12 December 2007

ARSENAL 2 (Diaby 8, Bendtner 42)
STEAUA BUCHAREST 1 (Zaharia 68)

Walcott bounced off a defender as he turned onto a Diaby pass before releasing Sagna, he whipped in a first time cross, Diaby charged into the box and with an excellent first touch took the ball away from a defender and with his second slammed into the left corner of the net. Bendtner ran through a tackle onto a deflected RVP pass and expertly slotted the ball between the advancing goalkeeper's legs and far post. Zaharia got between Clichy and Senderos to head past Lehmann.

Arsenal's potential last 16 opponents are Porto, Real Madrid, Milan, Barcelona and Inter. With their suspect away form I don't fancy their chances of progressing unless they get Porto.

Attendance : 59,786
Assists : Sagna, n/a, Lovin


SLAVIA PRAGUE 0
SEVILLA 3 (Luis Fabiano 66, Kanoute 69, Alves 87)

Sevilla finally broke through, after laying siege to the Slavia Prague goal, curtsey of Luis Fabiano's blistering left foot shoot. The Brazilian delicately touched on a Capel centre for Kanoute, who could have had a hat-trick, to double Sevilla's lead. Alves put the seal on an impressive win with a sensational shot from an angle wide right on goal.

Slavia Prague qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Attendance : 11,690
Assists : Maresca, Luis Fabiano, Duda


27 November 2007

SEVILLA 3 (Keita 24, Luis Fabiano 34, Kanoute 89 Pen)
ARSENAL 1 (Eduardo 11)

Eduardo, who started on the right flank in a curious 4-1-4-1 formation, controlled a Bendtner cross on his chest and rode a challenge from Alves to score. A mistake by Senderos lead to the equaliser. He sliced a longball to Navas, Gilberto made a mess of his cross and Keita ran onto the ball as it rolled to the edge of the box and absolutely pummelled into the roof of the net. Il Fabuloso (La Liga's top scorer this season) gave Sevilla the lead with a brilliant flick header from an Alves free kick. Sagna and Eboue appeared to foul Kanoute to concede a penalty and he got up to roll the ball past Almunia, condemning Arsenal to their first defeat of the season.

If seems Wenger learned from the mistakes he made last season and rested most of his regular starting XI. With qualification for the knockout stages already secured finishing first or second doesn’t really matter.

Attendance : 65,000
Assists : Bendtner, n/a, Alves (fk), Kanoute (won pen)


STEAUA BUCHAREST 1 (Badea 12)
SLAVIA PRAGUE 1 (Senkerik 78)

Dica brought a crossfield pass under control with his chest before volleying a pass to Badea who was fouled just as he scored and after some confusion the ref awarded the goal. Vaniak's amazing point blank save denied Badea a second. Krajcik hit a reverse pass to Tavares and his teasing first time cross was emphatically headed into the net.

Attendance : 11,000
Assists : Dica, Tavares


7 November 2007

STEAUA BUCHAREST 0
SEVILLA 2 (Renato 25, Renato 65)

Zapata made a brilliant save to deny Poulsen a certain goal on a corner but Renato volleyed in the rebound. Sevilla's second was unquestionably one of the goals of the season. Renato intercepted a clearance and played a triple one-two with Alves, Alves let the ball run in the box and feigned to cross, sending two defenders sliding to the turf in perfect synchronisation, Alves back healed to Navas and Renato met his low cross with a sensational diving header.

Attendance : 26,000
Assists : n/a, Navas


SLAVIA PRAGUE 0
ARSENAL 0

Attendance : 18,000
Assists : n/a


23 October 2007

SEVILLA 2 (Kanoute 5, Luis Fabiano 17)
STEAUA BUCHAREST 1 (Petre 63)

Capel ran onto a long ball out of defence and swung a cross into the box for Kanoute to powerfully head Sevilla into the lead. Steaua bollocked up playing offside leaving 'Il Fabuloso' Luis Fabiano to run 40 yards, round the 'keeper and fire into an empty net. Sevilla should have been at least 4-0 up at half time. Petre tapped in Iacob's deflected centre as the home side continued to waste chances.

Attendance : 32,000
Assists : Capel, Alves, n/a


ARSENAL 7 (Fabregas 5, Hubacek 24 og, Walcott 41, Hleb 51, Walcott 55, Fabregas 58, Bendtner 89)
SLAVIA PRAGUE 0

Hleb ran into traffic on the left wing, two Slavia defenders were checking his every move so he passed to Fabregas, Tavares slipped as the Spaniard ran into the box and from a ridiculous angle he whipped the ball into the bottom right corner. Hubacek sliced Hleb's shot into his own net to double Arsenal's lead. Slavia full back Pudil received possession on the half way line so turned around and whacked a 50 yard pass BACK to his goalkeeper Vaniak, Vaniak's attempted first time clearance hit Walcott and he side stepped the goalkeeper before tapping into an empty net and scoring his first Champions League goal. Arsenal made it 4-0 on a rapid fire counter attack, Fabregas' pass out wide to Hleb was sublime and he turned inside two defenders before placing a shot inside Vaniak's right hand post. Another sweeping move, with Hleb and Fabregas again involved, ended with Lewis Hamilton look-a-like Walcott bursting into the box and shooting in off a post. Walcott laid off Adebayor's pass to Fabregas for the sixth. Bendtner completed the rout after running onto Eboue's outrageous back heel.

A message to Slavia Prague fans. Sucks to be you.

Attendance : 59,621
Assists : Hleb, n/a, n/a, Fabregas, Hleb, Walcott, Eboue


2 October 2007

STEAUA BUCHAREST 0
ARSENAL 1 (Van Persie 76)

Attendance : 21,000
Assist : Adebayor

SEVILLA 4 (Kanoute 8, Luis Fabiano 27, Escude 58, Kone 69)
SLAVIA PRAGUE 2 (Pudil 19, Kalivoda 92)

Navas intercepted a hospital pass and fed Kanoute, Slavia's goalkeeper Vaniak made a sudden charge out of his box before Kanoute blew past him and crossed towards Fabiano but the ball dropped into the net before the Brazilian could get a touch. A fantastic strike drew Slavia level. Navas? was tackled in midfield and the visitors launched a counter attack, Krajcik played a one-two with Janda, ran past Dragutinovic unchallenged and fired a cross into the box, the ball bounced to the edge of the area towards Pudil who hit a sensational right foot half volley which screamed into the top corner. I can't comment on Fabiano's goal because for some reason it wasn't shown. Keita headed on a corner and Escude, who scored an own goal against Arsenal on the first match day, volleyed past Vaniak. As two defenders got sucked in by Kanoute he slipped a pass to Kone and he slotted into the corner. Kalivoda scored a late consolation goal on the rebound.

Attendance : 25,000
Assists : Navas, Krajcik, Kanoute, Keita, Kanoute, n/a


19 September 2007

ARSENAL 3 (Escude 27 og, Van Persie 59, Eduardo 92)
SEVILLA 0

Fabregas gave Arsenal the lead with a speculative shot from distance which took a wicked deflection of Escude wrong footing Palop in the Sevilla goal. Sagna got the faintest of touches to a Fabregas free kick and Van Persie stabbed the ball in at the back post. Hleb intercepted a Fazio hospital pass, gave the ball to Fabregas and Eduardo tapped in his centre.

Sevilla only managed one shot on target. A massive anticlimax given this was one of the most eagerly awaited clashes of the group stages.

Attendance : 60,000
Assists : n/a, Sagna, Fabregas


SLAVIA PRAGUE 2 (Senkerik 13, Belaiod 63)
STEAUA BUCHAREST 1 (Goian 33)

The Romanian's failed to clear a longball into the box, Vlcek's shot was saved but Senkerik was on hand to put away the rebound. Slavia ball watched Goian head in the equaliser from a corner and more atrocious defending lead to the winner, Belaiod volleying in a low cross which was allowed to bounce inside the box.

Attendance : 19,000
Assists : n/a, Nicolita (ck), Drizdal