Home   >   MOTDs   >   MOTD: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal

MOTD: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal

By on September 16, 2014

Statistics hardly always tell the whole story. For instance, Arsenal kept 56% possession tonight. But Borussia Dortmund worked harder. Dortmund seemed like they wanted it more. Even the statistics indicate that – as a collective, Dortmund ran eleven kilometers more than Arsenal did. Arsenal’s shot count was a pathetic four, in comparison to twenty-four shots from their German opponents. At one point, Dortmund dispossessed Jack Wilshere in the midfield, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan proceeded to take the ball all the way from his own half into Arsenal’s six yard box before he was challenged. It was one of the many many moments in which if Dortmund had been more clinical, they could have made it even more embarrassing for Arsenal. And Dortmund had half of their starting lineup missing through injury.

Dortmund absolutely overwhelmed the inexperienced Hector Bellerin down the left, and without the support of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil dropping, Dortmund attacked the spaces in behind them. This resulted in their second goal. Moreover, while Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, and Aaron Ramsey are all brilliant creative midfielders, all are easily caught on the break, and Dortmund got in behind them far to often, resulting in both of their two goals, and a multitude of chances. Dortmund pressured Arsenal like dogs, but the same couldn’t be said of Arsenal.

It was through that lack of pressuring and willingness to make a tackle in which Dortmund benefited from so often – just a few minutes in Sven Bender was allowed to drop into the whole, turn, and play it wide. Dortmund played it across to the left, before a low cross was sent into the box which would have been turned home at the near post if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had made proper contact with the ball, granted, it still caused Wojciech Szczesny considerable trouble. Soon after Ciro Immobile was sent in behind Bellerin down the left flank, and after storming into the box cut it back into the mixer. Szczesny palmed it away from Aubameyang, who was lurking at the far post, but the ball spilled out to Mkhitaryan. Mkhitaryan had an nearly gaping goal in front of him, only to fire over from six yards. Twenty-five minutes in Sebastian Kehl caught Sanchez napping on the ball and broke, feeding it out wide to Aubemeyang. Szczesny palmed Aubemeyang’s snapshot from the right just wide of the near post; Dortmund seemed just unable to find the back of the net.

Arsenal seemed to have gotten away with a poor first half, only for Dortmund to finally put one away right on the brink of the half. Immobile got in behind Wilshere on the break and ran at Arsenal’s center-backs, and after taking the ball all the way from his own half into Arsenal’s penalty area did a sweet fake to get by Laurent Koscielny. The forward then tucked a low shot into the far corner of the net, and Dortmund got a more than deserved lead.

Dortmund kicked off the second half on the same foot, and and to the rigid reaction from Arsene Wenger, Arsenal did as well. Just three minutes in Aubameyang deservedly stroke the back of the net, after Jurgen Klopp’s side once again caught Arsenal sleeping on the ball. Aubameyang put the ball out wide to Kevin , who fed a through ball back through to the run of Aubameyang, who rounded the keeper and tucked home a shot.

Dortmund hardly let up, and struck the crossbar once before forcing Szczesny into more than a few brilliant saves, constantly threatening on the break. Arsenal were too slow on the ball, and even though Welbeck could have pulled at least one goal back, finished poorly and skied a late effort as well as completely mis-hitting another cross. But for the most part, it was Arsenal’s inability to keep up with the speed that Dortmund played at which is most bizarre and worrying for Wenger. Dortmund simply out worked them.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.