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Played
October 20, 2011 12:15 AM IST
Stade Vélodrome — Marseille
Referee: D. Skomina
Attendance: 33258
October 20, 2011 12:15 AM IST
Stade Vélodrome — Marseille
Referee: D. Skomina
Attendance: 33258
Top of the Match
Laurent Koscielny
Arsenal
Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny
Arsenal
Arsenal
Flop of the Match
César Azpilicueta Tanco
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Johan Djourou
Arsenal
Arsenal
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Olympique de Marseille 0-1 Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey Snatches Late Winner For The Gunners
There was to be little excitement at Stade Velodrome, though the Gunners can be delighted with their victory
By Robin Bairner, Goal.com
Getty Images
Arsenal moved top of Champions League Group F, and they can consider their 1-0 victory over Marseille at Stade Velodrome as a competent European performance.
An uninspiring 90 minutes were up by the time Aaron Ramsey was given acres of space on the edge of the box to drive home the game's only goal.
The first half was a largely evenly balanced affair, which was often played at a surprisingly high tempo from both teams, but it would be littered with technical errors, as would the match as a whole.
It was the Gunners who came closest to scoring when Robin van Persie had a header cleared from the line by Souleymane Diawara following a corner kick that caused the hosts real panic, but it was OM who created the greater volume of chances.
In the early stages of the game, Didier Deschamps’ men were restricted to long range efforts, though by the interval they had fashioned two fine openings. Loic Remy’s persistence down the left channel saw him get the better of Per Mertesacker, but his final effort was deflected wide by Carl Jenkinson. Five minutes later, a Mathieu Valbuena cross was prodded just wide by the largely anonymous Lucho Gonzalez.
After the interval, the Premier League side took a firmer grip on proceedings and started to dominate possession. Too often their passing around the box was sluggish or simply inaccurate, though Marseille’s defence stood up largely well to the threat of the London side.
A terrible error from Nicolas Nkoulou was the exception to this rule, as it released Theo Walcott in the box. Having spurned several good crossing opportunities early in the match, the England international was found wanting in front of goal, with his effort kicked clear by Steve Mandanda.
Even the intermittent threat that Marseille displayed in the first half disappeared following the interval. Remy was left isolated for long periods, while Arsenal’s defence managed to crowd out the likes of Valbuena and Andre Ayew.
It was Arsenal who finished the match stronger, and if there was to be a winner, it deserved to come from the English side, and right at the death Van Persie nearly snatched it, though he was denied by Mandanda.
Both teams will probably be satisfied with a point, given that they occupy the top two spots in Group F at the halfway point at this stage of the competition, with OM still two marks clear of the Gunners.
This clash was instantly forgettable, but both sides will cherish the point they won.The first half was a largely evenly balanced affair, which was often played at a surprisingly high tempo from both teams, but it would be littered with technical errors, as would the match as a whole.
It was the Gunners who came closest to scoring when Robin van Persie had a header cleared from the line by Souleymane Diawara following a corner kick that caused the hosts real panic, but it was OM who created the greater volume of chances.
In the early stages of the game, Didier Deschamps’ men were restricted to long range efforts, though by the interval they had fashioned two fine openings. Loic Remy’s persistence down the left channel saw him get the better of Per Mertesacker, but his final effort was deflected wide by Carl Jenkinson. Five minutes later, a Mathieu Valbuena cross was prodded just wide by the largely anonymous Lucho Gonzalez.
After the interval, the Premier League side took a firmer grip on proceedings and started to dominate possession. Too often their passing around the box was sluggish or simply inaccurate, though Marseille’s defence stood up largely well to the threat of the London side.
A terrible error from Nicolas Nkoulou was the exception to this rule, as it released Theo Walcott in the box. Having spurned several good crossing opportunities early in the match, the England international was found wanting in front of goal, with his effort kicked clear by Steve Mandanda.
Even the intermittent threat that Marseille displayed in the first half disappeared following the interval. Remy was left isolated for long periods, while Arsenal’s defence managed to crowd out the likes of Valbuena and Andre Ayew.
It was Arsenal who finished the match stronger, and in the closing 10 minutes they carved open a handful of openings before Ramsey was finally left to crack the winner.
Given the impotence of Marseille, it was hard to argue that Arsene Wenger’s men were deserving winners of this encounter, and now head into their final three group matches one point clear of the French side, whose lack of ambition after the interval merited their defeat.
An uninspiring 90 minutes were up by the time Aaron Ramsey was given acres of space on the edge of the box to drive home the game's only goal.
The first half was a largely evenly balanced affair, which was often played at a surprisingly high tempo from both teams, but it would be littered with technical errors, as would the match as a whole.
It was the Gunners who came closest to scoring when Robin van Persie had a header cleared from the line by Souleymane Diawara following a corner kick that caused the hosts real panic, but it was OM who created the greater volume of chances.
In the early stages of the game, Didier Deschamps’ men were restricted to long range efforts, though by the interval they had fashioned two fine openings. Loic Remy’s persistence down the left channel saw him get the better of Per Mertesacker, but his final effort was deflected wide by Carl Jenkinson. Five minutes later, a Mathieu Valbuena cross was prodded just wide by the largely anonymous Lucho Gonzalez.
After the interval, the Premier League side took a firmer grip on proceedings and started to dominate possession. Too often their passing around the box was sluggish or simply inaccurate, though Marseille’s defence stood up largely well to the threat of the London side.
A terrible error from Nicolas Nkoulou was the exception to this rule, as it released Theo Walcott in the box. Having spurned several good crossing opportunities early in the match, the England international was found wanting in front of goal, with his effort kicked clear by Steve Mandanda.
Even the intermittent threat that Marseille displayed in the first half disappeared following the interval. Remy was left isolated for long periods, while Arsenal’s defence managed to crowd out the likes of Valbuena and Andre Ayew.
It was Arsenal who finished the match stronger, and if there was to be a winner, it deserved to come from the English side, and right at the death Van Persie nearly snatched it, though he was denied by Mandanda.
Both teams will probably be satisfied with a point, given that they occupy the top two spots in Group F at the halfway point at this stage of the competition, with OM still two marks clear of the Gunners.
This clash was instantly forgettable, but both sides will cherish the point they won.The first half was a largely evenly balanced affair, which was often played at a surprisingly high tempo from both teams, but it would be littered with technical errors, as would the match as a whole.
It was the Gunners who came closest to scoring when Robin van Persie had a header cleared from the line by Souleymane Diawara following a corner kick that caused the hosts real panic, but it was OM who created the greater volume of chances.
In the early stages of the game, Didier Deschamps’ men were restricted to long range efforts, though by the interval they had fashioned two fine openings. Loic Remy’s persistence down the left channel saw him get the better of Per Mertesacker, but his final effort was deflected wide by Carl Jenkinson. Five minutes later, a Mathieu Valbuena cross was prodded just wide by the largely anonymous Lucho Gonzalez.
After the interval, the Premier League side took a firmer grip on proceedings and started to dominate possession. Too often their passing around the box was sluggish or simply inaccurate, though Marseille’s defence stood up largely well to the threat of the London side.
A terrible error from Nicolas Nkoulou was the exception to this rule, as it released Theo Walcott in the box. Having spurned several good crossing opportunities early in the match, the England international was found wanting in front of goal, with his effort kicked clear by Steve Mandanda.
Even the intermittent threat that Marseille displayed in the first half disappeared following the interval. Remy was left isolated for long periods, while Arsenal’s defence managed to crowd out the likes of Valbuena and Andre Ayew.
It was Arsenal who finished the match stronger, and in the closing 10 minutes they carved open a handful of openings before Ramsey was finally left to crack the winner.
Given the impotence of Marseille, it was hard to argue that Arsene Wenger’s men were deserving winners of this encounter, and now head into their final three group matches one point clear of the French side, whose lack of ambition after the interval merited their defeat.
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking- Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lionel Messi
Striker Barcelona |
14 | 4 |
|
Mario Gomez
Striker FC Bayern München |
13 | 0 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker Real Madrid |
10 | 2 |
|
Karim Benzema
Striker Real Madrid |
7 | 0 |
|
Didier Drogba
Striker Chelsea |
6 | 0 |