Defeat at home (1-2) for the Seville team, which complicates their future in the Champions League
MADRID, 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Sevilla FC lost this Tuesday in their stadium 1-2 against Arsenal FC, thanks to conceding a goal from Gabriel Martinelli and another from Gabriel Jesus, and remained without winning in the 2023/24 Champions League, complicating their future within from a Group B where it only has two points after three games already played.
The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium hosted an incredible duel, against one of the fittest teams on the ‘Old Continent’. Spanish coach Mikel Arteta has been climbing the ranks at Arsenal for several years, a club that once aspired to reign in Europe under the designs of Arsène Wenger.
In fact, the French coach was still the head of the bench the last time the Gunners stepped foot at the Pizjuán, in a duel played on November 27, 2007. But both have changed a lot since then, as Sevilla has settled between European nobility and Arsenal is still back at the height of international football.
Of course, the dynamics of the two teams this season now invited a tough game for the Seville team. And this was evident in the opening minutes, with two approaches by Takehiro Tomiyasu without aim in his shot. These efforts by the Japanese left-back gave flexibility to the 4-3-3 formation that Arteta had arranged to counteract the plans of Diego Alonso, who had recently arrived on the Sevilla bench.
After a notable debut in LaLiga EA Sports, drawing (1-1) with Real Madrid, the validation for the Uruguayan coach came quickly with this appointment. Tomiyasu’s two scares did not get worse and the Andalusian team responded through Lucas Ocampos, with an outside shot from the center of Jesús Navas, which went wide.
However, and although Marcos Acuña also appeared deep on the left, Sevilla’s wings could not find the reference of Youssef En-Nesyri at the top of the attack. Ocampos himself and Dodi Lukébakio, without gunpowder, expressed in their flesh the weak points against an Arsenal that began to warn seriously.
Midway through the first half, Gabriel Jesus controlled a three-quarter line and assisted his namesake Martinelli from below, who ran in front of Orjan Nyland; However, the Norwegian goalkeeper was quick to come out and thwarted the one-on-one, when the Pizjuán stands were already hoping for a goal from the London team.
Before the break, Ocampos finally connected with En-Nesyri in the danger zone; The Moroccan striker broke away from his marker in the area and shot with his left foot, but too cross. With the locals focused on the goal defended by David Raya, once again a fleeting connection between Arsenal’s Gabrieles bore fruit for the 0-1 in added time.
In a counterattack, Jesus tamed the ball in his own half and turned around, dribbling past two opponents to immediately move into the gap. Martinelli ran alone and without regard, leaving behind an out of place Sergio Ramos, and once again found himself in a duel with Nyland; but the Norwegian could do little to intimidate, as the visiting ’11’ got around the goalkeeper well and pushed into an empty goal.
That stunned Sevilla, whose time in the locker room found no remedy. Jesus had a high shot in the first minutes, as a prelude to the 0-2 scoreline scored by himself (53′). His teammate Declan Rice forged an attack on the left side and gave the ball to the Brazilian attacker, who retreated from the baseline while getting in front of a defender.
DAVID RAYA KEEPS THE LOCALS AT BAY
At the right moment, Jesus located the ball to execute a right hand to the post and against which Nyland found himself defenseless. A great goal that could have depressed Alonso’s pupils, but Pizjuán continued pushing. A few minutes later, on a corner kick taken by Ivan Rakitic, Nemanja Gudelj jumped behind Ben White to head in the 1-2 score that gave hope.
Arteta tried to stop Sevilla’s reaction with a couple of changes, but the final attack was close to an epic tie. Mariano Díaz even hit the crossbar with a shot, although the action was invalidated because he had controlled the ball with one arm. And already in stoppage time Raya appeared to sustain the ‘Gunner’ victory.
The Spanish goalkeeper first deflected a shot from En-Nesyri into a corner and then threatened another shot from Ocampos, who did not hone his sights. There the game died, with Sevilla stumbling and reaping a painful defeat, now remaining with two points in third place in the group. For its part, the English club reached six points and became the leader.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SEVILLA FC, 1 – ARSENAL, 2 (0-1, at halftime).
–ALIGNMENTS.
SEVILLE FC: Nyland; Navas (Juan, min.79), Ramos, Gudelj, Coin; Soumare, Horse (Mariano, min.57), Rakitic; Ocampos, Lukebakio (Lamela, min.57) and En-Nesyri.
ARSENAL: Stripe; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Thomas; Jorginho, Odegaard (Havertz, min.73), Rice; Saka (Trossard, 81 minutes), Gabriel Jesus (Nketiah, 81 minutes) and Martinelli (Kiwior, 90+1 minutes).
–GOALS.
0-1, min. 45+4: Martinelli.
0-2, min.53: Gabriel Jesus.
1-2, min.58: Gudelj.
–REFEREE: Glenn Nyberg (SUE). He yellow carded Mariano (min.67) and Lamela (min.76) at Sevilla, and Jorginho (min.68) at Arsenal.
–STADIUM: Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.