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UEFA Champions League

Arsenal Draw AC Milan In the Round of 16 of the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

This is the only related picture. Sorry.

Finally, UEFA windbags have gotten on with the Round of 16 draw of the Champions League, and Arsenal have been paired with AC Milan. It's hardly the ideal draw, and although Arsenal avoided the toughest team, Napoli, they have gotten one of the tougher teams available. Milan, of course, are the defending Serie A champions, and are two points off the top this season, in 3rd. Arsenal haven't had gotten an easy draw so far this Champions League campaign, so it was somewhat inevitable that Arsenal would get one of the tougher teams.

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Olympiacos 3-1 Arsenal: Meh Except For Rage About Andre Santos Injury

WHY DID YOU BLOODY PLAY SANTOS

1-0 Djebbour 16'
2-0 David Fuster 36'
2-1 Benayoun 57'
3-1 Modesto 89'

Two goalkeeping mistakes and a pretty poor performance from an Arsenal experimental XI saw them lose their final match of the group stage of the Champions League. While the loss itself is annoying, more annoying was the decision to play Andre Santos and Thomas Vermaelen, especially when the former got injured.

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Olympiakos vs. Arsenal: match thread

Olympiakos Piraeus vs. Arsenal
2:45 PM EST Kickoff
Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, the port of Athens, Greece
TV Coverage: Fox Soccer Plus, foxsoccer.tv (for subscribers)
Form: Olym DWLWW | Arsenal WWDLW

Olympiakos welcome Arsenal to Greece for the final UEFA Champions League Group F match. The Greek side will be looking to win to hopefully find a spot in the knockout rounds, while Arsenal have already secured top spot in the group and will be playing a team of youth and squad players.

Feel free to comment on all the action below.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Djourou, Vermaelen, Squillaci, Santos, Frimpong, Coquelin, Benayoun, Arshavin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh.

Subs: Mannone, Miquel, Yennaris, Eastmond, Ozyakup, Rosicky, Park.

Don't ask me why Vermaelen and Santos are starting.

Olympiakos: Megyeri; Mellberg, Holebas, Papadopoulos, Marcano; Maniatis, Modesto; Torossidis, Fuster, Mirallas; Djebbour.

COME ON ARSENAL

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Olympiakos vs. Arsenal: match preview

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 28:  Andrey Arshavin of Arsenal takes on Ivan Marcano of Olympiacos during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal and Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on September 28, 2011 in London, England.  (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Olympiakos Piraeus vs. Arsenal
2:45 PM EST Kickoff
Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, the port of Athens, Greece
TV Coverage: Fox Soccer Plus, foxsoccer.tv (for subscribers)
Form: Olym DWLWW | Arsenal WWDLW

Arsenal will coast to their UEFA Champions League Group F conclusion tomorrow, having already secured the top finishing spot, when they visit Olympiakos in Greece. The Greek Superleague champions currently sit third in the group on six points, one behind Marseille, and two ahead of BvB Dortmund. Any one of those three could still qualify; if Marseille win at the Signal Iduna in Dortmund (a tough prospect), they will take second; if Dortmund win by a LOT (like seven) and Olympiakos draw or lose, BvB can still qualify. If Olympiakos win, they'll need BvB to keep Marseille from victory to make it through.

The fact that Arsenal have qualified with the top spot already allows them the same luxury they had two years ago in this exact same fixture; they can put out a squad of second-stringers and fringe players who need some tick and give them a chance to shine. Follow us after the jump to find out just who Arsène Wenger is flying over to the birthplace of Western Civilization.

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Arsenal 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: match report

Good evening.

1 - 0 Robin van Persie 49'
2 - 0 Robin van Persie 86'
2 - 1 Shinji Kagawa 92'

Arsenal defeated BvB Dortmund in today's Champions League group F match by a final of 2-1, and coupled with Olympiakos' win away at Marseille, they have won Group F outright, becoming the first English side to qualify for the knockout rounds this year. Two goals from Robin van Persie, along with some wonderful play from man of the match Alex Song, were enough to overcome a late Kagawa equalizer (which came from some horribly sloppy, lax play from Arsenal). This leaves the Gunners free to give some young players and reserves experience in the last match of the group against Olympiakos.

The Germans would be the first to generate some threat, Mario Goetze nearly playing Lewandowski through, Szczesny able to smother less than a minute into the game. Dortmund were pulling Arsenal's shape apart a little with their top-shelf pressing, but that didn't stop Andre Santos from making his way through the middle and nearly springing Robin van Persie, whose tame shot went well wide. Dortmund pressed well again, Song lost the ball, and Shinji Kagawa took a shot from 20 yards that was easily saved.

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Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund match thread

Vermaelen phase-shifts into another plane of existence.

Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund
The Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, Outside, 2:45 ET
TV: FSPlus, foxsoccer.tv for those who subscribe

This should be awesome. Strap in, feel free to comment on all the action below. Let's lolcats it up, peoples.

Lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3): Szczesny, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Walcott, Gervinho, Van Persie.

Subs: Fabianski, Djourou, Diaby, Frimpong, Benayoun, Arshavin, Chamakh.

Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Kehl, Lewandowski, Gotze, Hummels, Grosskreutz, Bender, Kagawa, Piszczek, Santana, Schmelzer.

Subs: Langerak, Leitner, Blasczykowski, Barrios, Gundogan, Owomoyela, Perisic.

 

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Borussia Dortmund preview: The Walking Dead

This guy is just straight-up terrifying

Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund
The Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, Outside
Wednesday 23 November 2011, 2:45 ET
TV: FSPlus
ARS: WWDWW     BVB: WDWWW

Arsenal continue their busy post-interlull schedule as German champions Borussia Dortmund visit north London for a Champions League clash that could have major ramifications for the remainder of both clubs' seasons. As current group leaders, Arsenal have a slightly less urgent need for three points than third-place Dortmund, but expect the Gunners to push for the win to protect their place.

The two teams have had vaguely similar seasons. Both lost important midfield creators to the winds of the transfer market this summer (though I'm not about to argue the two players' departures created equivalent voids), both have important and highly valued players who are the subject of season-long transfer rumor drama (again, though, one is having a bit better season than the other). More relevant to this discussion is the fact that both Arsenal and BVB started out inauspiciously in their campaigns, only to find their feet and a stretch of vastly improved form. They haven't lost since October 19, we haven't lost since October 2. These two clubs have risen from the dead, though in Europe the Germans may still have a bit of a taste for brains.

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Arsenal 0-0 Olympique de Marseille: Match Report

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 01:  Carl Jenkinson of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal FC v Olympique de Marseille at Emirates Stadium on November 1, 2011 in London, England.  (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Arsenal failed to seal qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League after a 0-0 draw with Olympique Marseille. Despite having several clear chances, they were unable to take any in the first half, before petering out in the second as Marseille got stronger. The arrival of Robin van Persie for Park Ju-Young failed to change the scorline. 

Marseille started the better of the two sides, pressing and using the pace of Loic Remy and Andre Ayew on the wings against Carl Jenkinson, who was excellent, and Andre Santos, who was nervewracking at left back. 

Arsenal, though, began to come into the game, with Mikel Arteta in particular playing really well, finishing with a 92% pass completion rate and making a couple of excellent tackles. 

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Did not see it

Shortfuse-xl_small Ted Harwood

Editors

Smell-the-glove_small pdb

Arshavin_you_mad_small Thomas Wachtel

Arsenal_huddle_small Aidan Gibson