers have ever won a European trophy, namely: Bertie Mee, whose side lifted the Fairs Cup in 1970 and George Graham, who masterminded his team's victory in the 1994 European Cup Winners Cup Final. And, while Terry Neill was still the Gunners manager, they lost the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup final (younger readers ask, your grandparents) to Valencia, on penalties following a goalless draw, at the Heysel Stadium.
Wenger came close to fulfilling his ambition of winning the Champions League trophy in 2006, when Barcelona narrowly beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final... and last season Emery took the Gunners to the Europa League Final, in Baku, during his first term in office, but a second half capitulation that bordered on embarrassing, thwarted his plans, as the Arsenal misfired and were turned over, 4-1 by Chelsea.
As a consequence of Chelsea already having qualified for the Champions League, by virtue of finishing third in the Premier League, UEFA decreed that French Ligue 1 club: Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon), would fill the void, that effectively constituted a vacant wild card entry into the elite European competition, via an unclaimed qualification spot, that would normally be bestowed upon the winners of the Europa League.
Meaning that: Arsenal will play in the Europa League again this season, having finished in fifth place in the Premier League, for the second successive year, a point behind their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur; after suffering a monumental and untimely dip in form towards the end of their 2018-19 campaign, whereby they won only one of their final five league games... while, of course, their opponents this afternoon: Lyon, will be looking to progress in an altogether more prestigious competition.
Sunday 28th July 2019 - 12:30PM
Emirates Cup
at the Emirates Stadium/Ashburton Grove
Arsenal Women (0) 0
FC Bayern Munchen Frauen (1) 1
Melanie Leupolz 8
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When people talk about Arsenal's 'Invincibles', most people automatically think of the men's team, who were unbeaten in the Premier League, for the whole of the 2003-04 season (38 games), which made up part of a 49 game unbeaten run, that encompassed the end of the 2002-03 campaign and carried on until mid-October of the following term.
But did you know, that Arsenal's Women, who were formed in 1987 (and turned professional in 2002), hold the record of having been unbeaten in the league all season, six times!?
The team play their home games at Meadow Park, the home of Boreham Wood FC, but turned out in front of a crowd of just over 28,500 at the Emirates Stadium today, as a healthy number of spectators arrived early to watch both games, before more people turned up for the men's game, later in the afternoon.
Women's football isn't to everybody's liking, in fact the person I accompanied to North London today, had very little interest in watching the opening game, and was even called out for being a misogynist and sexist dinosaur for having expressed such an apparently 'archaic' point of view on an online forum in the run up to today's entertainment.
She refutes such allegations, of course.
Each to their own innit!?
I'm sure we all have our own preferences, as regards which variant of the 'beautiful game' we are more interested in. But life is the variety of spice, I say.
Today's opponents: Frauen-Bundesliga (AKA: Women's Federal League) side Bayern Munich Women, were beaten semi-finalists in last season's UEFA Women's Champions League, so as you'd expect, the standard of this closely fought contest was fairly high.
Of course, the time is ripe for Women's football, to grow in even more in popularity and develop still further in this country, after the England team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in France this Summer.
But don't fall into fall into the same trap that a recent convert and nouveau expert on the subject of women;s football (i.e. he watched a couple of World Cup games on the telly this year) who I work with did, when he sneered: "It's a shame that the men's England team can't get to a semi-final as well". Because they did! In the last three competitions that they entered, namely; the World Cup, the European Championship and the Nations League. Just saying.
It's all football, whatever the gender, colour, creed or any other given type of orientation of the participants... and if you didn't attend today's first fixture for any of the above reasons, then that is your own prerogative, but you missed an absolute cracker of an opening game... and I'm damn sure that anybody who watched it will be encouraging Arsenal to include their 'Ladies' in the Emirates Cup again next season. Even if the competition reverts to a weekend format.
Prior to the visitors taking the lead in the twenty fourth minute, when their captain, Melanie Leupolz, ghosted in on the blind side of the Gunners defence, before diving to get her head on a free kick delivery from out on the left wing; Arsenal had made a promising start to the game, with Katie McCabe and Danielle Carter adding a touch of class to proceedings, much to the approval of an appreciative crowd.
Bayern were well organised and, to plunder the tried and tested word bank of terminology, that is frequently used when narrating on just about any subject matter whatsoever, involving anybody or anything German: efficient and rigidly disciplined.
And though Arsenal showed, in spells, why they are the reigning champions in their native country, they were evidently up against one of the continents most ruthless defences.
Even with five added minutes at the end of the game, the Gunners were unable to find the goal that would have taken two sides to a penalty shoot out, during a second half, where the entertainment was undermined when Carter left the pitch on a stretcher, after overstretching to win the ball in the centre circle. Hopefully the damage isn't as serious as it initially looked.
The hosts had several decent second half chances, after withstanding a high tempo start to the second half by the Bavarian side.
But it was Bayern who came closest to finding the net again, when Jovana Damnjanovic forced Manuela Zinsberger into making a great save, at full stretch, down to her right.
Today marked the Arsenal keeper's debut, following her transfer from today's opponents.
And, in case you were tempted to enter the competition in the programme, to give yourself the chance to win shirts signed by both of these teams, that last sentence contained the correct answer that you'll require.
Australian born head coach, Joe Montemurro, is on course to restore Arsenal's position at the forefront of the women's game in England, although it will be a tall order to equal the achievements of their founding father Vic Akers,
But he has both the talent pool and resources available to make a damn good go of it.
Arsenal Women 0 v FC Bayern Munchen Frauen 1
Arsenal now have two more friendlies, against Barcelona on Wednesday August 14th and Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday August 25th, befpre starting the defence of their Women's Super League crown against West Ham United, on Sunday September 8th. All three of these games will take place at Meadow Park, Boreham Wood.
Sunday 28th July 2019 - 3.15PM
Emirates Cup
at the Emirates Stadium/Ashburton Grove
Arsenal (1) 1
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 35
Olympique Lyonnais (0) 2
Moussa Dembele 66, 75
Following the presentation of the trophy to the German side, it was soon time to flip the A5 sized match day programme (magazine) over and peruse the half of it that was dedicated to the 3:15PM kick off, between the men's teams of Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais.
Before the second game commenced, a minute's applause was observed in the memory of José Antonio Reyes, a former Spanish international and Arsenal player, whose life was tragically cut short, when he died in a car-crash in June of this year (along with his brother), while aged just thirty five.
The hosts spent the majority of the first half, during which they were the dominant side, deep inside Lyon territory; but despite their impressive exhibition of attacking football, the visitors restricted Emery's side to just a solitary goal.
And the Gunners were made to pay (twice) after the half time break, for not having made good of all of their early possession, as the visitors stole the Emirates Cup away from under their noses, with a double second half smash and grab raid, by their main attacking threat: Moussa Dembele.
Alexandre Lacazette limped out of the game early on, after taking a knock, but it was his replacement Reiss Nelson, who set up the first goal of the afternoon, with a low cross from out on the right, that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang knocked past Anthony Lopes from the edge of the six yard box.
Lyon's Portuguese keeper Lopes, had thwarted Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with an instinctive reflex save, just moments before Aubameyang's strike, as the Gunners threatened to run riot... alas, it was only a veiled threat.
Although the Emirates Cup is not the most glamorous competition in the world, the French side put in what could be construed as a perfect away performance in Europe; adsorbing a lot of pressure while playing deep and executing to perfection, a patient waiting game, whereby two swift box to box counter attacks, both ending in goals, were far more effective in the long run, than Arsenal's sustained forward play. Lyon virtually invited Arsenal to come at them, while dropping their guard momentarily and leaving themselves vulnerable to a couple of sucker punches... and if you're going to employ such tactics, then having a substitute with the calibre of Dembele to let loose on the opposition after half time, must be a massive bonus.
Lyon broke swiftly down the left flank and Dembele made exactly the right run to meet the resulting cross when it came in.... and he powered a header past the Gunners keeper Bernd Leno.
Leno appears to be very popular among the Arsenal faithful, given the amount of replica shirts I saw with his name emblazoned across the shoulders... but at two quid a chuck for the iron on letters, the goalkeeper is a better option financially than: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan, Martinelli or Maitland-Niles.
Although personally, I would fine anybody, over the age of nine, who turned up wearing a shirt with a player's name and number on the back.
Eddie Nketiah went close to restoring Arsenal's lead a couple of times, before a double substitution on seventy minutes, marking Dani Ceballos debut for the Gunners, while Gabriel Martinelli was appearing at the Emirates Stadium for the first time, almost paid dividends straight away, when the latter scored from inside the six yard box, but had his effort ruled out for an offence offence.
Meanwhile, with Arsenal still regrouping following their premature celebrations; Lopes got the ball forward quickly and (sack the script-writer for being so God damn predictable) that man Dembele was on hand, to dart forward, making a mockery of a vainglorious attempt by the north London side to spring an offside trap, before calmly picking his spot and giving Les Gones (which translates as: The Kids), a seventy fourth minute lead.
Aubameyang almost netted his, and Arsenal's second goal, as full time approached, but his dipping first time chip, hit the outside of the upright.
FT: Arsenal 1 v Olympique Lyonnais 2Today, Arsenal will hopefully have taken three lessons that they were given on board.
Namely: 1) Don't rush things so much in front of the opposition goal. 2) Football is a ninety minute plus game, stay focussed throughout and
never let your guard down, not even momentarily. And: 3) When Dembele appears on the pitch, get somebody to hit him ASAP, with a firm but (borderline) fair, industrial strength challenge, because you can't give clinical finishers like that bloomin' pest an inch.
Two entertaining games all told, good company, and it was nowhere near as expensive as you might think, to watch some of the best women's and men's footballers in Europe, in action in the comfortable surroundings of the Emirates Stadium.
That's me almost done with pre-season friendlies, tournaments and such like for another year, there's just one more to come, which involves visiting a new ground, and then I'll be saving myself for when the real stuff starts in earnest (and just about everywhere else).
Bring it on!
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| Homeward bound. Arsenal from the East Coast Main Line |
