February has been one for the ages for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners. Goals are flowing, wins are stacking, and the club in general seems to be gelling at the most opportune time. It has been poetry on the pitch, underscored by the fact that the Gunners’ goal scoring acumen has flourished on the road, netting 11 times in their past two matches away from the Emirates.
Now, Arsenal will look to ride their hot hand on Wednesday when they travel south to the balmy beaches of Portugal to face FC Porto in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage. It’s the Gunners’ first CL knockout game under Mikel Arteta, and their third straight away match. Can Arteta and co overcome the nerves and pressure to it make it three road wins and six on the trot?
Here are 5 talking points ahead of Wednesday:
Behind Enemy Lines
Porto have had a decent, if slightly underwhelming, season thus far. They sit firmly in 3rd in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, 7 points behind Benfica and Sporting CP and 5 ahead of Braga. They finished second in their CL group behind Barcelona on the backs of the play of attackers Galeno and Evanilson.
Stylistically and managerially, Porto are surprisingly analogous with Arsenal to the point that the Venn Diagram is closer to two overlapping circles. Much like Mikel Arteta, manager Sérgio Conceição, managing a club he once played for, is known for his passionate leadership and disciplined approach on the pitch. In the attack, Porto like to possess the ball, are strong on set pieces, and channel their attack down the wings, where they look for crosses and cutbacks to attackers. Defensively, they play a high line and look to limit chances for the attack. However, that leaves them susceptible to counters, something Arsenal have excelled at in recent matches, and a possible point of weakness for the Gunners to exploit.
Rotation
Arsenal picked the right time to get their feet back underneath them. The week-long breaks between matches are coming to an end as the CL picks back up. While the benches over the last two matches have been thinner than is comfortable, much of that can be chalked up to letting the players returning from injury get one more week of rest and rehab before the last three months kick on. The injured are returning, and that gives Arteta more options than he has had in months.
But after the last three weeks, there is a bit of an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” conversation to be had. After thrashing West Ham, Arteta left the starting XI unchanged for Burnley with similarly prolific success. The chemistry of the current lineup is unquestionable. With Newcastle only three days after Porto, will Arteta gamble on it once more on Wednesday, or will he rotate in players like Jorginho and Tomiyasu for more control and defensive solidity? If Gabriel Jesus is healthy, does he get a run out after an impressive CL group stage?
Patience
Getting the home match first is the preferred draw in a two-legged knockout competition. If you can ride the home support’s energy and strike first, it puts all of the pressure on the opposition to produce in the second leg. Porto host, which means they get the advantage of looking to set the tone early.
With how Porto’s style of play lines up with Arsenal’s, this is a potential chess match in the making. It will be impossible for both teams to control the match on their own terms, so the Gunners will need to pick their moments wisely and adapt accordingly. They have done a bang up job in the league at suffocating matches, but cup competitions can necessitate a different type of urgency. Arsenal cannot afford to fall behind first to avoid a slog of a dogfight against a foe more than happy to slow things down when they are in control.
Rising to the Occasion
One of the reason’s attributed to last season’s late meltdown was the overwhelming lack of “big game” experience across Arsenal’s young roster – they were talented and eager, but most had never been in a proper title race. Once the wheels wobbled, the entire vehicle came apart.
This season’s Arsenal have shown themselves to be markedly more mature. It’s no secret that the end of last season was a sticking point for them, and it’s shown in how they have evolved this season. The additions of players like Kai Havertz and Declan Rice added not only physicality, but mentality, too. Now, under the brightest of lights and on the biggest stage, they have a chance to show their newfound maturity and mettle.
New Tricks
The evolution has not been limited only to the players – Arteta has proven adaptable, too. He fixed the floundering offense and retooled the entire tactical approach, replacing last season’s swashbuckling derring-do with precise, methodical control. He neutralized the typically potent threats of Liverpool and Manchester City, slaying those mythical beasts in an effort to reassert Arsenal’s resurgence.
And yet, he has still a proverbial mountain to climb as a manager, specifically in Europe. His track record in the Europa League is middling at best, and last season’s ignominious exit against Sporting CP was a gut punch that invited criticisms about his ability to balance domestic and cup competitions. In group play, he got it largely note-perfect, but given the group draw, that was to be expected. Now, he has to show it when it matters.
The excitement of the Champions League doesn’t get old, does it? Arsenal are back where they belong, among the best of the best. After seven years, they are once more vying for a shot at finally, mercifully lifting their first CL trophy. The road is treacherous and tricky, but they can take the first major step on Wednesday at Porto.
WHAT: Arsenal at FC Porto
WHEN: Wednesday, February 21st, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: Estádio do Dragão
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Paramount+ app
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