Arsene Wenger is on his way out at Arsenal and it seems the Gunners don’t want to quite give up some of the old Wenger ways. Slapstick defending that harkened back to Arsenal’s worst years under Wenger cost Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid in the semifinal first leg in the Europa League on Thursday at Emirates Stadium in London.
Arsenal dominated 90 percent of the match. Even before a 10th-minute red card to Sime Vrsaljko the Gunners looked the stronger side, with Alexandre Lacazette striking the post in the opening minutes.
But the match changed in the 82nd minute when Antoine Griezmann scored a vital away goal for a 1-1 draw, adding in a Fortnite celebration for good measure.
Antoine Griezmann makes something out of nothing to equalize for Atletico Madrid! pic.twitter.com/4JDSKgjQbH
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 26, 2018
You saw that right, Laurent Koscielny kicked the ball off his face instead of hitting it clear, then his center back partner Shkodran Mustafi slipped when he might have blocked Griezmann’s second attempt.
Koscielny really kicked the ball off his own face for Griezmann’s goal lmaooooo pic.twitter.com/tV76QNHCGq
— Jake. (@YedIin) April 26, 2018
For its part, Atletico Madrid was sloppy all night, both before and after the red card. But that one moment of calamity (and half a dozen saves from Jan Oblak) means the LaLiga side heads back to Spain with the advantage.
None would have expected that after the opening 10 minutes, in which Arsenal ran rampant and Vrsaljko received two yellow cards.
RED CARD FOR VRSALJKO!
The right back sees his second yellow in the first 10 minutes of the game to put Atletico Madrid down to ten men. pic.twitter.com/Af5OWjd2dN— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 26, 2018
One numskull on FS1 claimed the referee shouldn’t have given the second yellow because it “ruins the game,” but last I checked ruining the game is nowhere in the laws of the game.
Sime Vrsaljko saw red for two yellows less than 10 minutes into the Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid match. Photo: @btsportfootball | Twitter
Moments after the red, Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent to the stands for arguing Hector Bellerin should have gone into the book for an innocuous foul.
andddd Simeone has also been sent off!
Arsenal fans right now pic.twitter.com/BcKNViu3uz— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 26, 2018
The Gunners had more than three quarters of the possession but only found one breakthrough. In the 60th minute, Lacazette soared high to head in the cross of Jack Wilshere.
Alexandre Lacazette gets his goal!
The forward hangs beautifully in the air and heads home the opening goal for the home side. pic.twitter.com/b8sohriOqu— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 26, 2018
But Arsenal couldn’t find another way past Diego Godin and Oblak, despite playing with a man advantage for more than 80 minutes. Even with Simeone watching from the stands, Atletico played stellar defense, limiting the Gunners to hopeful crosses into the box for most of the match.
Add in Griezmann's unlikely equalizer on one of Atletico's few forays forward and it was a gritty performance typical of this Simeone side, pretty much the opposite of what we've come to expect in the last decade from Arsenal under Wenger.
Antoine Griezmann ruined the evening for Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid. Photo: @IndyFootball | Twitter
After Thursday’s result, the Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid return leg next week at the Wanda could be Arsene Wenger’s final European night.
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