Lokomotiv Lose To Arsenal In Tula
Lokomotiv have not won in Tula since 2017, and a spell of eight games with just one win did not add confidence. Couple it with injuries - and you get the picture: with Dmitriy Barinov back on track, Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Marinato Guilherme and Anton Miranchuk remained outside of the registry. This gave way to the young Roman Tugarev.
And the youngster was the most active player in the first half. He interacted well with Eder and had a chance to score when the Portuguese set up for him in the area but Kostadinov saved it with a sliding tackle.
Three minutes later Eder could have scored himself. The opposition players made a reckless clearance out of their box and the striker took a one-touch shot - Levashov worked hard to save it from the lower corner.
Seven minutes later Eder lacked inches to head the ball in after a cross from Tugarev who had neatly foxed a defender moments earlier.
Late in the first half the Portuguese had another chance but should have worked the ball faster after a pass from Barinov. Instead, he allowed Bauer to check him.
The second half became a nightmare for the Railroaders who could have opened the score in the 48th minute when Alexey Miranchuk crossed to Krychowiak from a free kick. The Pole had a go from the corner of the goal area but the ball sailed high.
Two minutes later, Arsenal scored. Lesovoy rounded Murilo on the flank and crossed into the box where Gorbatenko beat Rybus in an aerial battle and sent it home. Lokomotiv could have leveled in four minutes, when Levashov made a mistake in the box. Miranchuk had a go at the empty net but Belyaev had the keeper's back and cleared it from the goal line.
Instead of leveling the score, the Railroaders conceded . Arsenal broke away on a counter, Gorbatenko played one-two with Kombarov on a flank and crossed to the centre of the box where Lutsenko beat Corluka in another aerial strike and headed it home.
In the 74th minute Lokomotiv aggravated the situation by earning a red card for Rybus who hit his opponent with an elbow and earned a second yellow card. It took Arsenal one minute to score again: Bauer tackled Smolov, Lutsenko got the ball and curved it into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.
On 84 minutes Tula made the score humiliating when Corluka failed to clear from the box, Causic picked up the ball and sent it past Kochenkov into the net.
Russian Premier League. Gameweek 19.
Arsenal - Lokomotiv - 4:0 (0:0)
Goals: Gorbatenko, 50 (1:0). Lutsenko, 64 (2:0). Lutsenko, 78 (3:0). Causic, 84 (4:0).
Arsenal: Levashov, Kombarov, Grigalava, Belyaev, Alvarez, Bauer, Gorbatenko (Kangwa, 87), Lesovoy (Lomovitskiy, 79), Causic, Kostadinov, Lutsenko (Adzhoyev, 87)
Lokomotiv: Kochenkov, Zhivoglyadov, Rybus, Corluka, Hoewedes, Murilo (Smolov, 71), Barinov, Al. Miranchuk, Tugarev, Krychowiak, Eder
Bookings: Barinov, 30. Grigalava, 42. Krychowiak, 51. Rybus, 66
Red cards: Rybus, 74
Referee: Sergey Ivanov (Rostov-on-Don)
December 6, 2019. Tula, Arsenal Stadium
