UEFA Champions League 2023/24

[Colly]

I can live with that.

[DavidMarrio]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/25/uefa-accused-of-presenting-untrue-evidence-to-inquiry-on-champions-league-final-chaos?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

*insert Fry I'm shocked meme*

[Lineker]

Quote

Arsenal’s preparations for their Champions League tie at Lens were heavily disrupted after storms in the south of England caused their flight to be delayed by nearly five hours.

Mikel Arteta and his squad were waiting in the private terminal at Luton airport well into Monday evening after their plane, which had been due to depart at 4.15pm, was grounded because of adverse weather. They eventually flew just after 9pm.

It meant arrangements for their first away outing in this competition for six-and-a-half years were thrown into chaos, with Arteta being forced to cancel his mandatory media commitments and the prospect of a late arrival in France meaning a hasty change of schedule.

Those duties are, according to Uefa rules, to be carried out by 8pm local time the evening before a game but Arsenal will not be fined on this occasion. The governing body is understood to view the delay as force majeure while noting this was their first such breach. Newcastle received a warning after arriving similarly late before their match at Milan a fortnight ago. Speaking by phone as Arsenal waited for news of their journey, William Saliba played down any negative impact of the extended wait. “Yeah, of course [I’m confident],” he said. “We have to arrive first but tomorrow is another day and we will give our best against Lens.”

Better news for Arteta was that Bukayo Saka joined the travelling party after his latest knock, a blow to the foot that ended his afternoon early at Bournemouth on Saturday, was not deemed serious. Thomas Partey was named in a squad for the first time since 26 August after recovering from a groin injury and will start among the substitutes against Lens, who finished runners-up in Ligue 1 by a point last season.

Arsenal swept PSV Eindhoven aside with a 4-0 win on the opening matchday but, also speaking while kicking his heels in Luton, Arteta warned of a tricky assignment in France’s industrial north-east. “What they did last year is incredible,” he said. “We expect a huge battle tomorrow. We’re more than aware of it. We showed the players everything and we have a huge test.”

Arteta was asked about the furore around VAR officiating in the top flight in the wake of Luis Díaz’s incorrectly disallowed goal for Liverpool at Spurs. “It’s true that with everything that already happened this season, not just in the Premier League but in other countries as well, the pressure is increasing,” he said when it was put to him that VAR is not working in its current form.

“When [officials] explain all the processes of what they’re trying to do it sounds really logical, but in the heat [of the moment], when you’re talking about millimetres and interpretation of other things like the frames of the camera, it’s very, very different. It’s a shame that it’s happening but at the moment I think we haven’t got the right answers.”

Leandro Trossard, who scored in the PSV game, could be recalled to the starting lineup against Lens. Gabriel Martinelli remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

 

[Baddar]

"Man Utd have never lost their opening home CL group stage game"

Thanks Laura.

[DavidMarrio]

42 minutes ago, Baddar said:

"Man Utd have never lost their opening home CL group stage game"

Thanks Laura.

Reverse jinx

Edit: and as I send that Zaha scores.

[Lineker]

 

[DavidMarrio]

Bad night for Onana, Casemiro and the Man Utd defence. So many mistakes of their own doing. 

Haven't seen much of the Arsenal game so can't really comment on that but a fantastic result for Lens. Saka went off injured so that's a worry with the City game on the weekend

[Kaney]

Arsenal were outplayed tbf. Lens are not a bad team and they defended well. Saka has been played into the ground but some people are still overreacting. It's a champions league away game against decent opposition and folk are ready to sack half the club never mind the team.

[Lineker]

Genuinely would be a shame for him to have a long term injury. He's annoyingly likeable. Only Arsenal player since Bergkamp I've not been able to dislike!

[METALMAN]

Ur saying you didn’t like Samir Nasri?

[Lineker]

Snood wanker.

[Twist]

Newcastle are MASSIVE lads.

[gunnar hendershow]

PSGot their asses kicked

[Szumi]

Fuck Newcastle's ownership group, but what a night for these players and supporters. 

[METALMAN]

On 31/08/2023 at 18:29, METALMAN said:

I think Newcastle will finish top of that group 

What a smart guy 

[Gazz]

That was alright.

[King Ellis]

Say what you will about all the money pumped into the team but it's something that Newcastle beat PSG and your four goalscorers are Almiron, Burn, Sean Longstaff and Schar.

[Colly]

To reflect our status of fucking massive, I'm trying to capitalise early doors by becoming a content creator. Tried to tweet this at 7:45, such is the shit signal at St James.

 

[Bobfoc]

25 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

Fuck Newcastle's ownership group, but what a night for these players and supporters. 

On the positive side, they beat a club with another horrible ownership group.

[METALMAN]

45 minutes ago, Colly said:

To reflect our status of fucking massive, I'm trying to capitalise early doors by becoming a content creator. Tried to tweet this at 7:45, such is the shit signal at St James.

 

high baldy quotient