Atalanta v Arsenal: Champions League – live | Champions League

86 min: Ederson slides in Lookman, and the dangerman is stopped by Saliba a fine and timely tackle. He’s such a good defender.

85 min: If you’re interested, it’s all Atalanta. Arsenal looking to the counter, at best. Happy to soak up pressure. Perhaps that’s good practice for the Etihad. Perhaps not.

82 min: Lot of answers coming in on that Sterling question. Your Big Zlats and Seedorfs are all very well but I meant English clubs. Gallas has played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. But that’s three. Beckham played for United, Madrid, Milan and PSG in the competition. But English clubs, Sterling has it, I think….

81 min: Andy Flintoff gets in touch: “I know it’s only matchday 1, but this new CL format has got one League thing down to a tee – turgid matches between teams not really interested in winning. It only needs a howling wind, freezing rain and a muddy pitch and we could be watching the (old, old) Division Four.”

80 min: Calafiori shows his skill in stepping forward, gliding on in the style of that Italia 90 team. It’s all too brief as the ball is soon lost in the high speed this game continues to be played at. Nobody has found too much time for inspiration.

79 min: Declan Rice plays Calafiori into trouble as Atalanta continue to advance forward.

77 min: Mikel Arteta doesn’t seem too happy but his team have a free-kick in a dangerous position. But Declan Rice clanks that out of play. Arteta is even less happy than he was.

75 min: Sterling almost makes an instant impact; his assist finds Martinelli, and as in the first half, he leans back and shoots over.

74 min: Cuadrado, full of beans, cuts inside and shoots wide.

73 min: Two Gunners changes: Sterling on for Saka, Timber off for Calafiori.

Sterling becomes the first Englishman to represent four English clubs in the Champions League. Have any non-Englishmen done the same?

70 min: Two Atalanta changes: Zappacosta is off, so is Retegui, the double penalty misser. Nicolo Zaniolo, once of the Villa, is on, and so is Raoul Bellanova.

69 min: Joe Pearson gets in touch: “Oh, and the camera in Monaco cuts to Michael Jordan!? I thought Kobe (RIP) was the Barca fan.” No game in Europe is complete without a US sports celeb these days. Wonder what Michael is doing in Monte Carlo.

68 min: Atalanta are the team pushing on, Arsenal are sitting back like it’s 1991. Cuadrado came in off the wing and zings one wide. A shot comes as a surprise in this game, such is the defensive organisation. Cuadrado still full of legs.

66 min: Ben White and Cuadrado clash and it looks like White trod on the fine Colombian, makes tonight a wonderful thing. Say it again? Yes, reduced to Steely Dan lyrics.

64 min: If this Champions League action isn’t red hot enough for you, there’s always our roundup of the earlier action.

62 min: A brief moment of panic in the Atalanta box and Arteta is not happy. He adopts a stance rather like Freddie Mercury at Live Aid in getting his word across.

61 min: Charles Antaki: “This is going to be one of the few times we shall be able to see Trossard and the referee Turpin on the same pitch at the same time. If indeed they are not one and the same person.”

And on comes an Atalanta sub: Juan Cuadrado, a Chelsea “legend”, for De Ketelaere.

60 min: Perhaps Jorginho can add some creativity. Rice and Partey: no party.

58 min: Double sub made by Arteta, clearly not impressed. Plus City in mind. Off goes Gabriel Jesus, and on comes Trossard. Partey off – he’s not been great – for Jorginho.

56 min: Ben White – at last- on the overlap is released by Gabriel Jesus but Atalanta defend well and clear. Nota bene: they have a much understrength defence today.

55 min: Joe Pearson gets in touch: “Unlike the estimable Kari Tulinius, I am not an Arsenal fan. I’ve been two-screening the Arsenal match with Paramount’s whip-around The Golazo Show. I’m sticking with Golazo, but my second screen is now Monaco-Barca, because this match is dire.”

It’s been better, but Atalanta are the main reason for that. Arsenal have not been at all good.

53 min: The team celebrates with Raya, who has been on real form this season. Buying him instead of Aaron Ramsdale was controversial but it’s been effective. Partey owes the goalie one there.

Double save by Raya!

49 min: Partey looked guilty as hell, Ederson was clipped as well as pulled back. The decision stands, after a long wait. Raya has time to chat to the bench ahead of Retegui’s penalty.

Penalty to Atalanta?!

46 min: Back underway. Both teams huddle up. Arsenal will want more of the same in defence. In attack, a distinct lack of creativity with Odegaard missing. Could they have kept Smith Rowe? Bit late now, of course. Lot falls to Havertz.

Kari Tulinius is in too: “I opted to watch this match, even though I suspected it might be a dreaded tactical battle, because I’m an Arsenal fan. I just checked on the match I had been tempted to watch instead to see that it was 1-1 in Monaco v Barcelona and the latter already had a player sent off. Will I be sensible and switch over to the much more promising game? No, because I’m a fan and I’d rather groan about my team than enjoy watching another.”

Charles Antaki is back: “I am utterly ready to hear that Gabriel Jesus is having the game of his life, causing the defenders no end of trouble and generally being a viper-like threat ready to strike. As opposed to, well, looking busy, falling over and losing the ball. It’s one thing or the other, isn’t it? More evidence of the former, please.”

Half-time: Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal

45 min: Only one minute of time is added on, and it passes without much incident.

44 min: Mik Arteta is angry as his team again lose the ball. His team have defended well but it’s hard not to yearn for the free-spirited disco dancers of two years ago.

43 min: A rare Arsenal attack, Saka and Jesus trying to link but Atalanta quick to the danger.

Richard Hirst: “If Franc(is)esco Rossi comes on as an Atalanta substitute will he be rockin’ all over the pitch?”

He will celebrate by rolling over and laying down, down deeper and down.

(Yeah, not too much happening here.)

41 min: Eagle Brosi gets in touch: “For years us Arsenal fans suffered the humiliation of playing in the Europe on Thursday nights and now that the team actually qualifies for the Champions League again we’re playing on Thursday night. It feels discount or somehow cheaper. The commentary crew here in America isn’t Micah, Henry or Carragher (like it is on Tuesdays and Wednesday) it’s bygone stars of the USA’s 94 team. I hate this expanded group stage.” Three days is a bit much, yes.

39 min: Lookman, in that free role, spins into the far corner, spins and Ruggeri just fails to keep the ball in. Such a dangerous player, amazing he never made it in English football, though there’s still time. Gasperini indulges him as a free spirit, it seems.