Arsenal vs Benfica: 4 talking points from Europa League draw

Arsenal were left to rue missed chances as Bukayo Saka’s equaliser could only secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie with Benfica in Rome.

With the ‘home’ side choosing to adopt a risky high line, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was turning into prime Christian Benteke with the sheer volume of offside calls.

Benfica, who were desperately poor, should have been punished early on in the first half when the captain fluffed his lines after being found from Hector Bellerin’s cross, a miss that proved crucial in the end.

The laborious pre-Christmas style was more evident in the first half with central areas bypassed in favour of wide overloads, and while Arsenal had some joy with their linking up in those areas, they couldn’t find the breakthrough.

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Benfica vs Arsenal: 4 talking points as Bukayo Saka secures 1-1 draw in Europa League first leg

It eventually came via Pizzi’s penalty, as he evoked his inner Bruno Fernandes from the spot after Emile Smith Rowe was adjudged to have handled in the box.

The hosts’ lead lasted less than two minutes as a delightful move from Arsenal culminated in Bukayo Saka tapping home from close range. Hoping to see a barrage on the Benfica goal from there, Arsenal didn’t test Helton enough but could still have grabbed another crucial away goal had Aubameyang converted his chances.

No further goals were forthcoming as the Portuguese side were content to see the game out for a draw, meaning it is advantage Arsenal next Thursday for the return leg in Athens.

Here are the talking points.

Timid Arsenal

Do Arsenal overplay? It’s the old adage that they always try and ‘walk it in’. In Rome that outlook returned to the fore as the intricate perfectionism resulted in a less risk-taking, gutsy approach.

Is the volume of technical players on the pitch part of that reason? Too many cooks spoiling the broth? You’d argue not considering the lack of conversion in periods of dominance has been a staple ingredient of this season.

The opening exchanges of the game saw Arsenal pump players into the 18-yard area and seek to assert their superiority from the off, a ploy that gradually waned as the match wore on.

Bringing on Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli in the final 15 minutes was a throwback to the Arsene Wenger era, where this stage of matches doesn’t call for persistent, structured play and instead leans on getting your match winners on the pitch to exploit opposition fatigue and disorganisation.

Some more ruthlessness has to be incorporated. It’s a balancing act that is fine poised but not yet fully unearthed. Arsenal are, though, edging nearer to a result in that department.

Chances Go Begging for Aubameyang

Aubameyang should have scored. He should probably have got two.

The first one was a glaring error while the later efforts were nowhere near as easy but could have been converted if he’d have been given a second or third swing of the bat.

A few months ago, those chances wouldn’t have come at all. So while we can bemoan the finishing touch, him making those opportunities and being present for his teammates to find him was the old Aubameyang: the one who missed a fair few chances but they never got mentioned since he’d score one of the other three or four Arsenal created.

Given those misses it’s easy to be reactionary and insist a more clinical finisher is needed. Reactionary, but not reasonable. Aubameyang does miss chances. Strikers do. Off the back of a hat-trick, he hasn’t suddenly lost his scoring touch. At least he’s getting them and, quite strongly, there was a case for keeping him on as Arsenal created nothing after he came off.

He wasn’t the only one guilty of not seizing his moment, and on another day this tie could’ve been out of sight already. 3-1 wouldn’t have been an unjust scoreline by any means.

Benfica were poor on the day and have had an indifferent season in general. They’ll feel they’re still in the tie, as anyone would, but if that game is played out again it’s Arsenal who will qualify. The door is only slightly ajar for them, it’s wide open for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Has Mikel Arteta Found His Preferred Arsenal Lineup?

That was the first time Arsenal have fielded the same starting lineup since September…..2018. Not since Unai Emery has that happened. It’s quite remarkable.

Picking apart that statistic for reasoning, you’re left with a chicken and egg scenario. Why he fielded that team against Leeds made perfect sense. Clever tactical understanding. Given the differing styles of Leeds and Benfica, however, seeing the same lineup was thought to be unlikely. While wholesale changes weren’t expected, one of either Martin Odegaard or Emile Smith Rowe was thought to be benched for the game.

Thus, is this his favoured lineup and the Leeds game was a litmus test for how effective it could be? Signs would point to that. It was more Wenger-esque in approach by packing lots of technical players in and around the centre-forward.

It’s too soon to know whether this is where he is going with this team as Sunday will cough up an entirely different set of players for the visit of Manchester City, but he evidently lauds the added wall-pass player out wide who can drift in field and make two No. 10 operators for wide overloads.

Pepe will, of course, feel hard done by. He should. But Arteta can’t leave out Saka, Aubameyang or Smith Rowe from his version of the strongest side, and Odegaard offers different qualities to this squad. Standards are high and Arteta feels he can get the maximum out of his team with this set of players.

When Thomas Partey is back, the reintroduction of a wide player to the side could be expected. With a deep-sitting double pivot and not a line-breaking option such as Partey, the need for the No. 10 to come deep becomes more prevalent and then the left-winger, in this case Smith Rowe, tucks into the half-space when Cedric adds width.

Early signs are there but nothing conclusive just yet.

The Dani Ceballos Byproduct

Dani Ceballos played very well on Thursday. Was he outstanding? That’s debatable as what he offered the team he also took out of the team. Make sense? Didn’t think so.

In terms of his performance, some of his balls in behind and first-time touches were superb. The initial pass for the equaliser? Excellent. Delightful ball that if Odegaard had made would’ve melted social media. On top of that, he covered defensive space excellently and arguably offered more protection than Granit Xhaka.

However, for large parts of the first half and the second, the Arsenal of November time started to eek its way into the performance. The deep-lying midfield duo of Ceballos and Xhaka never ventured forward, the movement of the ball was slow – this was more Ceballos than Xhaka who was quite good with his two-touch – and going backwards became too often the option.

If Ceballos cut out 50% of his touches he’d be decidedly less divisive member of the squad. It’s interesting to say, admittedly, that the Spanaird played well but his involvement was also sadly a byproduct of Arsenal moving away from the high pressing style everyone thought they were building towards.

However, in his defence, Benfica were so compact in central areas that they forced Arsenal to take the easy option or to bypass the midfield entirely. They were horrific to watch but they succeeded in that regard. Furthermore, on the balance of the last two matches, Ceballos has played excellently. Solid at Leeds, solid in Rome.

Playing for a permanent deal?