Match report: Vitoria SC 1-1 Arsenal
Nick Ames was at the Estádio D Afonso Henriques for the Guardian and this is how he saw this wet Wednesday afternoon’s action unfold.
Not our biggest priority this week but another really poor performance.
— arseblog (@arseblog) November 6, 2019
There is literally nothing to like about the way we play football.
One shot on target all game, concede an injury time equaliser.
That’s full-on Emery ball.
Shkodron Mustafi speaks: “They throw everything up front,” he tells BT Sport, having said he wished he’d scored a little later. “It’s not organised any more and they keep crossing. I think we could have done better but in the end we have to accept it and take the point home with us. I think we could have dealt with it earlier and stopped them making the cross, but we have to accept it and take the point. They are a good side.”
Group F standings: Arsenal still have a bit of work to do to guarantee their passage through to the knockout stages, but even they seem unlikely to mess it up with two games to spare. Vitoria’s interest in this competition will not extend to the new year, but they will be annoyed not to have taken all three points from this game, given the many chances they created.
Full-time: Vitoria 1-1 Arsenal
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! It’s all over in Portugal, where Arsenal have surrendered another lead. They dominated possession throughout and created very little but went ahead through Shkodron Mustafi. A late rally by Vitoria in the knockings was enough to earn them a draw, but not the win they needed to keep any hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive.
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90+3 min: Back to the equaliser. Edwards got the better of Holding down the right flank and crossed to the far post. The ball was headed downwards and Duarte demonstrated perfect technique to get airborne and with an acrobatic swivel his hips fire home with his left peg.
90+2 min: Crikey! Shkodran Mustafi goes perilously close to scoring an own goal after unwittingly deflecting a flick into the penalty area narrowly wide of his own goal after good work down the left from Edwards. Arsenal manage to defend the corner.
GOAL! Vitoria 1-1 Arsenal (Duarte 90+1)
The home side equalise and it’s no more than they deserve. An acrobatic finish from Duarte, whose left-footed volley leaves them in with a squeak of snatching the win with four minutes of added time to go.
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90 min: Bonatini blazes over the bar to ruin Vitoria’s best move of the night. They carved Arsenal open, with Duarte and Rochinha combining to tee up the substitute with a glorious opportunity to equalise from close range.
89 min: Matteo Guendouzi is felled in midfield and wins a free-kick as the clock ticks down.
86 min: Marcus Edwards has an attempted through ball into the Arsenal penalty area blocked by Holding. Assuming they fail to win, Vitoria will feel they left this one behind them tonight - they’ve had plenty of chances, but were unable to convert any of them into goals. Arsenal, by contrast, have scored with their only effort on target and look like labouring their way to victory.
84 min: Rob Holding puts the ball behind for a corner after intercepting a Rafa Soares cross. The ensuing set=piece is cleared comfortably.
82 min: Arsenal score with their first effort on target, meaning Vitoria goalkeeper Douglas still hasn’t made a save. The Portuguese side make their final substitution, with Leo Bonatini, on loan from Wolves, replacing Lucas Evangelista. They must win tonight, to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages. I suspect the opportunity has passed them by.
GOAL! Vitoria 0-1 Arsenal (Mustafi 81)
Pepe curls the ball towards the far post, where Mustafi rises highest and sends a fine downward header back across the face of goal and into the bottom left-hand corner.
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80 min: Martinelli goes down under a challenge from Evangelista and Arsenal have a free-kick from about 35 yards out, well left of centre.
78 min: Arsenal substitution: Lucas Torreria on for Joe Willock.
76 min: Arsenal are allowed to play the ball around at the back uncontested and unpressed by any Vitoria players. They seem happy to do exactly that. And indeed, for all the penetration they’ve displayed up front they might as well just pass it around at the back.
75 min: Play resumes with a Vitoria free-kick, about 25 yards from goal in line with the left edge of the penalty area. Evangelista stands over the ball, but chips it straight into the arms of Martinez. A poor, poor effort.
72 min: Arsenal continue to dominate and create nothing. They concede a free-kick, however, when Guendouzi hauls Rochinha to the ground. He clatters into Mustafi on his way down and has to receive medical treatment.
68 min: Vitoria substitution: Davidson off, Diogo Rochinha on. Bolton fans may remember the 24-year-old Portuguese, who made four appearances for them on a loan spell from Benfica four years ago.
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65 min: A comically bedraggled looking Rob Holding gets booked for a trip on Lucas Evangelista. That looked a bit harsh, as the two players crossed each other’s paths and it’s difficult to know who - if anyone - fouled who. The rain has been relentless tonight and there’s a bit of surface water on the pitch. We’re not into comedy splashing and aqua-planing territory yet, mind.
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64 min: Sokratis puts a cross from the left into the stand. Vitoria substitution, halfway inside the Arsenal half. Arsenal substitution: Alexandre Lacazette comes on for Bukayo Saka.
63 min: Mustafi heads over the bar from a Nicolas Pepe corner.
62 min: Vitoria substitution: the number of players on the pitch named Pepe is halved with one hoist of the fourth official’s board - Vitoria’s midfielder is replaced by Dennis-Will Poha, who is on loan at the club from Rennes.
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60 min: From the edge of the penalty area, Guendouzi plays a weighted pass to the edge of the six-yard box for Nicolas Pepe to latch on to. the Frenchman is flagged for offside.
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59 min: Arsenal continue to dominate possession but are doing little or nothing with it. They’ve been incredibly pedestrian tonight.
58 min: Rafa Soares hacks the ball out for a corner under pressure from Saka. The ensuing dead ball delivery is poor and Evangelista heads clear.
55 min: Kieran Tierney threads a weighted pass between two defenders for Saka to chase down the inside left channel. He’s flagged for offside but that looked very tight indeed.
52 min: Nicolas Pepe loses the ball, allowing Davidson to charge up the left flank. His attempt to square the ball across the face of the Arsenal goal is atrocious and goes wide. Arsenal substitution: Matteo Guendouzi replaces the hamstrung Dani Ceballos, who limps straight back to the dressing-room.
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51 min: Joe Willock tries to advance into the Vitoria penalty area, but is dispossessed by Lucas Evangelista. Arsenal are bossing this second half in the early stages, but are seriously lacking in anything resembling cutting edge.
50 min: Ceballos pulls up with what looks like a hamstring injury to his left leg and signals to the bench. He then carries on, but is clutching the back of his leg.
47 min: A rogue pass to Rob Holding results in Vitoria winning the ball and Marcus Edwards galloping into the space left by the Arsenal skipper. With Ceballos racing back to provide cover, the Vitoria midfielder hesitates briefly and what looked a great chance for him to go clean through on goal goes to waste.
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47 min: A marauding run up the inside left from Martinelli, who plays the ball inside for Saka and runs on to collect the return pass. It’s overhit.
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Second half: Vitoria SC 0-0 Arsenal
46 min: It continues to hammer down with rain and the confused mess that is Arsenal gets the ball rolling for the second half. There are no changes in personnel on either side.
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Is it any surprise Arsenal look a confused mess now, whatever team Emery selects? Different formations, players playing different roles by the week. They look broken, baffled. Every pass is backwards, confidence is shot.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 6, 2019
How long can this be allowed to go on??
Guys. GUYS!
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) November 6, 2019
Look at Arsenal’s pass map!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This, right here, is how you out-pass a team 245-111 and still get out-shot 10-1, which is where it stands at halftime. How is Unai Emery still employed? #VITARS (via @StatsZone) pic.twitter.com/x7yY8MCh93
Half-time in Portugal: Vitoria 0-0 Arsenal
Peep! The deadline remains unbroken in Guimares, but it’s the home side who have enjoyed all the best chances. THey’ve brought several smart saves out of Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, while Arsenal have yet to test his opposite number, Douglas.
44 min: Saka and Tierney both go down injured for Arsenal and Pepe is penalised for his foul on the young Scot. Free-kick for Arsenal, just outside the Vitoria box. Nicolas Pepe fires a poor effort high over the bar.
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42 min: Arsenal throw-in, deep in Vitoria territory as approach half-time. Holding loses the ball and Edwards surges forward. Rushing back to recover, Holding fouls his fellow Englishman. He’s fortunate to avoid a booking.
41 min: Evangelista becomes the latest Vitoria player to shoot high and wide of the Arsenal goal with a speculative shot from distance.
40 min: A series of free-kicks for fouls on players from both teams has made things a little scrappy. With Davidson lurking in the penalty area, trying to get on the end of a deft little back-heel from Evangelista, Sokratis takes no chances and hacks the ball into Row Z.
39 min: From wide on the right, in line with the edge of the penalty area, Ceballos swings the ball across the face of goal. Rob Holding jumps highest, but the delivery is too high for him.
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36 min: Not much happens for a couple of minutes ... we’re in what is technically known as a lull. An Arsenal throw-in, deep in Vitoria territory, eventually results in Maitland-Niles drawing a foul from Davidson.
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33 min: Vitoria’s Rafa Soares is not so lucky and gets his name taken for a late challenge on Nicolas Pepe.
32 min: Martinelli loses the ball as he tries to run out of defence. Arsenal promptly win it back again and with Saka setting off on the counter-attack, he’s cynically fouled by Bruno Duarte, who is lucky to avoid a yellow card.
30 min: Vitoria win a free-kick wide on the right. Pepe curls another ball into the penalty area, where an unmarked Venancio gets a free header. His effort is poor is as poor as Arsenal’s defending and sails high over the bar.
29 min: Kieran Tierney goes on another speculative gallop down the left for Arsenal, but is dispossessed not far inside the Vitoria half by Lucas Evangelista.
27 min: Arsenal corner. The ball’s swung into the penalty area, where Sokratis is penalised for grabbing a rival player’s shirt.
23 min: Rob Holding is penalised for a foul on Marcus Edwards. Free-kick for Vitoria in line with the right side of the Arsenal penalty area. The ball’s curled into the penalty area, where Arsenal clear ... but only as far as Davidson 20 yards from goal. He tries to curl the ball goalwards but sends it wide.
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21 min: Arsenal win a throw-in deep in Vitoria territory. Martinelli sends a good cross towards the far post, where Victor Garcia gets the ball stuck under his feet. His captain Frederico Venancio steps in to hack the ball out for a corner. From that, Arsenal win another one and Rob Holding heads the ensuing cross from Bukayo Saka over the bar.
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17 min: The rain continues to spill down in Portugal as Shkodran Mustafi is penalised for dragging out of Davidson, who had got in behind him and was chasing a ball over the top. From the ensuing free-kick, Pepe picks out Edmond Tapsoba with a wonderful cross and the defender brings another good save out of Martinez with a glancing header from about eight yards.
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15 min: Another effort from Vitoria, who have Arsenal under the cosh. This time it’s Mikel Agu who drags the ball wide.
12 min: After a slow opening couple of minutes, Vitoria are starting to dominate. They’re dominating midfield and this time Davidson gets forward and plays a decent cross into the Arsenal penalty area. Bruno Duarte is unable to get on the end of it.
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11 min: Arsenal fail to clear properly and now it’s the turn of Marcus Edwards to try his luck from distance. His rasping drive is heading towards goal, but Martinez dives to his right and claws it away for a corner. He gathers the ensuing inswinger under his crossbar.
10 min: Joe Willock loses the ball in midfield and Vitoria advance again. They switch the play from right to left, but a good move breaks down when Davidson is fouled on the left flank. Pepe swings the ball into the mixer, where Mustafi clears.
8 min: Chance!!! Davidson tees up Pepe - the Vitoria version - and he unleashes a shot from distance. It beats Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez all ends up, but rattles the left upright. That was a formidable strike and Arsenal have dodged an early bullet.
6 min: Pepe picks out Maitland-Niles in space on the right. His attempted cross is blocked by Vitoria centre-half Edmond Tapsoba.
5 min: Looking at a replay, it seems Nicolas Pepe actually got a touch on that Maitland-Niles cross, but could only steer the ball wide of the far post.
3 min: A rampaging run and Kieran Tierney sends a cross in from the left, which is a mite too high for Nicolas Pepe, who didn’t make much of an effort to reach it, truth be told. The ball carries through to Ashley Maitland-Niles on the right flank and it squares it across the face of goal. Somewhat miraculously, it contrives to avoid two players from each side on it’s way. Arsenal should have scored.
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2 min: With the home side wearing white shirts, white shorts and white socks, Arsenal’s players are wearing yellow shirts, navy shorts and yellow socks. Unai Emery has his lined up in a back three, with wing-backs.
2 min: An early speculative shot from distance by Davidson sails high and wide of the Arsenal goal.
Vitoria SC v Arsenal is go!
1 min: Rob Holding wins the coin-toss, completely justifying his manager’s decision to make him captain for the evening. In your face Emery-haterz!!! On a seriously sodden afternoon in Guimaraes, the home side get the ball rolling.
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Not long now: There appears to be a reasonably decent crowd in the stadium, considering the game is being played on a school-day, due in no small and ironical part to the fact that Vitoria have given away loads of tickets to local schoolchildren. With what look suspiciously like strobe lights flashing in the tunnel, the teams make their way out on to the pitch. It is lashing with rain in northern Portugal.
Unai Emery’s pre-match interview with BT. Safe to say he was not in a talkative mood. pic.twitter.com/EnSYNUYBKm
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 6, 2019
Unai Emery speaks: The Arsenal manager is asked about his decision to make Rob Holding captain tonight and sounds a mite tetchy when he replies. “Today it is Rob Holding and he is perfect,” he says. When asked “why?” by BT Sport’s reporter he says: “Because he is.” Further questions about his team selection prompt similarly brief answers. I suspect he’s not in a very good mood.
Edwards? The chap named Edwards in the Vitoria SC line-up is an attacking midfielder named Marcus, who signed a four-year deal with the Portuguese club last summer after leaving Tottenham Hotspur. The 20-year-old had a stint on loan at Dutch club Excelsior last season, making 25 appearances. Before that, he had a spell at N|orwich City, but only made one Championship appearance under Daniel Farke.
Edwards has represented England at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 levels and was part of the side that won the European U19 Championship in 2017.
Vitoria v Arsenal line-ups
Vitoria Guimaraes: Douglas Jesus, Garcia, Frederico Venancio, Tapsoba, Rafa Soares, Pepe, Agu, Evangelista, Edwards, Duarte, Davidson.
Subs: Leo Bonatini, Rochinha, Al Musrati, Andre Pereira, Poha, Hanin, Miguel Silva.
Arsenal: Martinez, Mustafi, Papastathopoulos, Holding, Tierney, Ceballos, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Pepe, Martinelli, Saka.
Subs: Leno, Bellerin, Lacazette, Torreira, Nelson, Guendouzi, Kolasinac.
Referee: Halis Ozkahya (Turkey)
Kick-off: 3.50pm (GMT)
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Early team news: Arsenal manager Unai Emery has adopted something of a free-form jazz approach to today’s team selection and has made no fewer than eight changes to the side that drew with Wolves at the Emirates over the weekend. Defenders Sokratis and Kieran Tierney keep their places, as does midfielder Dani Ceballos.
Rob Holding skippers the side in the absence from the starting line-up of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil – Arsenal’s group of “captains” . Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the armband following his outburst after being substituted during Arsenal’s match against Crystal Palace and is not in tonight’s squad.
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Arsenal? Playing in Europe on a Wednesday?
Surely some mistake? Well, in a word: no. While the Europa League has traditionally been a Thursday night staple, this match is being played this afternoon because Portuguese side Braga are also playing in the competition and are slated to entertain Besiktas tomorrow.
With the two towns just 25 kilometres apart, Uefa decided to switch Vitoria’s game to Wednesday, in a bid to avoid traffic congestion and lighten the load on Portuguese police. The reason for the early kick-off is that Europa League matches can’t clash with this evening’s Champions League fixtures for broadcasting reasons. So, now you know.
Europa League Group F: Vitoria v Arsenal
The Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes is the venue for this Europa League clash between Vitoria and Arsenal. Unai Emery’s side are top of the group with maximum points from their three games, while their hosts have yet to get a point on the board after losing their opening three fixtures.
A win today will guarantee Arsenal qualification for the knockout stages, but having twice fallen behind to tonight’s opponents before going on to win at the Emirates in their last game, they may not have things all their own way this afternoon. Kick-off is at the decidedly odd time of 3.50pm (GMT) (more of which anon) but stay tuned for team news and build-up in the meantime.
