🟡 FULL TIME! That was more professional than impressive from Arsenal, but they came away with the three points. Martinelli forced the own goal in the first half, the ball ricocheting in off Riznyk, the Shakhtar goalkeeper.
But the injury to Calafiori, who went off with a suspected knee problem, is potentially a major blow to Arsenal days out from their game against title rivals Liverpool on Sunday. We will be hearing from Mikel Arteta shortly; hopefully, he can provide an update.
🟡 90+6′: YELLOW! The game surely ends with this wild challenge from Pedro Henrique, who lunges in on Havertz with both feet. Lucky he was nowhere near it. It could have been red.
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“It is a big strong hand from Raya, and Arsenal cannot wait for the final whistle now – Arsenal are living dangerously, and it is now all Shakhtar.
“The game should have been over; Arsenal have missed chances, but they will not care about the performance, just the result.”
🟡 90+4′: RAYA TO THE RESCUE AGAIN!
Shakhtar get the ball into the box, and Gomes heads on into the danger zone. Raya comes off his line and claims the cross with bodies around him. Arsenal have leaned on him in these last few minutes. Not long to go.
🟢 SSN reporter Paul Gilmour at the Emirates:
“Raya finally forced into a meaningful save, and it’s Pedrinho from distance. Halfway through stoppage time, and the visitors are probing.”
🟡 90+2′: WHAT A SAVE! Raya keeps out a wonderful strike from range by Pedrinho. He had to get down low to his left and almost overdives, saving with his arm rather than his glove. That looked to be dipping into the bottom corner at one point. Another vital save from the Arsenal goalkeeper in the Champions League.
🟡 90′: Martinelli has put another worldie cross in from the left that Rice should do much better with. He wildly kicks his leg at the ball, having not quite committed to go with his head. Arsenal look like seeing this game out. They have SIX more minutes to play with added time, though…
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“Arsenal have been sloppy in the second half; they will not be happy, but Shakhtar have not worked Raya at all in the second half.”
🟡 87′: SUBS! Bondarenko is the latest change from Shakhtar, replaced by Gomes. Trossard, who missed the penalty, is replaced by Jorginho as Arsenal look to regain control of the midfield to close the game out.
🟡 84′: YELLOW! Martinelli is booked for backing up into Konoplia. There was perhaps a stray arm in there, too.
🟡 83′: Shakhtar are playing some really slick stuff here. They just don’t have the cutting edge. Eguinaldo‘s cross is parried away by Raya, with just one man in the box. They’re going to need more than that to trouble Saliba and Gabriel. That is Eguinaldo‘s final act; he is replaced by Traore. Shakhtar have put him straight up front to add some height.
🟡 81′: There’s a booking for a member of the Shakhtar coaching staff, unhappy about something. Arsenal have started giving away the ball now as the pressure builds in these final stages. Sudakov lets rip with a shot from range, but it is always rising, never troubling Raya.
🟢 SSN reporter Paul Gilmour at the Emirates:
“Arsenal given a huge opportunity to put this to bed, but all that penalty miss has done is add to the tension around the Emirates. They should have enough to still see the game out due to Shakhtar‘s lack of quality in the final third. It’s been a poor game.”
🟡 79′: BLOCK! Shakhtar have been buoyed by the penalty save. They attack the Arsenal goal, and substitute Pedrinho has a shot from the edge of the box well blocked. Trossard has made this last ten minutes unnecessarily nervy.
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Poor from Trossard. He went down the middle, but his low effort gave Riznyk a chance. Arsenal still not able to kill off this game.”
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“That sums up Trossard‘s night, it is a great save, and Shakhtar are still in it.”
🟡 77′: SAVE!!
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“His left arm is down, but his right arm is slightly out and the ball hits it – the ball has travelled a long way and in Europe, those are always going to be given.”
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Trossard is placing the ball on the spot.”
🟡 76′: PENALTY TO ARSENAL! Merino‘s cross strikes the arm of Matviyenko. Shakhtar boss not happy. Trossard to take…
🟡 75′: The referee has been sent to his monitor to review a handball for a potential penalty to Arsenal.
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Zinchenko is among the Arsenal substitutes, but Arteta calls for youngster Lewis-Skelly instead. He gets a big cheer as he comes on.”
🟡 70′: SUB! It seemed odd that Calafiori even tried to continue after that. He is coming off now. His fitness will be a focus over the next few days ahead of Sunday’s massive game against Liverpool. Lewis-Skelly, the teenager, will replace him. He just had to wait as he had his earrings in. The officials weren’t letting him on like that.
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“He gets nudged and he slips – he looks like he has done something to his groin – that is a huge blow ahead of Liverpool on Sunday, but maybe it is just tightness.”
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Calafiori is back on but has just gestured at Arteta to take him off.”
🟡 68′: SUB! Sterling is on for Arsenal, replacing Jesus. Calafiori has come back on for now.
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“This doesn’t look great for Calafiori. He’s sitting up as he receives treatment but seemed to jar his knee.”
🟡 66′: INJURY! Calafiori has gone down and hasn’t moved much since. He looked like he knew instantly something was up. His knee is being examined by the medics. Remember, Arsenal play Liverpool on Sunday – live on Sky Sports. They will be hoping he is fit enough for that game.
🟢 64′: SUBS! Kevin and Pedrinho are on for Sikan and Zubkov. Shakhtar making a double change as they look to get themselves back into this. Yet to score in this season’s competition, and you can see why based on their performance so far.
🟡 Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“Arsenal have been sloppy tonight, I’m surprised Arteta has not made more changes. If Shakhtar had more quality in the final third, they may have scored an equaliser. Arsenal have missed chances, though, but Arteta will be frustrated.”
🟢 61′: Shakhtar nearly play their striker, Sikan, through on goal, but Gabriel is on him in a flash. He thought there should have been a flag, but the linesman says Calafiori was playing him on. Perhaps a bit of miscommunication there momentarily. They certainly weren’t on the same page, and Gabriel was nearly caught out as a result.
🟡 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Another important block from Gabriel, who made a similar one after a White error in the first half. These moments of sloppiness will be a bit of a worry to Arteta. Shakhtar enjoying a better spell.”
🟢 57′: ERROR! Trossard nearly hands Shakhtar a route back into the game. You’ll remember it was his rogue back pass that led to Saliba’s sending off on Saturday at Bournemouth. Trossard is inside his own box this time and plays the ball straight to Eguinaldo, whose shot is blocked. That could have been much worse for the Arsenal man.
🟡 55′: CLOSE! Arsenal have clearly been given instructions to shoot more. Trossard takes it on from range here, but pulls his shot, which is always going just wide of the Shakhtar goal.
🟢 Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Teasing cross from Havertz, who creates yet another scoring chance, having created four in the first half. Selfless performance from him. Martinelli tries to gee up the crowd after seeing his effort saved. Feels like a case of when not if Arsenal add a second right now.”
🟡 53′: SAVE! Martinelli involved again, as Havertz‘s cross comes all the way through to him. The angle was against him, but the Arsenal winger makes sure to work Riznyk, who does well to keep out his shot at the near post.
53′
🔄 Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
CLOSE! Martinelli has been tireless this evening, and he nearly nicks the ball off the Shakhtar goalkeeper, Riznyk, in his own box. He resorts to kicking the ball straight out for a throw-in.
51′
🔄 Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar have a rare spell of prolonged possession that is wasted by Zubkov. He was in the box, well within his right to have a shot, but tries to play a through ball that goes straight out for a goal-kick.
47′
🔄 Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
CLOSE! Arsenal have made a strong start to the second half. Martinelli flashes a ball into the box, glanced on by Trossard, and Havertz is agonizingly close to sliding it in at the back post.
Calafiori drove forward with so much purpose to get Arsenal up the pitch. He has looked bright this evening.
46′
🔄 Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Unusual to see White withdrawn. Maybe there’s some sort of fitness issue, but he struggled with Eguinaldo in that first half, getting himself booked for a petulant tug on the Brazilian. Partey has indeed moved over to right-back with Merino joining Rice in midfield.”
46′
🎉 We are back underway for the second half, and Arsenal have made a change. White has come off for Merino, with Partey expected to go into right-back.
45′
⏱️ HALF TIME! Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Arsenal have been comfortable in that first period and good value for their lead, just not at the level we have grown to become accustomed to.
Martinelli forced the own goal from Riznyk, the Shakhtar goalkeeper, who denied Jesus late on in the half.
Shakhtar have had trouble building out from the back, encouraging Arsenal onto them with a few unforced errors in possession, but Eguinaldo has looked promising down the left.
45+1′
⏱️ There will be one minute of added time.
HALF TIME!
Arsenal have been comfortable in that first period and good value for their lead, just not at the level we have grown to become accustomed to. Martinelli forced the own goal from Riznyk, the Shakhtar goalkeeper, who denied Jesus late on in the half. Shakhtar have had trouble building out from the back, encouraging Arsenal onto them with a few unforced errors in possession, but Eguinaldo has looked promising down the left.
Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“Riznyk made a really good save with his legs, but Jesus should have scored, and that is 22 games now without a goal for Arsenal, so he will want to score tonight.”
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
“Smart goalkeeping from Riznyk. Jesus did really well to win the ball initially, but his wait for a goal goes on. A little shake of the head from him down in front of us.”
40′
🔥 CHANCE! What was I saying? Jesus cuts back Martinelli’s cross to the far post back across goal and nearly finds Havertz, who was beaten to the ball by Matviyenko. It would have been another goal had he not made that intervention.
38′
⏳ Arsenal have sat off Shakhtar a bit in the last couple of minutes, and it has been reflected in the mood of the stadium. Everyone seems happy to coast into half-time.
34′
🟡 YELLOW! White is the first player to go into the book for a late challenge he made on Eguinaldo, who stayed down for a good few minutes there. He is receiving treatment and looks fine to continue, the Shakhtar winger.
32′
🚀 Arsenal have their mojo back after that goal. They break promisingly through Martinelli, but he can’t pick out Jesus on the right in space. He takes too long and ends up trying to find Trossard, but the pass is intercepted.
28′
⚽ GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (Riznyk OG, 29)
THE SLICE OF LUCK ARSENAL NEEDED! Martinelli will be frustrated this doesn’t go down as his goal, but it certainly won’t. He cuts inside in the box and, after a few moments of hesitation, lets a shot rip at the near post. It was a good connection, just cannoning off the post, rebounding back in off the Shakhtar goalkeeper. Arsenal have their breakthrough after muddling through the last few minutes.
24′
☑️ It’s taken this long, but Arsenal finally have their first shot on target. Calafiori takes it on with his weaker right foot from the edge of the box but couldn’t find the required connection to beat Riznyk in the Shakhtar goal.
22′
🚫 WIDE! Trossard again with the chance. This time it was a tough one at an angle after a cross from Martinelli on the left. He tried to glance it in off his knee, but the odds were always against him. Shakhtar really encouraging Arsenal onto them with this approach to the game. They can barely get the ball out of their own half.
20′
🎯 CHANCE! Shakhtar are taking a few chances here with their build-up. Arsenal pounce on a bad ball out from the goalkeeper, Riznyk, but Trossard can’t get the right connection to trouble him. Havertz had cushioned the ball to his teammate nicely in the box.
19′
⚠️ Trossard intercepts the ball midway into the Shakhtar half after a rogue pass but is judged to use his hand to bring it down. Frustrating for Arsenal, who had a good chance on the transition to hurt Shakhtar.
16′
🛡️ BLOCK! Shakhtar have another bright moment down the left, again involving Eguinaldo, whose shot is blocked behind for a corner by Gabriel. His left-back, Pedro Henrique, picks the pocket of Jesus before sending his winger through. The Brazilians have been the spark for the visitors so far. Arsenal, as ever, look confident when defending the corner, but there have been a few warning signs here early on.
11′
❗ Jesus looks up for this tonight. He’s got some confidence when in possession. This time he wants a foul on the edge of the box, having feinted his way past a few defenders, but referee Benoit Bastien is having none of it. Not the first time Arsenal fans have been left displeased by a decision from the official, who has let a few challenges go from the visiting side.
9′
⚡ Shakhtar’s first moment of promise comes down the left as Eguinaldo nicks the ball off White around halfway. It’s a lovely run from the wide-man, carrying the ball into the box; he just gets crowded out by Arsenal’s backline, who dealt well with that threat.
5′
❌ HOW HAS HE MISSED?! Shakhtar failed to deal with the corner from Trossard, and it falls to the feet of Calafiori, but he blazes the ball over the bar from close range. There was a man closing him down, but you’d expect more from Calafiori, who has shown he can score goals early in his Arsenal career this season. A goal is coming for the Gunners.
2′
📥 Trossard enjoying a few nice touches early on. He beat his man down the right after the delivery came over the top of everyone else in the box. His cross is just too high for Havertz, though.
1′
⚽ Bright start from Arsenal, whose fans are right behind them. The ball is turned over in midfield and Trossard sends it out to Martinelli. He wins an early corner.
