Liveblog: Arsenal @ Benfica in our last pre-season match

By: Brenton | August 5th, 2011

The team is in Portugal tonight to play our last pre-season warm-up against Benfica. Kick-off is 7:45 UK time, 2:45pm Eastern, 11:45am Pacific. The liveblog will start an hour before the game. Come on by and give us your thoughts. Liveblog is at the bottom.

Benfica had a strong, strong team two seasons ago, winning the Portuguese league, but that squad has since been partially dismantled, some in high-profile moves to big European teams:

Fábio Coentrão and Ángel Di María went to Real Madrid, Ramires and David Luiz joined Chelsea, and Nuno Gomes (Euro 2004, anyone?) left to Braga.

Last year’s disappointing season still meant a second-place league finish and a Europe Cup semi-final loss, and this summer they’ve been very busy, bringing in Ezequiel Garay from Madrid, Spanish international Joan Capdevila from Villarreal and the highly-touted Belgian youngster Axel Witsel from Standard Liege, among others. Many others. 13 others. Be jealous, Arsenal fans.

So they’ll be a handful. They play a high-tempo offence, and thrive on their wing play. Traore and Jenkinson will be properly tested. Watch for quick passing, comfortable possession and fast breaks from Witsel, Copa America star Óscar Cardozo, and a few names from the past: Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola have put together decent seasons for for Benfica recently.

They have a decent defence as well: Capdevila should start on the left, Brazilian giant (and former international) Luisão and Garay likely in the middle, with Uruguayan Copa America winner Maxi Perreira on the right.

Wenger took 19 players to Portugal. He explains here why he left a few: no Cesc, no Nasri, no Wilshere, Walcott, no Koscielny, no Eboue, no Bendtner, no Vela. Here are the players we did take (in alphabetical order?):

Szczesny, Fabianski
Vermaelen, Djourou, Squillaci, Miquel
Sagna, Jenkinson, Traore
Song, Frimpong
Ramsey, Lansbury, Rosicky
Gervinho, Arshavin, Miyaichi
Van Persie, Chamakh

It should be nice to see Miquel and Miyaichi, and more of Frimpong, Lansbury and Jenkinson.

Here we go:

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=4a16ba93cf">Arsenal v. Benfica</a>

Some Related Stories:

Category: LiveBlog, Pre-Season

« Arsenal get Udinese in CL play-off + Benfica preview | Home | JG is crying, aka Benfica 2-1 Arsenal »

FredJacob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
FredJacob

this should cheer everyone up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
JG

Missed the match, and I have to say, reading from the liveblog, I'm glad I did. It's quite obvious that a plank of nylon shaped into Tony Adam's likeness is 100x better than Squillaci. I have no idea why Wenger let Bartley go on loan again, unless he is playing his cards and is close to signing another CB. But if he doesn't, and we go in with Squillaci as our 4th choice, then my confidence in the man will drop to 0.08%.
Homey_Mills

Sooo... I guess you're not going to do a post-match report then? Maybe it's better that we don't. It would be too frustrating for now.
JG

Well, considering I didn't even see the match, and the presumed post-match report would be little more than a few obscenities toward Squillaci and Wenger, a .gif of me crying for over 10 minutes, and a Kamelot song to subsequently cheer me up, I think the answer is no.
brenton

I don't know who this Kamelot is, but you'll see that I found the JG Blues Band for you.
FredJacob

highlights (don't watch if you hate to lose)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
FredJacob

1st half highlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
JG

Chelsea about to sign Lukaku. Man City keep on signing starlets. We're already discussing the possibility of reserve players starting for long periods of time this season, half the squad is injured, and there is a bigger chance of us winning the CL than of us keeping Nasri and Fabregas this season. My patience is quickly wearing down and I think I'm starting to side with Homey.
Homey_Mills

There's still plenty of room on the Homey train.
Darren_V

Someone was clearly drunk in grade 1 and forgot to learn their alphabet.
FredJacob

If you aren't playing the game then you can register at http://fantasy.premierleague.c....

Once you have logged in and entered your team, click on the 'Leagues' link at the top of the page. On the Leagues page:

1. Select the 'Join a league' option

2. Choose private league

3. Now enter the code 5070-2590 to join the private league.

Enjoy the game.
RedCapedWonder

Remember last season when Martin bought a Vermaelen shirt and he promptly got an achilles injury. Please tell me he didn't buy a Wilshere shirt this year :/
JG

Ha! I got one with Fabregas.
Martin

The curse of Martin's shirt is real and well-documented. I just got my shirt for this year in the mail yesterday, and will reveal who the unlucky victim is shortly.
brenton

Martin will reveal all this Sunday, SUNday, SUNDAY!*

* or sometime later.
Homey_Mills

I'm pretty sure he didn't. You'll have to keep reading this website for the next couple of days to find out why I think that way.
RedCapedWonder

Ooh a secret
FredJacob

Benfica vs Arsenal Pre-Match Press Conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
brenton

Yankee Gunner has a terrifying piece about our lack of depth. Think about this: If Cameroon and Ghana qualify for the African Cup of Nations, Craig Eastmond could be a starter in January.
JG

small consolation, but Cameroon are almost certainly not going to AFCON this year.
brenton

In transfer news, the Sun is reporting that a 900k deal is done for Joel Campbell. 19, unlikely to feature in the first team this season. Buh.