Arsenal and Marseille Duel to a Goalless Draw in UEFA Champions League

Arsenal attained their benchmark of four points from the two games with Olympic de Marseille, when the two teams battled to a goalless draw at the Emirates in continuation of the UEFA Champions League group matches. This, though, was not enough to seal qualification for them to the knockout stage of the competition.

Having been on the wrong side of the one-nil result in the first leg of the two encounters at the Stade Velodrome, and needing a win to regain command of Group F, Marseille had an unambiguous game plan and intention from the opening whistle: attack, attack and attack; get the early goal.  

To make this happen, they needed to quickly close down the midfield and win back possession in Arsenal's own half, and this they did in the early goings. The strategy nearly paid off in the fifth minute when Andre Ayew sliced wide inside the Arsenal goal area.

Moments later, Jordan Ayew blasted over the bar, and a few minutes afterwards, in what would become Marseille's best chance of the game, Loïc Rémy shot wide of Arsenal's goal after a good one-two with Mathieu Valbuena.

From the ninth minute, though, Arsenal took control of the game, creating, from then on, wave on wave of chances, but that final pass refused to come. Steve Mandanda—the Marseille captain and goalkeeper—did well to get a hand to Theo Walcott's goal-bound shot on ninth minute. Thereafter, Gervinho, Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta all missed gold-plaited chances.

Indeed Arsenal could have won the half with as many as three goals. But as it happened, they had to be content with their superior possession and the many chances they had created.

If the first leg of the match proved rather out of sorts and disjointed, here, both teams treated the fans to flashes of fine attacking football and some eye-catching free-flowing passing. Another factor that stood out, beside the fine attacking football that both side played, was Arsenal’s new found control and confidence in defense.

Carl Jenkinson and Andre Santos, at right and left back respectively, accounted themselves well, while centrally, Thomas Vermaelen's return added a sturdiness still missing at the back, despite the recent and steady improving partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.

 As for the fans, one would imagine that the pause for the fifteen-minute break only heightened the anticipation for the goals that the encounter promised. It wasn't, however, to be.

 Marseille came back with a new-found antidote for Arsenal's midfield dominant, so that the ensuing encounter on resumption proved rather guarded and cagey, and for the last quarter of the game, with the exception of intermittent but promising drives from the hosts, Marseille practically neutralized Arsenal's midfield potency.

Aaron Ramsey's troublesome runs and unnerving passes were contained. Indeed, Ramsey was not the same person that he had been in the first thirty minutes of the game.

It seems though that he picked up a knock somewhere within the first half. He eventually gave way in the 66^th minute to Tomas Rosicky, whose driving runs, while promising, were not enough to dent the determined Marseille defense.

The anticipation for the introduction of Robin Van Persie, who had been rested for the first half while Ju-young Park deputized for him, rose to a fever pitch.

His introduction in the 60^th minute, though, as in the case of Rosicky, was not enough to unlock the still determined Marseille back four, although late on, he served a delicious ball into the Marseille goal area that appeared destined for the head of one of the onrushing Arsenal players, but a Marseille defender averted the danger in the nick of time.

All in all, this was a well-fought match.

Arsenal fans should be encouraged by the new found solidity and steadiness in Arsenal’s defense, even if deep in the first half Wojciech  Szczęsny had contrived to perform a weird Danse Macabre,  and while this highlights his naivety and residual inexperience, it does, by the same token, accentuates his uncanny self-confidence, an element that should be abundant in a goalkeeper.

Furthermore, they can only be heartened by the team’s improving fluidity in the midfield. 

Moreover, although there is a tiny thread of disappointment underlining the outcome, the fact that Arsenal displayed none of the panicky demeanor—an element that has tended to derail them in the past even in winning situations— should indicate that perhaps that corner is steadily being turned.