Arsenal Vs Ludogorets: Recap, Highlights And Analysis

Here is a recap, all the highlights and analysis from Arsenal’s hard earned 3-2 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Arsenal travelled to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets in what was a must-win game for the Gunners, in order to continue to harbouring hopes of winning the group when Paris Saint-Germain come to town later in November.

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After the 6-0 demolition in the first tie at the Emirates, it was expected that Arsene Wenger’s side would waltz through the 90 minutes without too much trouble. How wrong we all were!

Within 15 minutes Arsenal were 2-0 down and staring down the barrel of yet another complacent Champions League loss that has cost them in the past. The first goal was unfortunate from an Arsenal point of view. With Granit Xhaka stood a matter of metres away, the ball struck his hand, which was not placed in a particularly awkward position, and the free kick was given Ludogorets’ way.

The resultant set-piece was whipped in with pace and precision, behind the high Arsenal back line and was ultimately converted by the dangerous Jonathan Cafu at the far post, redirecting the cross back towards the far post, into the far corner and beyond the sprawling David Ospina. It was a disappointing start for the North London club, but it got a whole lot worse only minutes later.

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With Arsenal comfortably in possession, an Aaron Ramsey flick down the right-hand side falls incomplete, and the resultant break ends up with Cafu faced in a one-on-one situation with Kieran Gibbs just inside the penalty area down the left channel. A stepover and shimmy later, and Gibbs is on the floor, Cafu gets to the byline, puts a low cross into the box, and with Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny sleeping, Claudiu Keseru nips in front of them and flicks the ball past Ospina from a just a few yards away.

Thankfully for Arsenal, it was at this point they got their act together. Granit Xhaka made it 2-1 with a lovely, side-footed half-volley from a Mesut Ozil cut back after Alexis Sanchez had released the German with a slid ball down the inside-left channel, and then Olivier Giroud equalised just before half time with yet another header, meeting a beautifully curled Ramsey cross from wide right.

The second half was much of what was expected. Arsenal dominated possession and Ludogorets were happy to sit deep and threaten on the counter. The Gunners found it tough going for much of the second half, however, struggling to break down a stubborn Ludogorets defence.

In fact, the better chances fell to the Bulgarian side, with Ospina having to save twice from Wanderson, the second of which was especially important but helped by a poor touch from the Ludogorets forward.

However, this is a team unlike the bottlers of the past, and with a touch of quality and grit, Arsenal won the game thanks to the genius of Mesut Ozil. Making his now trademark run in behind the back four, Mohamed Elneny, who had only just come on, played an incisive deep ball from midfield, the German collected it, looped the ball over the onrushing keeper, brought it down, shifted it to his left twice, with a dummy thrown in there for good measure, and then simply rolls the ball into the gaping net. Wow!

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This was a win that was deserved (just), needed and ultimately earned. Arsenal have now qualified for the knockout stages once again and must now be favourites to win the group with only two games remaining seeing as they play PSG at home in what is likely to be the group winning decider.

Highlights

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