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Neither Arsenal nor Benfica felt at home in Rome, but at least Mikel Arteta saw his team’s production count double. They deserved to come out with some kind of advantage and it was secured by a close-range goal from Bukayo Saka, who quickly tied it after Pizzi scored a penalty for Benfica early in the second half. However, there will be haunting concern that it should have been greater, and would have been had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not endured an unusually wasteful night.
The captain had ignited his season with a hat-trick against Leeds at the weekend and while that kind of contribution was long overdue, his travails have centered on the lack of opportunities rather than his ability to convert them.
Here, however, he had three and they included a nanny from the first half who should have offered a platform for laying functional opponents to bed. Instead, the tie remains finely balanced ahead of next week’s rematch in Athens, which will determine whether Arsenal will be haunted by Greek ghosts once again.
It was in last year’s home game against Olympiakos, whose stadium will host the second leg, that Aubameyang’s latest foul condemned Arsenal to a devastating exit at this stage of the Europa League. A repeat result would threaten to strip his current campaign of any real meaning, but that would have seemed clearly unlikely had he converted Héctor Bellerín’s cross in the 19th minute. The right-back had run past Benfica’s defense and left the ball. on a plate at seven yards; the only explanation may be that Aubameyang took his eye off him, and his side shot went off quite a bit when anyone would have expected the net to swell.
“These things happen,” Arteta said. “I was at the end of the biggest opportunities we had tonight. It was a real threat and he was unlucky enough not to score two or three, because under normal circumstances that would have been the case. “
Aubameyang’s other two sights came after Saka scored the leveler, briefly opening up a largely boring game. The toughest opportunity brought a narrowly drilled effort from 18 yards after Martin Ødegaard, whose delicately weighted passes were the night’s most enjoyable feature, had played it, but he certainly should have done better when a wonderful ball from Gabriel sent it off. 15 minutes away. time. Rather than take a clear shot with his left foot, he tried to control his right and was thwarted by debutant defender Verissimo. Moments later he was replaced by Nicolas Pépé; He was clearly in a bad mood and since he’s still picking up his pace after a forced absence due to his mother’s illness, it’s only fair to leave him a bit relaxed.
“It’s all to play for and I think we should be in a much better position,” Arteta said. “We weren’t ruthless enough in the opponents’ area and what was disappointing was also the way we conceded.”
Benfica’s advantage had barely been pointed out in the first half which, beyond his aberration as a starter, was turgid. Arsenal had controlled possession, but they rarely moved the ball fast enough; a heavy Benfica, whose defenders, including Nicolás Otamendi and Jan Vertonghen, were happy to play roulette with a high line and surprised their nominal visitors offside seven times before the break.
However, the pace picked up after they re-emerged, and when Diogo Goncalves crossed from a corner kick routine, Emile Smith Rowe jumped with arms outstretched at close range in a way that spelled trouble. The ball may have hit the torso before the limb, but that was inconclusive – in today’s ruthlessly pernicious weather, it was a spot-on kick, as confirmed by the VAR, and Pizzi dispatched with confidence.
Arteta outwardly was more concerned with the sloppy concession of the corner than with the why and why of the penalty. His players, at least, dusted themselves off in a way that pleased him. “It was a great reaction, a great goal,” he said.
Saka had dragged a decent opening wide before Smith Rowe’s misdemeanor, but immediately amended with a perfect cross from the left by Cédric Soares, who had been put in position by a pass from Ødegaard.
“He’s in a great moment, he’s full of confidence,” said Arteta de Saka, who has scored five times in his last 12 appearances. “His form is probably the highest since I’ve been here.”
Rafa Silva demanded a flying save from Bernd Leno after that, but a full-strength Arsenal, unchanged to their national lineup in an unprecedented Arteta decision, had no problems. Now they must expect the same to happen on Thursday.
