Report: Legia Warsaw 5-6 Arsenal
Arsenal survived an eventful end to their preseason as they won a 6-5 thriller after enduring a torrid start in Poland on Saturday.
The Gunners were down 3-1 at half-time in their final pre-season game ahead of the Premier League opener against Liverpool next week but staged a second-half comeback to win.
A cracking long-range strike from Cabral gave the hosts the lead early on before Fabianski was caught flapping as Arsenal failed to clear a corner and Koscielny bundled the ball into his own net to put Legia 2-0 up.
Within 35 minutes, the Polish giants were mounting a thrashing as yet another slack defensive scene in Arsenal’s area saw Jedrzejczyk extend their lead to 3-0.
But Wenger’s men pulled a goal back just before the break thanks to Chamakh who battled to head home Nasri’s cross.
There was more encouragement in the second-half as Fabianski’s replacement Szczesney made a stunning double-save to deny Legia another goal.
And moments later, substitute Emmanuel Eboue creeped a header home off Vela’s delivery to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Ivorian – who had replaced Walcott – then heroically completed the comeback with another goal after 61 minutes before Kierran Gibbs scored to give Arsenal a 4-3 lead seconds later.
With 15 minutes to go, the hosts somehow leveled matters at 4-4 as Arsenal’s defense was caught napping again and Jedrzejczyk scored again.
But late goals from substitute Emmanuel-Thomas and Nasri restored the Gunners’ command before Iwamski netted yet another Legia goal to wrap up the score at 5-6.
Arsenal’s attacking prowess had made up for their defensive flaws, but this game gave more questions than answers.
1 Arsene Wenger should be replaced with sign some defenders!!!!! disgusted with the bunch of light weights that I have seen wearing the Arsenal shirt today. Clueless, absolutley clueless. Arsene Wenger has got a blind side these boys will never be man enough to take on and win against the top 10 teams in the premiership if they play like they have done in the last 3 pre-season games. Keep your money in your pocket Arsenal fans it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
It’s a joke….
It’s impossible defende like this.
Really does Wenger think that the defence doesn’t need some new faces?!
It’s a joke…
What a joke! We cannot defend to save a child’s life!
theres time we need a keeper if dont nxt wengers going to france
Its a bit like a FAWLTY TOWERS sketch…..I SAID I WANT A COMMANDING TALL GOALIE AND A TALL COMMANDING CENTRE HALF !!! ARE YOU FCUCKING LSTINENG WAKE THE FCUK UP AT THE BACK,
fck u wenger we dnt want to see it every week
Like I have been saying all summer. This defensive unit is a joke. This, by the way is not a knee-jerk reaction. It is something that should be obvious to everyone, and should have been sorted by the manager long before now, but no, Wenger will not spend the money and is still running the club on the cheap.
Was it not Wenger that said the defence was a priority after conceding 41 goals in the Premiership last season, and still we wait, well I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.
SHAMBLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not that i disagree that the defence needs strenghtening,but the fact is that it’s not like quality defenders are sitting on supermarket shelves waiting to be purchased.And clubs are not waiting to offload their best defenders,just because Arsenal may want to purchase them.I am confident that in due course we will get the needed defensive reinforcement.
Defense was shocking. all except the first goal should have been prevented. Flappyhandski should never play for us again. Koscielny looks weak and I can not believe we have paid £10m for him. Going forward looks better. Nasri looks the part, even Vela looks like he has finally woken up. I can see us shipping more goals than ever.
Denton
Chill out for craps sake, what is with you people it’s pre-season!!!!!
Better still you and those other anti Arsenal muppets need to go and support another club.
Arsenal and Arsene forever!!!!!!!!!
Shut up kids. Chelsea lost their last three matches in pre season but their fans know that pre season doesn’t give a very accurate indicator of things because players are reluctant to bust a gut before the season starts. We were also playing away. I am not making excuses for some appalling defending but one does not deal with this problem by slashing ones wrists.
Not buying experienced Keeper & Centre Back makes Wenger nothing short of neglectful !!
Do you have or know of an experienced Keeper & Centre Back who may be AVAILABLE for sale ?
Absolutely appalling. Yes, we did very well to come back but we shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. Fabianski is shit, but then we all knew that; Koscielny was very suspect, and our midfield tracking was embarrassing. Unless Wenger can bring in a couple of defensive players, including a goalkeeper, before the window closes, then I’m afraid this season will have a familiar ring to it.
Wenger is a joke. All summer (and even the previous one)to sort out what is obvious to even a novice football follower. We need a GK, CH and DM but our fool of a manager has done nothing. Still he had a nice 4 week break in SA. The longer this idiot remains in charge the worse we will get.
People need to calm down and grow a pair of bollockz. Arsene Wenger is a fantastic manager who has more football knowledge in his big toe than most people commenting. If people are calling for him to sacked then they should be SHOT.
hahahaha. Still the wenger worshippers come out with same old rubbish. “Go and support someone else” “its only a friendly” “Arsene knows”. Some of us take pride in AFC while those muppets just worship Wenger. No wonder the idiot gets away with being such an appalling manager with no tactical nous or any idea in how to deal with weaknesses in the squad.
Szczesny is awesome.
It is obvious to the whole world that Fabianski will never be an averagely good kipper let alone world class, except to Wenger. His nonchalant attitude with regards to improving the squad will leave Arsenal in another catastrophe even before the season is well under way.Arsenal’s defence is absolutely pathetic, it is the worst defence an Arsenal side has produced ever. In life you either go up or go down if Wenger fails to deliver once again Arsenal would simply cement it’s reputation as an Academy and not a serious club. The problem with Arsenal is that Wenger is a dictator who nobody has the nerves to question. I love Arsenal and it makes me sad to know that with a little more quality we could win big, but the manager is adamant to stick with players who have no capacity of winning
Arsenal’s entire defense played that match (bar djorou)..pathetic, really. You can come back against Legia Warsaw but against Prem opposition, no bloody way!! I say out with the CHEQUEBOOK FOR F***S SAKE!!
VELA IS THE BEST
WHEN ARSENAL GO DOWN IN THE FIRST HALF 3-1, VELA COMES TO INTO THE 2ND TIME AND THEY WIN
ARSENAL, VELA HAVE TO PLAY!
1.we should stand by our team
2.we still need a good tall no nonsense defender
for me if i had chance i will go for ZAPATA udinese defender,god in the air,can play both legs,tall and strong
3.our overall play was not bad the way other make it out to look like.
4.one thing that gave me hope is that VELA,EBOUE,JAY THOMAS, are beginning to get involved.
5.fabianski..well am not sure about him,
6.scezny..i think if we are not going to get another goal keeper,is either we stick with almunia or give no1 shirt to scezny(sorry for not getting name right)
7.our defencive midfield looked wek today…which needs addressing
8.clichy,vermalen,kos,sagna need to be more focused.
9.we need to be ruthless in defence if we are going to win the league cos our forward play can beat anyteam but our defensive play was in all very very weak
10.PLS WENGER WE NEED ANOTHER GOALKEEPER AND ANOTHER CENTRAL DEFENDER.
As for the AKB crowd, this is not Arsene F.C!! The game was the clearest indicator of the current shambolic state of the squad..and you wonder why Cesc wants to jump ship!
Why are people talking shit?A host of our 1st team players are absent.We all know fabianski is shit,and wenger is only trying 2 make almunia sit tight with some competition.Anyway,we need dat CB badly.
We need a new defender like harry rednapp needs a hole in the head. I know its just pre-season but still were a week away and that is not good i’m all for giving Szczesney the start at Anfeild, hes been backed by Arsenal greats and considering are current goal keeping situation and being unable to secure a shor term experieenced goalie, i’d through him in the deep end.
On an attacking front it seemed positive however Van persie and fab should have been making this game there holiday was tooo long. Walcott should have done better today considering they played with a fairly high line.
It was a wonderful match, Legia i thought was a week team but they showed otherwise and showed our weakness. A lot of defensive mistakes one after the other, thats what u call comical defending.
It was a excellent game for our attackers, but once the ball fall in our box we where in trouble, not to say i did not see good tackles, but our response time was slow when there is a threat to our goal.
We wont be able to out score all the teams we play therefore our defense has to be more solid, better coordinated and quicken response time.
One or two defenders sure, but the co-ordination is not there and once we are under pressure in the defensive area it will continue show, to be tall and strong does not cut it if u not good in the air. Couple more days so lets see.
This was the last friendly before Liverpool next week. I expected better. That was our first choice defenders who let Legia Warsaw walk right through them. Song is out injured as well and it looks like Nasri will be playing in that role.
I know it isn’t easy to buy players, but for Christ’s sake, he has had all summer to nail down one. I can understand that he wanted to see if any of the keepers pulled off something unbelievable, but none of them did, so add a keeper to the list.
I have to say, I am pretty underwhelmed by this Arsenal team. I hope to be proved wrong.
MY TEAM FOR ANFIELD
Szczesney
SAGNA ZAPATA/KOS VERMANTOR CLICHY
FRIMPONG SONG
EBOUE NASRI ARSHAVIN
CHAMACK
SUB:VELA,WISHERE,WALCOT,DJOUROU,ROSICKY,JET
CESC ,V.PERSIE.,ALMUNIA
THIS IS OFCOURSE IF CESC AND V.PERSIE DONT START AT ANFIELD.
I think its wrong 2 blame flapianski.the person 2 blame is Arsene w-how on earth he has stuck 2 flapiasnki? AW is crazy
Everyone keeps saying we need a CB, WRONG!!!!
We NEEDED a CB long before now, and when we do eventually get one he is going to need at least a half dozen matches to bed in. When does the new season start, oh yeah!, next week. Laughable!
i dont get you guys…. did u really think arsehole winger was goin to buy good players this summer…
dont get me wrong im arsenal through nd through but whats the point getting up set…
wer let down year after year after year after year.
wer a selling club… will never be able to compete on or off the field. get used to it.
Wenger doesnt think we need to sign a goalkeeper.Is this man fit enough to manager our club anymore?.How many more mistakes does Flappy have to make? another 10 next season.Defensively we are a joke
I cannot understand in the first place why Wegner would take them on a long journey after last weekends hectic strenuous games – what was the purpose of that. In a place crampt up for at least six hour each way. No owne hey look jaded. All this before Liverpool next week it seems again with a team of half reserves. Look like last year and the year before and the year before again. I have supported the Manager but I am having second thots. Is there a bright young guy somewhere with fresh ideas.
no worry from me to this team. One more player in defenders and I know in my heart and my mind that we will beat barca and r.madrid to be la liga number one team. We are close always but now we are more close and I know it can happen in my heart and in my mind. Please stay with this team and with me and together we will hold la liga title in the air next year. X x to all arsenal fans from number one arsenal fan in my neighbourhood. We can do it more close than ever. I know it in my heart and in my mind.
ARSENE IS THE ONE THAT NEED TO TOUGHEN UP, CAUSE ARSENAL WAS NOT EVEN PLAYING IN THE FIRST HALF AND GIBBS WAS DOING A MIDFIELDERS JOB. VICTOR MANNONE IS YOUR FIRST CHOICE KEEPER AND YOUR TEAM IS TOO SOFT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MIDFIELD. DROGBA, ROONY, TEVEZ AND TIM CAHILL WILL KILL YOUR SIDE CAUSE THE ONLY IMPROVEMENT THAT YOU MADE WAS WITH MAROUANE CHAMAKH, HE IS BETTER THEN BENDNER AND VAN PERSIE.
Despite letting in 5 goals due to some slack defending, Arsenal showed character to win this match. Some of the negative comments are understandable but mostly overreaction and blown out of proportion. Usually pre-season friendlies are meant for fine tuning and trying out players combination. We didn’t play with most of our 1st choice players so as to give some reserve players a chance to prove themselves on the pitch. Have faith in our team or might as well go and support other club.
THIS WAS THE WAY ARSENAL PLAYED THE WHOLE OF LAST SEASON.
I have just watched the Charity and I am scared. having watched all the preseason games. the Injured guys and the World Cup heroes will need to pull something out that we have not seen yet. Anyway why are those guys injured thot they came back OK then we hear they have problems ???? We need to pray and keep our fingers crossed next Sunday