Match Report – Match Highlights – Post-Match Press Conference
Final Result: Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal (Gudelj 58? | Martinelli 45?, Jesus 53?)
Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Raya; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, White; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard (Havertz 73?); Martinelli (Kiwior 90?), Jesus (Nketiah 81?), Saka (Trossard 81′)
In the match preview for the Sevilla game, I had reiterated that Arsenal needed three points to gain a massive stronghold in the group and I expected a very strong lineup, which Mikel Arteta obliged.
Thomas Partey suffered yet another injury in training, so Arteta retained Jorginho in central midfield alongside Declan Rice with the only major change being Takehiro Tomiyasu coming on for Oleksandr Zinchenko. Tomiyasu was the first player to let one rip from the edge of the box after receiving a pass from Gabriel Martinelli but his chance went wide off the mark.
Martinelli had a very big chance when Gabriel Jesus teed him up but his close range shot went straight at Nyland. Sevilla responded when Lucas Ocampos responded to Jesus Navas’ cross and fired his effort wide.
David Raya had another scare when his clearance went straight to a Sevilla player but the home side didn’t capitalize on that error. Youssef En-Nesyri almost got the lead when he latched up to a great chance but his effort went wide. Sevilla were made to rue that miss, as Gabriel Jesus showed great technical ability to create space and threaded a near-perfect pass to Martinelli that used his pace to evade the defense, dribble past Nyland and side foot the ball into the unguarded net.
Arsenal continued their dominance at the start of the second half when Martinelli anticipated Navas’ throw-in, fed Jesus whose shot was blocked by Nyland but Odegaard blasted the rebound over. The pressure from Arsenal paid off when Rice made a surge forward and gave Jesus the ball on the edge of the box. The Arsenal striker picked his spot and blasted it pass Nyland.
Sevilla pegged one back after Nemanja Gudelj glanced in a bullet header from Ivan Rakitic corner. That goal put some wind on Sevilla’s sails and they almost got an equalizer when Mariano Diaz thunderous shot cannoned off the cross bar.
There was a late scare but Arsenal held on to grab a vital win, especially with RC Lens and PSV Eindhoven sharing the spoils, taking Arsenal to the top of the standings.
It was a good match but I was happy for Gabriel Jesus that asserted his dominance on the game.
Sayonara.
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