Clearly, English clubs have not been popular since this morning. It must be said that the four defeats and two draws conceded by the six English teams (a record) present in the round of 16 of the Champions League do not help. A rather unexpected disaster which caused Her Majesty’s clubs to be singled out by the European media. And Germany is no exception to the rule. Because yesterday, many observers were frustrated by the draw conceded by Bayer Leverkusen against Arsenal.
Arsenal caught in their own trap
Undisputed leaders of the league phase, the Gunners were logically announced as the big favorites for this round of 16, facing a more than affordable opponent who had been crushed 7-2 by PSG at the start of the season. But the magic of football makes this sport sometimes unpredictable. Diligent and serious, Kasper Hjulmand’s players, ironically, took the Londoners at their own game by opening the score from a corner. The finalist of the 2002 edition even thought he had achieved his feat before conceding a penalty at the very end of the match. A sanction generously awarded to the Gunners by the match referee and transformed by Kai Havertz (1-1). A penalty that got people talking.
“For me, there is no penalty. I think sometimes the referee should not blow the whistle and then check with VAR, in order to be 100% sure. But he whistles, so it’s not clear or obvious. For me, that just wasn’t the case. It would have been better for us with a 1-0 victory, but it is what it is. I don’t see a penalty there, but that’s how it happened.”Hjulmand told the media. An observation shared by his captain Andrich. “I don’t understand how we can’t say (to the referee): “Change this decision!” This is unacceptable!” The same goes for the media. “Granting this penalty was a shame for justice, because during the duel between Malik Tillman and Noni Madueke, there was neither culprit nor victim. The images were clear, minimal contact was visible, but it was not the cause of the Arsenal striker’s fall.protested South German newspaper.
Another point of dispute: the Leverkusen goal. If there is nothing to say about Andrich’s header, the action of the goal was still marked by an intervention by Ibrahim Maza on an Arsenal player, Eberechi Eze, while the ball was not in play. For many, Arsenal were caught in their own trap, even if Hjulmand had to explain himself after having criticized the day before the match this type of tactic used by the Gunners on set pieces. “I think there was a little misunderstanding during my press conference yesterday (the day before yesterday, editor’s note), where I questioned the way Arsenal use attacking blocks. It’s not about Arsenal, it’s about the rules. We do the same thing. All teams do it. We’re setting up offensive blocks, we’re making charges to create space, and I’m just wondering if it’s legal. Do the rules really allow players to be eliminated if they don’t have the ball? »he confided, before explaining his brief exchange with Frenchman Nicolas Jover (Arsenal set-piece coach) after the opening score.
“It quickly becomes clear that their supposed superiority is more myth than reality”
“He just said, ‘You do it too, don’t you?’ » And I replied: “Yes, we do that too!” It’s the same for all teams. We all do it. » For German observers, this draw looks like a victory. “No team has ever achieved such a feat in the Champions League! Bayer Leverkusen enjoys a lackluster draw against Arsenal”can we read on Spox. And seeing Bayer Leverkusen take Arsenal into their own trap was something delicious. “We beat Arsenal with Arsenal methods. On the verge of legality. The Arsenal bench is with the fourth official on goal. It was crazy. Arsenal do it so often they can’t complain.”commented consultant and ex-Bayern Munich player Nils Petersen on DAZN. Same story South German newspaper. “In England, complaints against the sometimes sterile play of the leader of the Premier League table are increasing and spectators at the BayArena found these criticisms to be justified. Arsenal only took the initiative sporadically. One such moment, however, could have put them 1-0 up after 20 minutes, but Gabriel Martinelli only hit the crossbar from close range. The detractors of the London style of play must have rejoiced..
Finally, the Frankfurter Allgemeine went further in his criticism. “Leverkusen were immensely proud of their good performance, especially as a crushing defeat against the best team in the Champions League league stage was a possibility. Among the Bundesliga clubs, apart from Bayern Munich, a deep respect has developed for the clubs of the legendary Premier League, due to the colossal sums at stake and the fact that their domestic championship captivates audiences around the world. But in such a direct duel with the leaders of the best championship in the world, it quickly becomes obvious that their supposed superiority is more myth than reality. Especially now, when the season is already well underway and the end is still far away, the English are takeable. Galatasaray beat Liverpool, Manchester City were crushed 3-0 by Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, Chelsea suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat in Paris, as did Tottenham against Atlético Madrid. And the London visitors in Leverkusen needed the referee’s clemency to avoid defeat. Enough to dress the English for the last days of winter…
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– UPDATE
