[Gossip Board] Arsenal And The Team: Atletico Madrid Has Been Playing Dirty Tricks At Home, The Turf Is Not Good Enough + They Sprinkled Water Before The Game

On April 29, news came from Hupu that Daily Mail’s Arsenal reporter Issah Khan wrote a pre-match column about Arsenal’s preparations for the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Atletico Madrid.

The set-piece tactics adopted by Arsenal are often criticized by others and described as a "dirty trick". Some people even assert that this is simply a brawl within the penalty area.

However, Diego Simeone’s trickbook doesn’t stop there. He is a pioneer in this area, with skills dating back to his playing days – just ask David Beckham. In the 1998 World Cup, Beckham was sent off for a "prank" by Simeone for kicking the Argentinian midfielder. Simeone later admitted that he faked an injury that led to Beckham being sent off.

For the reasons behind this belief, Arsenal will have to be extremely wary of Wednesday night's Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid, a game that will test not only their skills but also their mentality.

Atletico Madrid's defense is very tight and relies on withstanding pressure to stabilize its defense. In the European competition, it is difficult to defeat against enthusiastic fans. However, the real thing to defeat your opponent is to use clever tactics to break down the opponent's psychological defenses. Tactical fouls and delaying time are common methods.

However, what the Gunners need to pay special attention to is the controversial turf, which has caused Atletico Madrid's recent opponents in Europe quite a headache. Last month, Tottenham Hotspur suffered a heavy blow on the turf of the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League last 16, and ended up losing 2-5 to the Spanish team.

Goalkeeper Antonin Kinski was replaced at 17 minutes of the game due to a series of low-level mistakes. After the game, he burst into tears on the field and experienced a nightmarish night that he may never forget. And he slipped twice, once giving the ball to Marcos Llorente and the other to Julián Alvarez.

During the period when two goals were lost, Mickey van de Ven slipped once, and Antoine Griezmann saw the right opportunity and scored successfully.

Kinski did make a low-level mistake, but the condition of the turf also raised questions. After the game, Griezmann said that Atletico Madrid "took advantage of some of our mistakes. The ground was very slippery and we are more accustomed to this situation." Those words speak for themselves, and they're not the only venue-related controversy of late.

Barcelona had reported the height of the pitch to UEFA before their defeat in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this month. Head coach Hansi Flick was filmed pointing at the height of the pitch when discussing the matter with UEFA representatives during the team's final training session.

The rules of the playing field have been formulated. Article 34 of the UEFA Champions League rules clearly stipulates that the home team must make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the field is maintained in the best playing condition. If the weather conditions require it, facilities such as field heating and field covering must be provided to ensure that the playing field is in a suitable condition on any day of the game.

Although the relevant regulations are not clearly defined, "use all reasonable efforts", what exactly this means is unclear at the moment.

The "Daily Mail" sports section went to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Monday. At that time, the stadium was under the heat of baking. Seven sprinklers were spraying the lawn non-stop in the 48 hours before kick-off. The maintenance work on the stadium was in full swing and the turf was also being mowed. Therefore, the rough grass would not have an impact on Wednesday's game.

It remains to be seen whether the course will be slippery.

A staff member told the "Daily Mail" sports section that they will use sprinklers to spray the lawn about two minutes before kick-off to achieve the purpose of increasing the humidity of the lawn.

For Arsenal, a slippery turf will have a direct impact on a team that relies on possession of the ball. Arteta's team, especially Martin Odegaard, likes to pass the ball quickly and wait patiently for the opportunity.

In the midfield, it is another key factor to try to mitigate and prevent Atletico Madrid's press, thereby killing the momentum of the game, especially when leading. There will be concerns that slipping will cause the attack to become weaker and disrupt the rhythm, which may hinder Bukayo Saka's progress.

There are areas that stand out in the turf, which looks worn and may become muddy if watered. This is completely different from the smooth carpet-like turf of the Emirates Stadium. The North London club has always carefully maintained this field to provide players with a comfortable playing environment, which also helps the team's ball control tactics.

To be honest, if Arsenal's star players feel that the ground conditions are difficult to adapt to their needs, Atletico Madrid may not be sympathetic.

After all, this is their home court and they control the game. In Europe's top competitions, adaptability is generally regarded as a necessity rather than an excuse. Atletico Madrid has long been good at controlling the rhythm of the game, whether in terms of tactics or environment, with the latter becoming increasingly important.

For the team led by Arteta, the challenge is not only to control the game, but more importantly, to maintain calm at all times. Whether they can hold their ground, whether it refers to a practical or symbolic sense, is very likely to determine who wins and who loses in this game. Once this advantage is lost, Atletico Madrid will seize the opportunity to take action.