Arsenal progressed to the Europa League round of 16 despite losing 2-1 at home to Ostersunds of Sweden in the previous round. The Gunners won the first leg 3-0 and thus emerged aggregate 4-2 winners.
The reward for their qualification is a tie against Italian giant AC Milan. What used to be a big fixture in the Champions League is now the biggest tie of the round.
2 goals in 2 first half minutes stunned the Gunners on Thursday but Kolasinac halved the deficit for the night with a well taken goal. It was a poor display by the Gunners who opted to wear their blue away kit for the match.
All efforts to prevent a defeat at home for the Gunners yielded no positive result as the match ended 2-1 in favour of the visitors after missed chances from Welbeck and poor final thirds from Arsenal.
Wonder how Welbeck joined Arsenal – it is still a mystery how Wenger let other strikers go and kept him in North London.
The class against Milan will be the biggest for the Gunners in the competition. It would be their first true test in the quest to win the Europa League.
My best memory of AC Milan is the 2-0 win at San Siro to become the first English team to defeat Milan at home. Fabregas and Adebayor scored.
The sad memory is the 4-3 aggregate loss where we were 3-0 ahead in the first half but failed to get the 4th to equal the tie.
The Gunners play away first on March 8 with the return leg a week later.
For now, Manchester City stand in the way of the League Cup – the only English domestic trophy not in Wenger’s cabinet. Expect Ozil and Ramsey to feature.
Come on You Gunners
Photocredit: @ChrisWheatly_
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