Braga post highlights of Arsenal misery to commemorate their return of Champions League
Arsenal supporters are eagerly preparing for their highly anticipated comeback to the Champions League this Wednesday.
However, Braga has seized the chance to recall a painful evening from 2010, aiming to jog the Gunners’ memory.
The Portuguese team is also making their return to Europe’s top-tier competition and will be welcoming Napoli on Wednesday night.
Their prior experiences in the competition, specifically in the 2010/11 and 2012/13 seasons, saw them exit during the group stages.
However, it was Arsenal who experienced a memorable night at Estadio Municipal de Braga during those campaigns.
Following a heavy 6-0 defeat at the Emirates, Braga’s team orchestrated a remarkable late-game turnaround against Arsene Wenger’s squad in the return fixture.
Matheus came through with an 83rd-minute goal and then added a sensational second in injury time, stunning the Premier League giants.
Before the Wednesday night matches, Braga shared a video featuring one of their former strikers skillfully navigating past Arsenal’s defense and unleashing an unstoppable shot that beat Lucasz Fabianski.
This video served as a reminder of a tense moment in Arsenal’s qualification for the last-16, even though they ultimately secured it with a victory over Partizan Belgrade in their final group match.
Nevertheless, the surprising loss to Braga marked the end of a dismal week for Arsenal. Prior to this defeat, Arsene Wenger’s team had suffered a home loss to Tottenham, breaking a 17-year streak of not losing to their North London rivals and squandering a two-goal lead in the process.
To compound their troubles, Arsenal also had to contend with injuries to both Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue during their visit to Portugal. Arsene Wenger expressed his dissatisfaction with the playing style of the home team as well.
He said: “We had enough on the pitch to make a goal, but football is like that when the other team focuses not to play.
“They used every single trick in the book to slow the game down.”
The decision to play Eboue didn’t work out.
“It is very disappointing because I had a hesitation to play him before the match started,” Wenger said.
“I took the gamble and it backfired on us.”
In the knockout stage, Arsenal pulled off a remarkable win against Barcelona in the first leg of their last-16 matchup. However, Pep Guardiola’s legendary team proved too formidable for them when they faced off at the Nou Camp.
Now, under the management of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s team is eager to forge new and more positive memories as they prepare to welcome PSV Eindhoven in their first Champions League match since the 2016/17 season on Wednesday.
Quando Matheus fez isto frente ao Arsenal FC 💥#PorMais | #UCL pic.twitter.com/DQZBmHLAqt
— SC Braga (@SCBragaOficial) September 18, 2023
Braga post highlights of Arsenal misery to commemorate their return of Champions League
