Tierney strike sends disjointed Gunners through as group winners

This was not the Arsenal that has swept aside most of their Premier League opponents to date this season but a very out-of-sorts one

Thu, 03 Nov, 2022 - 22:12

Nick Callow

Arsenal 1-0 FC Zurich

NOT the ideal preparation for a big London derby away to Chelsea on Sunday, but Arsenal got the job done and a rare Kieran Tierney goal secured qualification for the knock out stages of the Europa League as group winners.

The importance of that cannot be understated as they now avoid the February two-legged tie against Champions League drop outs that include Barcelona, Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Lisbon that Manchester United now have to endure.

Mikel Arteta's side will next play in Europe in March, but they had to give their all for the entirety of this match and paid the potentially significant price of losing defender Takehiro Tomiyasu to injury late on.

The Japan international has been a first choice for Arteta in recent weeks and presumably would have started at Stamford Bridge. He still might, of course, but he looked in some pain with a muscle injury after being on for barely ten minutes.

How the Spanish coach might rue his decision to send the versatile man at the back on as a late substitute.

Either way, this was not the Arsenal that has swept aside most of their Premier League opponents to date this season, but a very disjointed one.

The Londoners allowed a very physical Zurich side the freedom of Arsenal Stadium for the first quarter of the match as the Swiss team bossed the match and their fans provided all the colour and noise from the stands.

There was so much smoke from the bright white Zurich flares we kicked off in a pea-soup like fog making it hard to see across the pitch.

And the relentless drumming singing, jumping and waving of light blue and white flags gave it the atmosphere of an Argentina World Cup tie.

The Swiss came here with a point to prove and the dubious honour of avoiding finishing bottom of Group A, having lost five of their previous six matches to date.

Since Arsenal won their opening Group game tie there they dismissed German coach Franco Foda last month and replaced him with former Kidderminster Harrier striker Bo Henriksen, from Denmark.

Maybe it was all the changes Arsenal made. Midfielder Mohamed Elneny returned after two months out injured, one of seven changes from the side that put five past Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Gabriel Jesus started as captain for the first time since his successful summer move from Manchester City.

But they played like subdued strangers, allowing Zurich to dominate possession until they suddenly clicked on 17 minutes. Jesus got the ball rolling and Fabio Vieira's blocked power-drive fell to the trusty left foot of left-back Tierney, who drove in a perfectly timed dipping half volley for his first goal of the season.

Only now did Arsenal play with the handbrake off, but even a rousing rendition of 'one-nil to the Arsenal' could not dampen the volume from the Zurich support.

Chances came and went again for Vieira, the big-money signing from Portugal who still seems a bit lightweight for the English game, and Eddie Nketiah, who had a powerful header well saved by Yanick Brecher.

So far, so good for Arteta, but with news filtering through from Norway that second-placed PSV Eindhoven were cruising to victory against Bodo Glimt it meant there was no room for error in London.

A draw would deny them top spot and, sensing the danger, Arteta strengthened his hand with half an hour to go by sending on forward Bukayo Saka and key midfield man Thomas Partey.

There were a couple of half chances but nothing to get too excited about until Arsenal's fears seemed to have been realised when Adrian Guerrero hit the back of the net. Arsenal were saved by their well drilled offside trap which just caught the Zurich man the wrong side of their last line of defence.

Arteta responded by sending in captain Martin Odegaard and full-back Tomiyasu to give his side something of a cushion going into the closing stages.

As it was Tomiyasu hobbled off soon after and the match ended with Zurich bombarding the Arsenal penalty area.

Arsenal: Ramsdale 6, White 7 (Tomiyasu 73, Soares 88), Holding 5, Gabriel 6, Tierney 7, Elneny 6 (Partey 63), Lokonga 6, Nelson 5, Vieira 6 (Odegaard 73), Nketiah 6, Jesus 5 (Saka 63). Subs not used: Hein, Hillson Partey, Martinelli, Saliba, Soares, Alencar, Zinchenko, Smith.

Zurich: Brecher 6, Boranijasevic 5, Kamberi 6, Katic 5, Aliti 5 (Santini, 89), Conde 6, Selnaes 6 (Hornschuh 77), Guerrero 6, Aiyegun 6 (Vyunnyk 78), Okita 6, Rohner 5 (Marchesano 45). Subs not used: Kostadinovic, Omeragic, Krasniqi, Hodza, Mets, Sauter, Omerovic.

Ref: Erik Lambrechts 5

Att: 59,739