Nasri and Denilson turn on style as Gunners set gold standard
Arsenal 2 Standard Liege 0
Arsenal's Samir Nasri pictured in action during last night's Champions League match. Photo: Getty Images
Wednesday November 25 2009
AGAINST Standard, Arsenal set the standard -- and a gold standard at that. At least when they were attacking in a coruscating first-half. Arsenal were quicksilver, quick-witted and quickly into the last 16 of the Champions League. Again. Group H is theirs.
There was no need for expletives from Arsene Wenger although he will have muttered some choice language at some of his team's defensive lapses -- the visitors twice hit the woodwork -- and some of Standard's robust challenges.
Arsenal need to tighten up. Chelsea are here on Sunday and certainly won't be as vulnerable as the Belgian champions. Wenger will also fret about the state of William Gallas, withdrawn at half-time after a head injury. As expected, though, Arsenal banished some of the maddening frustrations of last weekend which had so angered their manager.
Certainly there was an immediate reaction -- and an extraordinary sequence of chances from a Cesc Fabregas corner. First Andrei Arshavin -- hardly the biggest player on the pitch -- had a header blocked on the line. The rebound was met by Carlos Vela, whose shot cannoned off a post to Gallas. His effort struck a defender on the line with the ball finally landing at Thomas Vermeulen's feet and his goal-bound drive was deflected off the prone -- and now dazed -- Arshavin. Extraordinary.
Arsenal continued to press. Samir Nasri and Vela, selected ahead of Eduardo, were wasteful. Then Fabregas swung in another cross, after a half-cleared corner and both Gallas and Arshavin threw themselves at it -- the ball was directed over the bar, but the players clashed heads with blood pouring from the Russian's scalp.
It meant that Arsenal were down to nine men for a few minutes. Not that it stopped them. As Gallas, clearly dazed, stumbled back into the fray -- wearing a gum-shield -- his defensive partner Vermeulen launched a rugby-style long ball in the direction of Nasri. Landry Mulemo should have intervened, but slipped and suddenly the Frenchman was through on goal to strike a first-time shot, right-footed, across Sinan Bolat to ripple the net.
It stung Standard. Before that, the Belgians, fielding a team weakened even further by injury than Arsenal's, had not appeared overwhelmed. They were penned back but, in an impressive, rapid movement, Dieudonne Mbokani turned Vermeulen with alarming ease on the edge of the area and struck a fierce, angled right-foot shot that thumped against the crossbar with Manuel Almunia beaten.
Arsenal threatened again. Nasri -- who had kept his place ahead of the fit-again Theo Walcott -- broke forward and slipped a pass to Arshavin. He shot early and although Bolat was beaten, his effort also ran the wrong side of the post.
It almost proved costly. Gallas was struggling and as Reginal Goreuz burst into the area he was clipped by the defender, although the referee wrongly ignored the penalty appeals. Gallas's right eye, puffy and swollen, was closing up.
On the stroke of half-time, Arsenal had their second goal and nerves were calmed. Denilson, back from injury and making a 100th appearance, collected the ball, 25 yards out and struck a swerving, dipping right-foot shot that flew past Bolat -- although the goalkeeper did flap at the effort, diving the wrong way. Game over.
It also meant Wenger could withdraw Gallas, who appeared concussed. Arsenal themselves appeared a little dazed. Soon after the restart, a simple free-kick, after a foul by Gallas's replacement Mikael Silvestre, was floated into the Arsenal area and Axel Witsel, unmarked by Kieran Gibbs, chested down but then flicked the ball weakly at Almunia. He should have scored and he knew it, holding his face in frustration.
Wenger made his changes. On came Walcott and Tomas Rosicky. Both were quickly involved with Walcott shooting narrowly wide and Rosicky slipping a pass towards Fabregas who was checked inside the area.
For Standard, a first-time shot from substitute Gohi Bi Cyriac beat Almunia and struck the post as Arsenal's defensive vulnerabilities grew. Fabregas reacted angrily to a challenge by Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez who foolishly thrust his head towards the midfielder and was red-carded. Fabregas, rightly, was booked. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
- Jason Burt
Irish Independent
