Standard Liege vs Arsenal LIVE result: Young Gunners fight back to knock out Standard and seal top spot
Follow all the action live from the Stade Maurice Dufrasne
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow all the reaction live as Arsenal‘s youngsters beat Standard Liege in the Europa League.
Freddie Ljungberg’s side only needed to avoid defeat to guarantee their qualification for the knockout stages and came into the fixture riding a wave of momentum after the interim head coach secured the first win of his tenure against West Ham last weekend.
Konstantinos Mavropanos, Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe all started for the Gunners, who defeated the Belgian side 4-0 in the reverse fixture in October., as they drew 2-2 to finish top of the group. Follow all the reaction below:
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What time does it start?
Standard Liege vs Arsenal kicks off at 5.55pm on Thursday 12 December.
Can I stream it?
The game will be available to live stream via the BT Sport app on your laptop, smartphone or tablet. Subscribers will also be able to watch it on BT Sport 2. Coverage starts at 5.30pm.
Prediction
It looks like the Londoners may have stumbled upon a winning formula in the victory against West Ham, having lost their previous encounter against Brighton in an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat. There’s a lot of work to be done but on account of the attacking fluidity seen at the London Stadium on Monday night, there’s no reason to believe Arsenal can’t get the job done against Standard Liege. Confidence levels should be back on the up too. A tricky, hard-fought 90 minutes await, but I’m backing Arsenal to edge it.
Standard Liege 1-2 Arsenal
Odds
Standard Liege: 5/2
Draw: 14/5
Arsenal: 19/20
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
24 mins: Arsenal try to play the ball out from the back but are caught by the high press and give the ball away. Lacazette tries to win it back and brings down Cimirot.
The free kick is played quickly down the left wing and put into the box but Martinez collects the ball.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
27 mins: Once again Arsenal can't find a pass forward to their front men and are caught in possession. Liege try to switch the play but put the ball out of play.
Nelson and Saka link well to get the ball into the box. Saka shoots and wins a corner. Liege defend the corner well and get the ball up to Arsenal's penalty box. Emond collects a quick pass and shoots but Sokratis blocks the shot.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
30 mins: Martinez takes a free kick for Arsenal and sends it well forward for the Gunners. A cross field pass comes out to the left where Nelson passes the ball up to Saka. He crosses the ball but no-one gets to the cross.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
33 mins: Emond gets on the end of a swirling cross into the box but his weight is on the wrong side and he heads the ball away from goal instead of towards it. Standard Liege have looked good.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
36 mins: Maitland-Niles sends the ball down the right wing for Smith-Rowe to run onto. He squares the ball into the box and Liege fail to clear it. Lacazette almost wins it back but is tackled and the home side are able to clear it away.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
39 mins: In the other game in Group F Frankfurt have a taken a 2-1 lead. That means Arsenal will finish second in the group if things remain as they are.
Lacazette picks up the ball on the left hand side. He holds up the ball before cutting inside and having a shot blocked.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
42 mins: Mpoku wants a free kick on the right side but doesn't get one. Smith-Rowe sends the ball forward expecting Maitland-Niles to have made an overlapping run but he hasn't and Arsenal give the ball away.
Standard Liege 0 - 0 Arsenal
45 mins: Arsenal should have one. The ball is switched out to the left hand side where Saka collects it and shoots. Bodart makes the save but parries the ball back to Saka. He flicks it into Nelson who heads it at goal but Bodart gets across to save that shot as well.
Half time between Standard Liege and Arsenal. Both teams have had chances with Arsenal having the best of the half coming in the last minute before the break.
But it remains goalless and as it stands Arsenal will be going through to the next stage of the Europa League.
It's been a poor display from Arsenal in the first 45 minutes. They need to win to guarantee top spot in Group F but more importantly to build a bit of momentum to there season.
But they lack urgency especially in midfield. Saka and Nelson have been the best players on the pitch for the Gunners.
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