Full-time: Milan 0-2 Arsenal
A thoroughly satisfying victory for Arsenal. This was a fine way to break out of that downward spiral, a commanding away performance, albeit against a sadly feeble Milan side. There was no sign of low confidence or a lack of fight from Wenger’s team, and they attacked with encouraging slickness in the first half and managed the game well in the second. That happy ending is still on for Wenger!
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90 min: There will be at least five more minutes. Xhaka decides to try for a third goal, and receives a bollocking from Wenger when his 30-yard shot balloons way over the bar.
89 min: There will be no last hurrah from this Milan side and, most likely, no comeback in the second leg: they are pale ghosts of their previous teams and Arsenal, even at a low ebb, are much better than them. AC/DC would have put up a harder fight than them.
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87 min: Arsenal’s final substitution sees Elneny replace Chambers.
86 min: Ramsey chases a long ball into the right-hand channel and then recycles it. Arsenal resume knocking the ball about well, much to the consternation of their hosts.
85 min: Perhaps not the best time to draw your attention to this but orders are orders and, you know, form is temporary.
83 min: Silva and Kalinic combine to open up Arsenal! But Ospina hurtles off his line to clear before Kalinic could get a decisive touch.
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82 min: Welbeck chest the ball back to Wilshere with Fellaini-esque panache. Arsenal being a spell of keep-ball, irritating the hosts no end. bumper San Siro crowd have been brought down to earth with a bump
80 min: Holding’s first touch is an important block on a shot from Bonaventura. An inspired substitution!
Arsenal substitution: Ozil trudges off, on comes Rob Holding. That’s what you call a like-for-like replacement.
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79 min: Milan’s last resort is to throw on Fabio Borini for Calabria.
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78 min: Suso shanks a wild shot wide from 16 yards.
77 min: The man on the TV has jsut reminded us that Arsenal have lost their last six home European knockout matches, their last win coming in 201.
74 min: In a sense this second half could be considered as encouraging for Arsenal as the first was. They have demonstrated a game-management ability for which they are not renowned. Just goes to show, it’s never too late to learn.
73 min: Ramsey sneaks up on Kessie and dispossesses him from behind. That gives Arsenal a chance to launch a counter-attack: it’s been a while since they threatened to extend their lead. But this move comes to nothing.
71 min: Bonaventura slips as the takes the freekick, dabbing it into the wall.
70 min: Koscielny does well to clear a cross from the left. In the ensuing scramble for the ball, Ramsey is booked for showing his studs as he wins it. A real stickler this ref. Milan have a free-kick about 26 yards out, quite central.
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69 min: Milan make another change, replacing their striker Cutrone with Andre Silva.
68 min: The corner is cleared as far as Rodriguez at the edge of the box. He mishits his volley, and the ball trickles wide.
67 min: Suso skedaddles into the Arsenal box. But Maintland-Niles follows him all the way and deflects his cross behind f
64 min: Strong defending by Mustafi. He tracked the run of Kalinic and then muscled the striker off the ball in the box before drawing a foul.
63 min: Milan also make a change, replacing Calhanoglu with Kalinic.
63 min: Kolasinac seems to have picked up an injury. He hobbles off and is replaced by Maitland-Niles.
63 min: After Koscielny gets a vital touch to a cross to put the ball behind for a corner, Suso sends over a decent setpiece. Mustafi heads it away.
61 min: Kolasinac booked for handball after the ball bounces up and catches him on the arm near half-way. Don’t see how that can be deemed deliberate.
60 min: Bonaventura jinks in from the left wing and bangs off a shot from 25 yards. High and wide.
58 min: Kessie robs Wilshere in midfield. but Wilshere sprints back to win the ball
56 min: Arsenal are less adventurous than they were in the first half because (a) they realise there’s no need to take risks in search of another goal and (b) Milan are improving somewhat. A shot by Cutrone from 20 yards is deflected over.
“Hello from a Liverpool supporter,” greets Michael Cosgrove. “I’m sooooooo pleased for Wenger! A thoroughly decent man, he has given so much of himself to Arsenal over the years and it would be churlish not to wish him a happy end to the season, whatever happens after that.” He has indeed given a lot to Arsenal. And Arsenal have given a lot to him. And yes, a happy ending would be lovely.
51 min: Bonucci sweeps a pass wide to Calabria. The right-back sends a good low cross to Bonaventura, who hits it first time from 16 yards. But he was leaning back and skies the shot way over the bar.
49 min: Wilshere plays a slack pass in the centre circle ... and then Kessie inexplicably swings at the ball and sends it looping way backwards over his own defence. Welbeck dashes towards it as it bounces in the box. Donnarumma charges off his line and meets it with a flying punch ... but he sends it straight at Welbeck, and the ball rebounds off the striker and lands just wide of the post! What a farcical goal that nearly was!
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47 min: Xhaka gets a telling off from the ref for speaking angrily to Kessie, who had tried to hurry him into giving back the ball so that Milan could take a throw-in. Xhaka facial expression suggests he is puzzled as to why the ref felt the need to get involved.
46 min: Off we go again
Trust me, you have nothing better to do during the break than read Scott Murray’s wonderful account of the theft of the World Cup in 1966.
“Wenger in!” hurrahs Mike Wilner and, er, countless others.
Half-time: Milan 0-2 Arsenal
Everything’s hunky-dory so far for Arsenal. They’re proven themselves to be the better team in what has been an entertainingly open game so far. Perhaps a little too open if you want to carp, but Arsenal look more likely to score a few more rather than let this lead slip. ’sd.
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45+4 min: If you like counting assists, mark another one down for Ozil! HE dissected the home defence with a low pass to Ramsey, who found himself face-to-face with the keeper, whom he promptly put on his arse. The Welshman then rolled the ball into the empty net.
GOAL! Milan 0-2 Arsenal (Ramsey 45+4)
A lovely goal and the ideal way for Arsenal to answer their critics!
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45+1 min: Another sweeping Arsenal break finishes with Welbeck playing a cute ball through to Mkhitaryan, who chops back on to his right foot and lets fire just as he did for his earlier goal. But this time his shot shaves the top of the crossbar and flies over!
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44 min: Calhanoglu curls in a corner from the left. Ospina makes a lame effort to catch it, and Bonucci just fails to connect with a clean header, glancing it wide from five yards! How annoying that would have been for Wenger, whose team have looked much more likely to score a second rather than concede.
43 min: Arsenal come again! Mkhitaryan slips a pass through to Welbeck, who sprints down the left and into the box, then shapes to curl a low shot into the far corner, Thierry Henry-style. But his shot goes straight at the keeper.
42 min: Mkhitaryan zips forward and feeds Welbeck, who lays it back to Chambers to have a go from 20 yards. It’s well hit and forces an awkward save from Donnarumma!
40 min: A flowing Arsenal move, with Wilshere again instrumental. Ozil helps the ball wide to the overlapping Chambers, who flashes it across goal. Its’ cleared for a corner.
38 min: Milan go long, hoofing the ball forward to Kessie. He wins the header at the edge of the Arsenal box but there’s no one near him to help out. Arsenal clear easily.
36 min: Bonaventura, wide on the left, cuts back on to his right foot and curls in an inviting cross. But no Milan player takes up the invitation, so Ospina can watch the ball float safely
34 min: There has been no trace of a lack of confidence in Arsenal’s ranks so far. On the contrary, there’s been an adventure and crispness to their play. True, they still look vulnerable defensively but overall this is a much better performance - so far - than many feared. Milan don’t look much cop at the.
32 min: There’s a brief lull, during which Arsenal look eminently comfortable and Milan scratch their heads and try to think of new ways to trouble the visitors: they had been counting on discombobulating Arsenal with sheer zest, but Arsenal have tamed them.
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30 min: Say, if you’re going to the toilet any time soon, why not print out a copy of today’s Fiver to read there? Or else you could just sit at your computer and do it. Read the Fiver, I mean. Here it is.
28 min: More strong pressure from Arsenal culminates with Mkhitaryan pinging a low pass into Wilshere, who had made another sly run into the area. He’s crowded out once he gets there but Arsenal’s passing, movement and even their robustness are bothering the hosts.
25 min: Calhanoglu attempts to dupe Mustafi with a reverse pass at the edge of the Arsenal box but he actually only confuses himself and gets the ball caught in his feet. Mustafi, resisting the urge to laugh, steps in and dispossesses him.
23 min: A fast Arsenal move, featuring lots of slick passing, is halted by Kessie at the edge of the Milan box. But that was encouraging, nonetheless, from the visitors.
21 min: Ozil has looked properly up for this so far. Not only has he passed with his customary astuteness, he’s been energetic off the ball and even quite muscular in possession. Has Arsene Wenger found a hairdryer?
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19 min: Superb play down the left by Kolisnac - a Zidane turn, if you please, followed by a dainty pass to Welbeck. The move comes to nought but it was further evidence of the attacking threat posed by Kolasinac, who hsa been ever-eager to raid down the left so far.
17 min: Calabria is down injured so t here is a break in play.
15 min: Ozil was the creator of that goal, clipping a fine first-time pass to Mkhitaryan n the left-hand side of the box. Mkhitaryan cut inside past Calabria and then fired off a shot that deflected off Bonucci and flew into the net. It was so well struck that it might have gone in anyway.
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GOAL! Milan 0-1 Arsenal (Mkhitaryan 15)
A fierce deflected shot gives the Armenian his first goal for Arsenal, who have a valuable away goal!
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13 min: Arsenal are split open again by a low pass from deep. Calhanoglu races through to receive it. Ospina charges out to intercept at the edge of the box and hurls himself at the forward’s feet. Calhanoglu hurdles him but can’t reach the ball before it runs out of play. If he hadn’t taken evasive action, he’d have been clattered by the keeper and been given a penalty!
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11 min: Mustafi goes walkabout in the box, leaving Cutrone free to receive a pass. The striker seems to stunned that he rushes his shot, bogging a weak and wonky 10-yard shot wide. This is a very open game and both teams look vulnerable/capable of scoring.
9 min: Nice play again from Arsenal, especially by Wilshere. He drove between two players and flipped the ball off to Ozil, who fizzed it on to Mkhitaryan. The shot - or was it a cross? - from the edge of the area is blocked
8 min: Wilshere makes a canny dart from deep into the area and is picked out by Ozil. With several defenders in front of him he feeds the ball back to Mkhitaryan, who cracks a low shot from 12 yards into the sidenetting.
6 min: Biglia plays a blind pass straight to Welbeck in the centre circle. The striekr lays it back for Wilshere, whose pass also goes astray. But after a bracing testing start, Arsenal are starting to looking more comfortable now.
4 min: Chambers makes a good interception to bring an end to constant pressure by Milan. Then he swaps passes with Wilshere and careers down the right wing, picking out Welbeck near the penalty spot with a low pass. But Welbeck fails to get it under control and the ball runs to a defender, who clears.
3 min: A cross is whipped in from the right wing. Cutrone flicks it on at the near post, and Bonaventura flings himself towards it at the back post but just fails to connect.
2 min: Ramsey is harassed by Cutrone into giving up possession inside his own half. The forward scurries down the left before sending in a cross that is put behind for a corner. An early indication there of Milan’s dynamism and aggression. Arsenal are going to have to match that, at least.
1 min: we have go! Milan get the game under way and begin cirulating the ball patiently.
Kickoff is preceded by an impeccably-observed minute’s silence for the late Davide Astori, followed by warm applause.
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Milan are wearing their traditional black and red stripes and white shorts. Arsenal are clad all in blue in what looks like the sort of kit Shakin’ Stevens would have worn if he’d been a footballer.
Here comes the teams! The San Siro is crammed and buoyant, which is not always the case these days. If the players rise to the atmosphere, we could be in for a belter.
“I’m hoping that the TV director will ignore what’s happening on the pitch (which we can all more or less glumly predict anyway) and keep Gennaro Gattuso in tight focus throughout,” parps Charles Antaki. “He’s likely to be more entertaining than at least one of the teams actually playing.” You know what - and I know this is a controversial view - I think Gattuso could have taken Joe Jordan that night b...
“Regarding Koscielny’s mention of the Downward Spiral, it is amazing how many Nine Inch Nail album titles describe Arsenal at the moment,” bangs Paul Cockford on a piece of disused industrial apparatus. “Broken, the Fragile, Hesitation Marks ... perhaps today the will play With Teeth, otherwise it will be Closer to the End for Wenger.”
TEAMS
Arsenal have some injury problems - Bellerin, Monreal and Lacazette among the absentees - but Wenger can give a first start in this tournament this season to Koscileny and Ramsey.
Milan: G Donnarumma; Calabria, Bonucci, Romagnoli, Rodriguez; Kessie, Biglia, Bonaventura; Calhanoglu; Cutrone, Suso
Subs: A Donnarumma, Kalinic, Silva, Borini, Zapata, Motolivo, Locatelli
Arsenal: Ospina; Chambers, Koscileny, Mustafi, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Ramsey, Wilshere; Mkhitaryan, Welbeck, Ozil
Subs: Cech, Holding, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Iwobi, Nelson, Nketiah
Ref: C Turpin (France)
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Preamble
Hello and welcome. Do you believe in happy endings? That’s what most people wish for Arsène Wenger: and this season’s Europa League looks to be his last chance to arrange one. The form guide does not give much cause for optimism – Milan are on a 12-match unbeaten streak while Arsenal have lost four games on the trot and, according to Laurent Koscielny, feel ensnared in a “downward spiral”. But when the going gets tough, great teams get going so, um, let’s see how Arsenal get on. Keeping the tie alive for the second leg would is as minimum requirements if we’re to be treated to the sight of Wenger ending this season - and perhaps his Arsenal career - by lifting a European trophy, a feat he has not yet managed in his epic career. Eliminating the seven-times European champions on the way would make it all the sweeter.
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