"Our plan worked because Arsenal didn't want to defend", says Olympiakos striker
Olympiakos striker Alfred Finnbogason has revealed that the Greek champions plan to beat Arsenal on Wednesday worked – because the Gunners “don’t want to defend”.
After an uneventful opening half hour in which Arsene Wenger’s side rarely looked like scoring, Olympiakos took the lead through Felipe Pardo after a well worked corner routine found the Colombian outside the box.
Despite Theo Walcott’s immediate equaliser, the away team found themselves ahead again five minutes later when Kostas Fortounis’ corner was fumbled into his own goal by goalkeeper David Ospina.
The second half saw Alexis Sanchez head home from Theo Walcott’s cross but once again Arsenal were made to pay for slack defending just a minute later when Finnbogason put the Greeks ahead yet for the third time.
“The first corner is something we’ve practiced on the training pitch because we know Arsenal have no man outside the box”, said Finnbogason.
“When you play against these kind of teams you know they’re going to have a lot of the ball, but you have to defend well and be compact.
“You know there’s going to be spaces because they don’t want to defend, so I think our plan worked.”
The defeat is the first time that the club have lost their opening two games in the tournament, and means they will almost certainly need to beat Bayern Munich twice to progress.
Here’s how…Group H as it stands. Bayern Munich 6pts, Olympiakos 3pts, Dinamo Zagreb 3pts, Arsenal 0pts
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there are two things in arsenal that contrast very much. attacking and defending. Arsenal has always been best team when they play in the final third. Arsenal is a big team when they attack. On the other side, however, it is very disgusting to watch them defending. Defending has been the key reason for their lack of consistence and humiliating defeat especially when they are needed most. The players always retreat whoever the opponent player is in front of them.
So if teams go at us, that is where Arsenal weakness is. There were some hope at the FA cup final and the last PL match, but it is now true that it is always the same old Arsenal. A team beautiful to watch when the ball is in their feet and disgusting when they loose it.
It is not the players, rather it is the tactic, and it is not working time and time again for so many reasons that only Arsene knows. ……..
It isn’t a question of not wanting to defend- Cazorla can’t defend to save his life and shouln’t be there but also- Ozil, Sanchez and the Ox are not the best either.
Pressing and closing down is a team effort. Closing down whilst Caz trogs around waving his arms and doing stuff all does not work and will not work. Get Caz out- start playing quick pass and move Wengerball with pressure to win the ball back– and we will be alright