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(Arsenal – Molde 4-1) Martin Ellingsen (25) shook Arsenal with a cannon, but his teammates went their separate ways on their own field. So it became impossible for Molde to score points against Arsenal.
The Europa League match at the Emirates in London ended with a comfortable and well-deserved victory for the hosts. Both in 1-1 and 3-1, they took advantage of the pure attacking errors of Molde and learned that they go quickly to the opposite yard in European football.
– We have too much pressure in the second half, and they get too much space and create too much. But he stops and leans a bit, at 2-1 we should score with a good chance. When we have 3-1 to the face, it gets heavy on the outside. We will be the number too small in the second half, Erling Moe tells VG at the post-match digital press conference.
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But in the opening, last year’s Norwegian champion was bitten. They dared to push hard, the safe midfield on the ball with Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Fredrik Aursnes, Martin Ellingsen, Etzaz Hussain combined well in the middle and defensively closed the backs of Arsenal when the home team was looking for a wide offense.
And then Magnus Wolff Eikrem has eyes on his neck. At least it looked like this after the break in the first half: Stian Gregersen won their duel in midfield and led a play by Bernd Leno in the Arsenal half. Molde’s teacher received the ball, but played it more on the first touch to a serious Martin Ellingsen.
Elverumsingen advanced, aimed for the far corner and swept 1-0 behind a confused Leno. Until then, Arsenal had hardly been a threat to Erling Moe’s team.
– It was good to see. This is the kind of game that is needed to checkmate these teams. It shows that we were involved, describes Moe, who, like Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, had a full point pot prior to the start in London.
– For both of us it was important to win to lead the group, and today we have convinced with victory. Molde impressed me, but there are three games left, says Arteta when he has taken the podium of the conference from his Norwegian colleague.
For VG, the Arsenal manager denies having underestimated Molde, despite all the changes in the first student and the fact that the Norwegians took the lead.
– Absolutely not, replies Arteta.
– We dominated from the beginning, and I don’t want to say that we underestimate them at all. We have to use the squad we have, and I think the way we lined up showed that we take them seriously, says the Spaniard.
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At least he saw his own team take over after Ellingsen’s shot. It took time, but Arsenal got closer and closer to the dangers ahead of Andreas Linde in the Molde goal. First, Edward Nketiah put the ball into goal, but was sacked for offside. Then Ohi Omoijuanfo was able to double the lead, but the Molde forward’s attempt with his left to the short corner was blocked by Leno.
And precisely this corner is still so fatal for Molde. The Blues advanced all the threats and exposed themselves from behind, despite being in overtime in the first half. Arsenal took control of the ball, accelerated and swept in the opposite 16 meters. Nketiah’s post was slipped into his own goal by a desperate Kristoffer Haugen, and the draw wasn’t the only draw Molde should have thrown in midfield.
COLD LONDON! In an attempt to clear the ball, Molde defender Kristoffer Haugen was overly eager and swept it into his own net. He gave 1-1 for Arsenal and Joe Willock just before the break. Behind Martin Bjørnbak and Molde goalkeeper Andreas Linde. Photo: TOBY MELVILLE / X90004
The national team’s selected cliff stopper, Stian Gregersen, also had to retire during halftime due to injury.
– Has a sensation in the back of the thigh. What seriously I have not talked so much with him. I don’t think he pulled it hard, but enough that he had to change, says Erling Moe at the press conference. He agreed that the corner should have been resolved differently.
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Sheriff Sinyan, Gregersen’s replacement, participated in what would be a defensive battle against superior forces. Molde lasted a quarter of an hour, and at that point he had been lucky with a wide soccer foul from Arsenal Serb Sead Kolasinac on an open arc after getting a chance after a weak boxing from Linde.
But after 62 minutes it broke. Kristoffer Haugen apparently had little juice left in his legs and was unable to ward off Granit Xhaka’s kipp pass. Instead, Joe Willock was able to hit a post in front of goal, and there Sinyan managed nothing more than to sweep the ball into his own net. Thus, two goals in own by the Molde had become 1-0 to 1-2.
At 3-1, history repeated itself from 1-1: Molde really had the ball in attack. This time substitute Erling Knudtzon made a mistake, Arsenal took over the ball and a quick combination between Nketiah, substitute Bukayo Saka and Pepe was a new ball behind Linde. Just before the end, Joe Willock moved up to fourth place.
Erling Moe believes Molde needs at least four more points to advance. With two home games to go, Arsenal and Dundalk on the artificial turf at Aker Stadium, it is by no means impossible to achieve. VG throws a draw against Arsenal and victory against Dundalk, the Irish club that Molde lost in the opening match:
– It all depends on how it goes in the other games. Everything we can take with us helps, but it is possible that we will become dependent on scoring points against Arsenal, yes, says the Molde coach.
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