Shakhtar 2 Arsenal 1
Well we learned a few things in this game. And rather than go through the details of the match, I thought I'd give my thoughts on tonight's team.
First of all, there was no leaders in the team tonight. In the second half, when we were looking for the equaliser, the players' passing was awful. Away from home in the Champions League, the team lacks a certain amount of composure without Fabregas. We've seen it before (Porto away last season) and as much as we like to think that we have enough attacking players to cope without him for a few games, the reality is different. Nasri, nor Wilshere, are ready to do it yet and Rosicky really shouldn't be wearing the armband.
The lack of a replacement for Song is a serious concern. Perhaps the boss reckons Diaby could do it but fitness and consistency are two things he hasn't been blessed with in recent seasons so he's unreliable for this role. Eastmond is very young and has very little experience at this level. And you can't count on an inexperienced player in one of the most crucial positions on the pitch.
Gael Clichy ruined all the good work he did at the weekend as regards the supporters' faith in him. The mistake for Shakhtar's winner was so basic. All he has to do is knock it out for the throw and instead he does nothing, lets Srna rob the ball and Eduardo did the rest. Gibbs must be kicking himself that he's out injured when there's a massive opportunity to bench the Frenchman.
The one positive from tonight was Walcott's goal. It really was a beautiful goal as he raced away from inside his on half to roll the ball home from 20 yards. He's looking very sharp and Arshavin must be worried for his place on the team.
We play Newcastle at the weekend and hopefully we'll have one of Song or Fabregas in the team just to consolidate things. As for CL qualification, we'll definitely qualify in top spot. The only thing that's left to be decided is whether we do it away in Braga or at home against Belgrade.
