Partizan Belgrade 1-3 Arsenal - UEFA Champions Leagu

Arsenal took a giant stride towards the Knockout Stages of the Champions League with a 3-1 win at Partizan Belgrade on Tuesday night.

After a sticky start, Arsène Wenger’s side seemed to have taken control when Jack Wilshere provided a wonderful assist for Andrey Arshavin to score in the 15th minute. However they were pegged back just after the half-hour when Denilson handled in the area and Cleo slotted home from the spot.

Arsenal should have regained the lead 10 minutes after the restart when Marouane Chamakh was hauled down by Marko Jovanovic. The defender was dismissed but Arshavin saw his penalty saved by Vladimir Stojkovic.

However, 19 minutes from time, Chamakh pounced to nod home after his own header had come back off the bar. And in the 83rd minute, Sebastien Squillaci grabbed his first Arsenal goal by steering a home a header from Samir Nasri’s cross.


The finale may have been much more nervy had Lukasz Fabianski not turned aside Cleo’s late penalty.

However, in truth, this was an Arsenal victory with something to spare.

A game of three penalties leaves Arsenal with six points out of six in Group H. They are tied with Shakhtar at the top. Braga and Partizan have yet to get off the mark

With Chelsea in mind, Wenger shuffled his side this evening. As a result the Gunners were not 100 per cent fluent or watertight but, in a difficult atmosphere, they did more than enough to deserve the victory.

If they do the same in similar circumstances at Stamford Bridge, then Arsenal’s season will be right back on track.

Before kick-off, Wenger made a whopping six changes from the side that had lost to West Brom on Saturday. 



The headline alteration saw Fabianski take the gloves from the injured Manuel Almunia (elbow). Elsewhere, Kieran Gibbs replaced Gael Clichy on the left of the defence and Johan Djourou came in for Laurent Koscielny in the middle. It was the Swiss defender’s first Champions League appearance since he started against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium in the Semi-Final second leg on May 10, 2009.

Wilshere and Denilson were brought into central midfield while captain Tomas Rosicky was on the right. Nasri and Emmanuel Eboue dropped to the bench but Abou Diaby was out with a recurrence of the ankle injury he first collected against Bolton on September 11 but had tweaked against West Brom at the weekend.

The Stadion FK Partizan was the expected pot-boiler pre-game. The home fans took their seats early and sang very, very loudly. 
A number of partial power failures gave the prelude a sense of unease. But the game started in dim light then it gradually got much brighter.

The same could be said of Arsenal’s first half-hour. 
The visitors were under the cosh in the opening stages. In the eighth minute, Cleo broke clear on the left with Squillaci in pursuit. The Brazilian-born striker reached the corner of the six-yard area but dallied enough for the Frenchman to catch-up. Cleo tried to feed a ball back into the path of Nemanja Tomic but Denilson scuffed it away from his feet at the vital moment.

A minute later Pierre Boya stretched a toe onto the ball as Squillaci tried to shepherd a header back to Fabianski. Fortunately the keeper recovered.

In the 12th minute Cleo profited on a slip by Djourou and fired wastefully over the bar.

The Arsenal goal was receiving much more attention so Arshavin’s opener was somewhat of a surprise. But its quality was exquisite. 


The Russian collected the ball in midfield and found Wilshere before racing into the area. The Englishman was surrounded and seemed to have lost control. However he backheeled the ball back into the path of Arshavin, who drilled it low past Vladimir Stojkovic.

The goal quelled Partizan’s early appetite for attack and suddenly Arsenal were on top.

Wilshere and Arshavin nearly combined for a second in the 24th minute but the Russian was denied by a fine save from Stojkovic.


In fact only the former Wigan keeper stopped Arsenal killing the game by the half-hour. Two minutes later he rushed out to deny Rosicky after Arshavin had prodded him through.


The Russian then clipped a shot over Stojkovic only for defender Jovanovic to hook the ball to safety.
Having been caught cold in the opening minutes, Arsenal suddenly seemed to be strolling.

And then they tripped up.

In the 33rd minute, the visitors half-cleared their lines and the ball fell to Radosav Petrovic on the left. His tossed a cross to the edge of the area and Denilson was adjudged to have handled. Cleo sent Fabianski the wrong way from the spot and, quite unexpectedly, a game that Arsenal seemed to be killing off was alive again.

Having got back on level terms, Partizan tried to press home their advantage. The visitors had been knocked off their stride by the equaliser but were happy enough to see off the half so they could regroup.

To be honest, Arsenal were still working their way back into the game when they were given the perfect opportunity to regain the lead in the 55th minute. Arshavin sent Chamakh clear through the middle and he was hauled down by Jovanovic just inside the area.
The referee pointed to the spot and then gave a red card to the Partizan centre back.

Having seen Rosicky miss at Sunderland and with Nasri, who had converted twice at Tottenham, on the bench, Arshavin stepped up.

His effort had power but was straight at Stojkovic. The keeper saved with his legs.
It was another blow to Arsenal but they still had that numerical advantage and set about making it pay.

In the 67th minute, Wilshere wriggled clear from his marker and darted into the area. Only a perfectly-timed challenge from Mladan Krstajic stopped him going through on the keeper.
A couple of minutes later, Arshavin’s bobbling shot was plucked out of the air.

It seemed that Arsenal had found some fluency again – and they proved it in the 71st minute. Rosicky sent over a hanging cross from the right to Chamakh at the far post. The Moroccan planted his first header against the bar and reacted first to nod home the rebound.

It was a traditional English centre-forward’s goal. Albeit from a player of African descent who was raised in France.

With seven minutes left, Squillaci popped up at the near post to nod in a corner from substitute Samir Nasri. That seemed to be that.

However seconds later, Gibbs clipped Ivan Stevanovic on the right of the area and referee Wolfgang Stark awarded another spot-kick.

Cleo stepped up once more but this time Fabianski flung himself to his right to turn the ball around the post.

In injury time, the Pole made an even better stop from Ivica Iliev.

Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal Barclays Premier League

Arsenal were seconds from topping the Premier League table on Saturday night before they were wrenched from the summit by a stoppage-time equaliser.

The visitors led through a freakish goal from Cesc Fabregas, who stuck his boot out in the 12th minute and was as surprised as everyone else when Anton Ferdinand’s clearance hit it and ballooned over the keeper and into the net.

Alex Song received his marching orders 11 minutes after the break for two bookable offences and Tomas Rosicky squandered a great chance to seal the points when he skied a penalty with 17 minutes left.

Arsenal looked like resisting Sunderland’s frenzied efforts to score an equaliser but Gael Clichy’s attempted clearance in the fourth minute of stoppage time hit Laurent Koscielny and bounced kindly for Darren Bent, who smashed in gleefully.

Sunderland will feel they deserved a draw but the clearer chances throughout fell to Arsenal - even when they were down to 10 men. This might look like a decent point before long but, at the final whistle, it felt like a defeat.

It was a case of ‘as you were’ when Arsène Wenger picked his team for this match. He stuck with the same XI – and the same subs – who lined up against Braga on Wednesday night. Abou Diaby, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner and Aaron Ramsey are all still injured.

The Stadium of Light has been an unhappy hunting ground in recent years for Arsenal – they needed a last-gasp Fabregas header to snatch a point in 2009 and lost to Darren Bent’s scrambled strike last time out.

But having beaten Bolton and Blackburn already – a double Arsène Wenger admitted would have been improbable two years ago – this was another chance for Arsenal to show they have changed.

Sunderland have been consistently inconsistent so far but they have beaten Manchester City at home and they set about disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm from the start, something Braga had patently failed to do in midweek.

The early sparring produced no more than a couple of half-chances: Song’s burst and Marouane Chamakh’s lay-off set up Andrey Arshavin for a first-time curler but the Russian was leaning back as he struck the ball and his effort flew over.

At the other end Jordan Henderson volleyed over from edge of box but the game didn’t really spark into life until a freakish Fabregas strike broke the deadlock in the 12th minute.

There seemed no imminent danger to Sunderland as Ferdinand went to launch a long diagonal but his clearance struck Fabregas on the leg as the Arsenal captain closed down and the ball looped up and over the helpless Simon Mignolet and into the net.

You won’t see a more bizarre goal all season.

Arsenal had clearly enjoyed a huge slice of luck but there was a twist in the tail. Fabregas pulled a hamstring not long after and was replaced before the half-hour by Rosicky.

By then, Arsenal were defending for their lives.

Sunderland had responded impressively to falling behind and squandered a string of half-chances to get back on terms before the break.

Steed Malbranque sliced a shot over from the edge of the box, Nedum Onuoha powered a free header off target while Cristian Riveros arrived too quickly to meet a devilish cross from Ahmed Elmohamady and could only nod the ball into the ground.

Arsenal wobbled but they did not fall with Laurent Koscielny outstanding at the back, winning header after header and distributing the ball with admirable calm.

Song’s downward header from Arshavin’s deep cross alleviated the pressure but Arsenal were perhaps fortuitous to take their narrow lead into half-time.

That said, they should have been out of sight just after the restart.

Nasri raced to the byline within seconds of the whistle and crossed for Arshavin to scoop a sharp chance over the bar from no more than five yards.

Within two minutes a dancing run from Rosicky and Song’s deft touch set up another opening for Arshavin 12 yards out but the Russian sliced his left-foot shot wide.

The game could have been sewn up there and then. Instead, Arsenal’s task was made considerably harder by a red card awarded to Song after 56 minutes. His first booking was deserved; his second seemed harsh.

Sunderland sensed their opportunity and Bent span to fire a shot wide within a minute of the sending off.

But Arsenal regrouped. And after drawing Sunderland’s sting, they pressed forward in search of the goal that would settle the issue.

Nasri clipped a free-kick over the bar on the hour-mark and, with 17 minutes left, the same man was brought down inside the box. Up stepped Rosicky, only to thump his penalty against the top of the bar.

The away fans held their heads in their hands and no wonder – that miss set up a grandstand finish and ultimately cost their team victory.

Manuel Almunia was alert to deny Asamoah Gyan after Denilson’s slip and the keeper made a flying save to deny the Ghana international late on.

Arsenal 6 - 0 Braga - UEFA Champions League

Arsenal blitzed Braga 6-0 on the opening night of Champions League Group H on Wednesday.

Cesc Fabregas opened the Emirates Stadium floodgates in the ninth minute when he stroked home from the penalty spot after Marouane Chamakh had been felled.

The Spaniard then provided an artistic assist for Andrey Arshavin to net the second on the half-hour. Four minutes later Chamakh combined with Jack Wilshere to make it 3-0.

Fabregas headed home the fourth – his second – just after the interval and only a goal-line clearance prevented the skipper completing the first hat-trick of his Arsenal career a few minutes later.

Arshavin set up substitute Carlos Vela for a cute finish midway through the second half. Six minutes from time the Mexican netted again from an unselfish assist by Fabregas.

If that reads like a procession of Fabregas-inspired Arsenal goals then that is just what it was.

Braga looked like the Champions League debutants they were. Arsenal had complete and utter control yet they barely broke out into a meaningful sweat.

Wenger’s men have reached the last 16 of this competition for the last 10 years and, though there is a long way to go, they just might make it 11 with something to spare this time.

The manager made three changes from the side that had beaten Bolton at the weekend.

His first-choice full backs, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy returned at the expense of Emmanuel Eboue and Kieran Gibbs.

Sandwiched between them were Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny, the nascent all-French partnership that had performed so admirably at centre back on Saturday.

The final change saw their compatriot, Samir Nasri, come into the side so Tomas Rosicky dropped to the bench.

This was a voyage into the unknown for Braga and coach Domingos Paciencia sprang a surprise by leaving Lima on the bench. The Brazilian striker had scored a crucial hat-trick in the qualifying round against Sevilla.

At his pre-match press conference, Wenger had vowed to exploit Braga’s Champions League inexperience this evening and, in the opening stages, the visitors were clearly nervous.

Fabregas appeared to be felled by Paulo Cesar’s panicky challenge on the edge of the area in the fourth minute but referee Alain Hamer waved play on. Shortly afterwards Wilshere clipped a shot just wide not knowing he been flagged offside.

Up to this point, Arsenal had not been at their best but third gear was good enough to pin back Braga.

And in the ninth minute, the visitors finally fell behind.

Fabregas quickly computed that Chamakh had escaped in the left-hand channel and found him with and a penetrative pass. The Moroccan shaped to swoop inside the keeper Felipe but then went the other way. The Arsenal striker was swept off his feet and Fabregas converted the penalty.

Shortly afterwards, the captain chested the ball down and Wilshere’s point-blank shot cannoned back off Felipe.

It seemed a little too easy for Arsenal and, perhaps as a result, they failed to capitalise on their superiority immediately.

Cesar’s deflected shot was well-held by Almunia and, with a little more composure, Braga may have been more of a threat.

However Arsenal were still much the more likely side to score – all they had to do was prove it.

Then, in the 30th minute, they did.

Again the architect was Fabregas. Displaying effortless balance and guile, he weaved past a couple of Braga defenders before cushioning a pass to Arshavin on the left of the area.

The Russian rifled home a low shot just inside the near post. It was his third goal of the season.

Five minutes later it was 3-0.

Wilshere collected the ball on the right and tapped a short cross-field pass to Arshavin before racing to the edge of the area for the return.

The Russian’s chip was chested down by Chamakh to Wilshere, who then backheeled the Moroccan into a crevice of space in a crowded area. He tucked away a trickling shot beyond Felipe and into the corner.

Barring some sort of calamity, this game was won.

Eight minutes after the break even that proviso was pretty much extinguished. Arshavin clipped a cross to the far post and Fabregas, entirely unmarked, guided home a header.

It was simple, simple football.

Three minutes later, the Spaniard should have registered the first treble of his Arsenal career when he went clear. However the captain’s shot was touched into the air by Felipe and Moises raced in to hack the ball away.

No matter. At this point, Arsenal were as troublesome to the Braga defence as they wanted to be. Stepping on the gas when they felt the pace dropping too low.

Just past the hour, Wenger withdrew Song and Chamakh for Denilson and Carlos Vela. It was the act of a satisfied man.

Seconds later, Arshavin drilled a low cross-shot against the far post. In the 67th minute, the Russian cleverly fed Vela, who clipped the ball over Felipe in typical fashion.

Six minutes from time, the 21-year completed the scoring by tucking home a shot after Fabregas eschewed a half-chance of a hat-trick to set him up.