Lichsteiner, having come from Serie A, was not yet accustomed to the team's style of play. He needed more time.
How should I put it?
He was just holding back!
The left flank was the focal point of Udinese's counterattacks tonight; they were all targeting the space behind Traore.
As a result, Traore didn't dare to push too far forward.
So, Arsenal dominated possession but couldn't find the back of the net.
This continued until the 42nd minute of the first half, when Alexandre Song, seeing that the attack had stalled, carried the ball forward himself and sent a through pass to Wang Shuo's feet.
Wang Shuo used his body to shield the ball from Benatia. After controlling it, he turned and was about to accelerate.
But Benatia reached out and grabbed Wang Shuo's jersey, committing the foul.
Yellow card and a free kick.
The ball was placed dead center, 27 meters from the goal.
Udinese formed a three-man wall in the Arc Top District.
