Good morning PositiveArsenal fans,
An excellent night at the Ems and a contest that I will remember for a long time. Two very good football teams both playing with the metaphoric handbrake off. Arsenal with the ability to attack and create chances, the visitors with formidable organisation in their defence and a desperation to keep us out.
The final result of 1-1 was not what we hoped for. After the sending off we were almost totally dominant in the first half, and totally dominant in the second. Our one goal was fairly poor reward for that effort and for the constant pressure we kept up on the Spaniards. We made chances though, oooooh we made chances, posts were brushed and missed by inches, and Oblak hurled himself about all evening.
Of our lads I thought Jack had a very good game and balanced his two attributes of creativity and combativeness perfectly. Danny was tireless and Laca always on the front foot, looking for that edge against Atleti’s steel eyed pair of centre backs. Granit was his ever dependable self and barely put a foot (or a pass) wrong all night, and Hector and Nacho provided constant width and pace on the flanks. Mesut had a quiet night but he was heavily policed every time he touched the ball, no space, no time.
For the visitors while I do not like Greizmann’s constant chucking himself on the deck to win free kicks and get opponents he stole the equalizing goal from absolutely nothing. People point to the error by Kosc and the slip by Mustafi, (with little bit where was Ospina? kicked in). but the ball hit French forward in the face forty yards and four seconds later it was in the roof of the net. An exceptional finisher.
What does all this ‘mean’ though ? Well from the sudden rush to the exit on the 82 minute around me one might think we are doomed. Not at all.
Even had we gone to the Wanda Metropolitano 1, 2 or 3 ahead only a fool would have expected anything less than a 95 minute battle to ensure our progress into the final. Equally while in theory Atleti could settle for 1-1 and rely on their away goal Simeone is not an idiot. He and his team has had a rocky season in European competitions. The Argentine’s team will have to play a different and more attacking way at home to try to get that important next goal against us. It will not be the same 10 man defence we faced for 80 minutes last night. There will be an inch more space, their will be a half second more time. We played well last night. We can score against AM, and I expect us to score in Madrid.
And then we shall see.
We are still 90 minutes from Lyon. Enjoy your Friday.
Positively Arsenal 
Good stuff. It was an absorbing, compelling big game. Made me want more of them.
We’ve had a lot of them in Wenger’s time, have one more guaranteed with him, with the prospect of an even bigger one if we succeed next week.
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Banned smiley face. Nice one Andy.
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Thanks Andy.
Think the Gunners might need to score twice in Madrid as opposed to the one, I guess that’s the difference following their late goal?
It’s a big ask but not impossible for this attack with hopefully another option Miki coming back onto the bench. Ozil apparently still not 100% still managed to set up six chances. Hopefully he’ll be stronger for the game next week. It pains me to see Koscielny struggle with that loss of pace and having to play through the pain barrier a la John Terry all season long, but I hope Madrid used up all their luck in the tie with that goal – The temporary hobble from Monreal not spotted by the CBs whoch played the No.7 onside, the wrong choice ricochet off the face, the rebound off the keeper, the slip from Mustafi…the two fingertip saves from Oblak (he must have steel sausages for fingers!).
Yeah. Arsenal are due a lucky goal in Madrid. Here’s hoping for a couple.
Highly enthused to see a fit again Wilshere return to form. Rumours of his demise have been exaggerated. A now trademark run and cutback from the left side of the box, the run to the byline…I love to see that. And the football that led to that goal, the build up, the pressure…to quote the late Ray Wilkens may he rest in piece: My word.
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Peace!
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return leg next Thursday arsenal should do better
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If we rise above the gut-wrenching pain from last night’s result, I think we can agree that the next manager, whoever it may be, will have a terrific group of players to work with. Bear in mind that Auba and Mkhi weren’t even there last night.
Additions are, of course necessary (some attrition would probably be healthy too) for a club of Arsenal’s ambition, and I have no doubt the club will work very hard to secure the players we need.
As for last night – To a man, I thought we were brilliant. Lets get it done in Madrid.
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A bad end to a very good performance last night but still every chance in Madrid, Mikhi can make a difference. Defending is an issue this season, but we stand every chance of scoring out there at least.
Sometimes, just sometimes, at their best when nobody gives them a chance
Agree with recent posts, if anything bad happens at Utd, that is secondary to having our best team fit and ready in Madrid
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I finally saw a delayed broadcast of the game about 6 hours ago and am completely bemused by the negativity in social media, even on these pages, about the results. Wenger’s Arsenal played an absolutely wonderful game of football against one of the best counter-attacking teams in Europe and should have won on a canter if it was not for the heroics of Atleti’s goalkeeper.
As for Greiezeman’s goal, nobody has acknowledged that it was a sequence that started with Welbeck, who had a brilliant game, needlessly losing the ball. He received a pass from deep and instead of going wide and retaining possession, he turned inside into 3 Atleti defenders and am not sure whether he was fouled but he fell to the ground losing possession and one of their midfielders gratefully pinged a long ball in the direction of Greizeman. This was precisely the moment when the Arsenal team had to dramatically reverse their positioning from attack to defense. Kosc now had to chase backwards when generally he was the deepest lying defender cleaning up any loose ball. The rest we know is history. In reaction, there was the usual negativity by the broadcasters from the mainstream media, who prior to the game had Atleti as nailed on favorites, doing their best to belittle Arsenal, the manager and our players. Absolute bullshit. Just the usual narrative that has helped gotten fans into the mess we are in today.
In conclusion I am forced to repeat something I posted last night:
“Sometimes I weep. As long as I have played and watched football, it is 11 v 11 with numerous chances for random, uncontrollable events. So even with the best teams with the best players get most things right shit happens over 90 minutes. The difference between the best and lesser teams is the better ones find a way to compensate by outscoring their opponents. As a gooner, I found it difficult but necessary to accept this reality. If not, then I have no business supporting this football club.”
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Mandy defending is an issue this season as Koscielny has struggled with the physical issues and Mustafi is possibly even more tempramental then Luiz (both good players!).
This has been apparent since the opening day of the season, i really cannot understand why people need to bang on about the coaching all season long. A couple of years ago we had an elite CB pool of peak BFG, peak Koscielny, backed up by gabby and Sagna and some promising kids. The kids are develooping, but we lost Koscielny a year or two ahead of the schedule.
Utd still haven’t replaced Vidic & Ferdinand. They spend £80M in the previous market (more at today’s rate) on three LBs. That didn’t help.
AFC have rebuilt their defence, and as we could see last night with the 2nd and 3rd choice strikers, it’s not bad.
i have every faith they will rebuild at the back too, at least better then most of their peers.
Sweet FA to do with who the manager is though.
I didn’t blame MP for selling Dzeko and for Negredo’s big inury, nd i can’t imagine City fans did too. And I don’t believe they credit Young Pep with all the forward signings, KDB etc. thought of course he’ll get the credit for the results. That’s football. Innit.
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< I'd add that Smalling is a good CB, not great but very good. And he's gotten better as he has reached his peak years, as will happen with Stones, Chambers, Holding etc.
But the sparkling gemstones are hard to dig out. And even then they might not speak English!
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Shotts,
Danny will be very keen to score one of the goals that the Gunners will need in Madrid no doubt about it. He could’ve roasted that defender and hit the byline, ran back, and then hit the byline again before his teammates caught up with him…Arrrghhhhh!
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I think the interesting thing last night was Atleti were quite happy to settle for a 0-1 defeat. They did nothing in the second half at all to press for an equaliser, and it was only through a bizarre set of circumstances that Greizmann got his chance.
Us on the other hand were not at all satisfied with the 1-0 win, pushed forward and for that split second left the back door slightly ajar.
Now if we had got the second goal everyone would have been cock-a-hoop. we DO score late goals. Teams that win trophies ALWAYS score late goals. I saw almost exactly the same sequence last night as against Monaco a few seasons back when in the closing minutes we pressed for an equaliser, only to give away another goal.
fine margins, fine bloody margins.
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Correction < have rebuilt their attack, and as we could see with the 2nd and 3rd choice…
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Andy i had a slightly different yet similar impression:
AFC went for the second, ran out of a little bit of puff and whilst regrouping Madrid had a spell for a few minutes where they pegged the Gunners back. And as the Gunners attempted to break back out and counter, that was the move that led to the Madrid goal? i said to my friend that i’d like to have seen one of Ramsey or Wilshere drop right back alongside Xhaka for that spell, but it made no difference on the goal.
If the CBs had spotted the hobbling and out of position Monreal they’d have stepped off a tiny fraction, which would’ve been enough. Fine margins. Top flight football. Bloody hell!
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I did not see the AIM goal again Fins so you probably have the more accurate lay out.
Kosc was knocked out of his stride and the ball striking the forward’s face was bad luck.
My impression at the time was Mustafi was a bit too far forward, only a yard or two but decisive, and not able to cover with time to get in a challenge.
And then the German slipped, again, as he and Arsenal defenders seem to regularly*.
(*See my many ranting about watering the pitch posts)
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“Have a happy Friday” Andrew? No I’m having a Victor Meldrew sulk which will only disperse after 3 or 4 lucky goals in the next two games..
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shotta
If losing the ball in the final third, with the possibility of there being a foul at that, causes a team to concede a goal, that is a huge problem.
As it is. I thought we were basically fine at that point. Koscielny just messed up, and both Mustafi and Monreal seemed to sense danger late. Ospina did well to save the shot, but luck favoured Griezmann with the bounce.
My point is, it is not right to blame Welbeck for it. Atletico keep forcing players wide because they know they can deal with (most) crosses. We were doing well to move them around to get some space despite their low block. Simply going to the sideline and putting in contested crosses is not really a strategy that would be likely to work. Maybe with Giroud. (Though that boy Lacazette leaps like a gazelle)
Also, how unfortunate that we didn’t really have anyone experienced we could bring on as a substitute. Neither in an attacking sense, nor defensive (in midfield)
Oh well. I think we’re better than them. But we need to stay focused (and calm) for the entire match from start to finish. No one said it will be easy. But it’s possible, and that’s a good place to start.
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Great report Andy. How do you do it?
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An informed and appreciative audience moves even me out of bed in the morning Shard. Midweek games and getting home at 1.30 is a bit of a bugger though.
(sad violin sounds in background)
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Oh cry me a river! I can’t imagine how tough it must be to go to a European semi final and get home at 1.30..It’s not like I have to stay up till 2.30 to watch the game.
(Banned smiley)
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Andy, having highlighting the horror show against Munchen and the consistent big errors since I’m trying to go easy on Mustafi!
If another senior CB not distracted and struggling with by his own injuries comes in next year then he may settle down and put a good run together, as he did with a fitter stronger LK earlier on, last season I think.
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No need to discuss the opening goal in the league cup final!
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I hardly think Mustafi can be blamed for slipping over at the wrong time. He was there on the line and probably would have cleared that ball but for the slip. It seems to be our karma that any slight error is severely punished e.g. Ospina made the first save, but the ball that could have gone anywhere rebounds to the prolific Griezmann, then Mustafi slips over while trying to cover the goal line. It’s just one of those things and probably better for the blood pressure to just accept that sometimes these things happen.
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Fins: Thanks for pointing out that in that sequence the typically brilliant Monreal was hobbled and out of position leaving Kozzer 1 v 1 with Griezeman. I am not buying the narrative that somehow it was a typical defensive cock-up by Arsenal. Shit happens and it started with Danny making the decision to go inside rather than heading for the byline and outrun his marker as he did most of the night. Arsenal defended very well, with Atleti having only 5 shots on target all night, while being offensively effective in going for that 2nd goal. Thank you Arsene and Arsenal for proving Shakespeare right:
“Cowards die many times before their death.”
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AndyNic working the graveyard shift after a an evening on the lash. Trust me has a few before a game.
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Great post Andy, oh and Shotts the foul on Danny was right in front of me and a definite foul but once the ref had sent someone off he thought he couldn’t call fouls against them and there was so many synical fouls and sly trips that he and the mass officials missed.
Since Athletico had their birth amongst the Basque section of Spain it must be difficult to see Barca play such beautiful football and their team play such an cheating Italian style with every trick in the book used.
For those who want their manager to come to us, I would warn them watching that every week will bore the pants off you.
I’ve done my time with 1-0s and slow slow quick slow, give me the odd defensive mistake and beautiful football anyday.
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Now this is a ‘slip’;
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Shotta
I am barely coherent and legible on a good day never mind the morning after!
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‘I think the interesting thing last night was Atleti were quite happy to settle for a 0-1 defeat. They did nothing in the second half at all to press for an equaliser, and it was only through a bizarre set of circumstances that Greizmann got his chance.’
Yep. I was surprised by that. Think it led to me unconsciously letting my guard down. I’d have found it hard to believe they would pose that little threat, even with ten, and especially that their game didn’t seem to reflect how massive an away goal would be for them.
On reflection, it came just when our threat had tailed off for 5-10 mins, as it did at the end of the first half when they looked more comfortable and had the two chances.
The second time they hadn’t come forward and posed threat in the dip, but it may have been influential in that moment coming about.
The fecking drama of the thing, the small margins, luck, ach.
Smallest margin for me is probably Kos’ fitness now. It was a tricky ball, tricky bounce, Griezzman did his bit leaning in cleverly to make it hard.
It felt like the difference was just a couple of percent in terms of sharpness, flexibility, speed of mind and body- something like that, something physical. That’s what time and injury have taken from Kos, who otherwise had a good game, a little which in the wrong circumstances can be a lot, and it felt like the moment, with improbable cruelty, just had to go and bloody go there.
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The BBC, dear old Aunty Bleeb, they have a headline:
“Draw worst possible result for Arsenal”
It’s pure Partridge! Properly funny. The writer was undoubtely gurning in front of a full length mirror whilst gyrating in his leather undies.
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Andy,
Many thanks for this, especially the question, “What does it all ‘mean,’ though?”
The one thing that’s struck me in the aftermath of last evening’s match is the inability of so many to take it on its own merits. The widespread response is to lump this one into the broad narrative without any thought about (a) whether this one fits or (b) whether the broad narrative is meaningful anyway.
My answer to both is no.
Sure, we’ve seen Arsenal matches in which we dominate the play and come away with disappointing results. But if you construct the analysis that vaguely, you can find its application everywhere. It tells us next to nothing about last night. This was a very good performance, in which intensity, skill, speed, and decisions were at a high level against a top, experienced opponent.
If fans can’t appreciate that, I’m not sure why they’re involved. Is the attraction of agreeing with the popular narrative that strong?
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At the risk of starting a riot I did not mind Mr Turpin last night. Kept up with play, right in the players faces if he wanted a word. He was even handed in ignoring what may have been ever so slightly exaggerated contact (us) or downright diving and cheating (them). 100% correct red card and the player was an idiot who dropped his mates right in it. He took zero shit from Simeone or his chubby Sinola-cartel sponsored replacement so another tick there. My only gripe was his lack of time added on as 3 minutes was about five minutes short.
I assume we have him in the second leg ?
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Fins, they’ve prob just taken the words used by Wenger and removed context
“Looking at the performance and the way the game went, it was the worst possible result for us, but we have to go there in a positive mood and qualify over there.”
He’s saying, I think, a draw is the worst result we could have had on night given how game went.
I’ve only read the one match report- from an interchangeable, newer generation berk at Independent, Telegraph or something- and found it remarkable how little of the game it captured.
Feels like number one duty and challenge of sportswriter should be to produce report which matches as closely as possible the main feel of the event as well as the main actions; with the bigger and better the event more it deserves a big effort.
The report was flat, boring, dreary, and captured next to nothing of how it went and felt.
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I recently read a series of essays by American commentator Michael Novak. It’s called The Joy of Sports and is problematic in many respects. But he’s dead right in his view (starting in the 1970s) that sportswriters have failed to perform their one primary responsibility–to describe the contests themselves with accuracy.
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anicoll
I think he’s very good. Spot on with the huge calls, including our pen that wasn’t. Great strength to resist their attempts to get our players booked.
I do think it cost us after the main drama in that he turned down almost every one of our maybe’s, and gave a fair few of theirs. Really not sure he ignored many definite’s for us though, including the Welbeck one before the goal.
Think I can accept that as a natural thing when you have made huge early decisions against a team, even when they were right.
The one call I thought completely awful all night was a minor one- when Godin so obviously stopped in his tracks, scooted back even and on the most minor contact jumped over. It was telegraphed a mile away and I love to see refs get them right, though they almost never do (making the mustafi cup final one a little extra painful as refs normally play it safe on those with the consequences being so outsized).
Still, though, a human decision.
The criticism of him did make me question my impression he is very good, but those doubts are dispelled when thinking what it would mean for us to have a ref like him in the league.
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This is going to sound negative, but it isn’t meant to be. Knowing what we do about this Arsenal side, I feel more confident going there with nothing to defend.
A European tie isn’t just about counting goals; each leg has its own pressures. We’ve all seen this AFC side become very inhibited in away matches when we’ve scored an early goal, and in that vein I think a lead would have forced us into a style/mentality that doesn’t suit us.
As it is we can approach it to any other match, with expectation off our shoulders, but knowing that a score draw above 1-1 sees us through. .
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900ftgooner and Seebs: Both of you guys have stuck a chord. If we can’t appreciate a very good game of football by the team we support, and simply emphasize the occasional negatives then there is no point to supporting Wenger and his absolute commitment to an attractive way of playing. In my opinion fans want attractive football but refuse to accept that it may mean not getting the results we desire. Fans inability to reconcile these contradictions is partially the reason why we are where we are. This contradiction will not go away in the short-to medium term as we are unable to compete for the very best players as several much bigger clubs able able to outspend us. The alternative is playing boring defensive football or Kroenke selling up to an oligarch who makes us his/her vanity project.
Andy: Got to disagree with you about the ref. He turned into a bottler after making those two absolutely correct big calls in the first 10 mins to send the Atleti player off. Despite sending Simeone to the stands for his verbal volleys to the officials it seemed to me he was intimidated by Atleti’s behavior; both players and officials. (BTW what Simeone and company did is pretty standard in all professional sports when you want to intimidate a referee who makes big calls against you.) His body language was like “Oh shit, I may get in trouble” if I give any more big decisions in favor of Arsenal. The next 75 minutes he stopped punishing the Spaniards for using illegal means to stop our attacking play. Ramsey and Ozil in particular were being hacked, pummeled, tripped and pushed and he would not even award a foul. Bottler!
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Paul Vaessen
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so its utd away on Sunday, should we rest our entire starting 11 for the EL semi second leg, I think we should
cech
chambers Mavrapanos, Holding Kolasinac
AMN Willock DaSilva
Iwobi, Mkhitaryan Nketiah
Aubameyang
subs Macey, Osei-tutu, Mertesacker, Bola, Gilmour, Dragomir, Fortune
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Ed
Was about to agree until I spotted that’s a 4-3-3-1 formation.
I’d press button on something like that lineup now if could, and even be excited to see how youth fared.
But, I’ll admit, I’d then find it tough going if we got battered.
Still, though, the tough choice of opening ourselves to possibility of a heavy defeat is surely justified, and any bad reactions in event of it would just be one of those things or in many cases bullshit.
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Arsenal FCVerified account @Arsenal
34m34 minutes ago
Here’s how #AFCU18 line up for tonight’s first leg…
Virginia, Daley-Campbell, Ballard (c), Medley, Thompson, Burton, Smith, Olayinka, Smith Rowe, Amaechi, John-Jules
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our u18’s are struggling badly in the early stages of the final tonight, really should be couple of goals down already, only 7 minutes in
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yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss Amaechi with a fine dinked finish 1-0 to the Arsenal
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seemingly Simeone has got a 5 game ban for his actions last night
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HT: Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal
Amaechi with a great goal to give our U18’s the lead, him and Smith-Rowe been our attacking force so far, Ballard and Medely solid at CB, Virginia good in goal.
We could have been 2 or 3 behind in the early exchanges, but once we settled we have given as good as we’ve got and now have the lead. Hopefully we can build on it
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smith-rowe plays a bit like chris waddle used to
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Stuart MacFarlane
@Stuart_PhotoAFC
The ITV4 love-in with Chelsea in the Youth Cup is embarrassing. Believe it or not there are two teams playing in this game.
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smith-rowe off, he was taken out of it about ten minutes ago, ref looked like he was about to book the cfc player, but changed his mind
trae coyle on.
ben smith now hobbling
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we’ve got a cfc ref here tonight
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its 1-1 now, lad was offside in build up but not given.
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