Theo Walcott calms Arsenal nerves to secure win over Partizan Belgrade

Arsenal's closest contest was with themselves. Partizan Belgrade were also involved, yet the interest lay with Arsène Wenger's team and their quest for reliability. The visitors have taken no points in group H while conceding 13 goals but there were spells here in which they had hope. Unless Arsenal find mercilessness within themselves they will be at risk.

It is not a coincidence that, in contrast to Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, they have failed to top their group. The lack of authority was reflected as well in the red card for Bacary Sagna after he had committed a professional foul in the 86th minute when Aleksandar Lazevski was about to break into the penalty area. The Champions League knockout phase will have to start without the suspended right-back.

If Arsenal cannot yet seem to keep a game under full control, even when a vulnerable side such as Partizan comes to the Emirates, there was still an aplomb to them in the distinguished way they re-established the lead after Cleo had equalised in the 52nd minute. The sole goal in open play for Partizan in this group arose because defenders backed away and the Brazilian forward relished the opportunity to shoot, with the drive deflecting off Sebastién Squillaci to leave Lukasz Fabianski stranded.

He had also scored his side's other goal, from the penalty spot, against Arsenal in Belgrade. While Wenger's men were obviously shaken by the leveller at the Emirates, there was wonderful individualism to restore composure to the whole line-up. Theo Walcott had come on as a substitute but this was not an occasion for his speed simply to be pitted against a wearying side. He restored the lead with a gleaming piece of technique.

Walcott struck in the 73rd minute. Sagna's cross was headed poorly on to his chest by Marko Jovanovic and the forward clipped a considered volley into the far corner of the net. The technique was outstanding and perhaps indicated that Walcott can still add a greater breadth to his game that will fulfil the promise he had as a teenager and restore him to being a more regular starter.

That kind of dramatic action was, by then, a necessity rather than a mere adornment. Calm was not fully restored until the third Arsenal goal came from Samir Nasri, after Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner had combined. It had been beyond the side to open the match with a briskness that would have made the entire exercise simpler.

The apparent challenge of the game was then at so low a level that Arsenal could hardly bring themselves to rise above the ordinary. They may have been justified in supposing that a goal for them was unavoidable. The opportunity came after Sagna's delivery had deflected to Robin van Persie, who was then brought down needlessly by a challenge from Jovanovic. The Dutchman converted the penalty after 30 minutes with a confidence appropriate in a match were the opposition was so limited.

In spells it felt ludicrous that there could be any trace of stress. At the moment Partizan might almost exist to demonstrate how great a difference there can be between domestic and European competition. They lead the Serbian Super League by five points after scoring 41 goals in 15 games. In the Champions League they have floundered.

At first it was only bad luck that made Arsenal wince. The left-back Kieran Gibbs caught his foot in the pitch and eventually had to make way for Emmanuel Eboué. Credit did have to go to Partizan for denying Arsenal total contentment before the interval. They defended with more purpose than anyone could have anticipated as they strove to complete their Champions League campaign in a dignified way.

There was no suggestion of a spree for Arsenal before half-time. The moves tended to have marginal flaws but Wenger himself had not introduced any complacency. The selection confirmed that this was an encounter that had to be treated with the utmost seriousness. There have been other fixtures that have seen Arsenal lack professionalism and suffer for it.

Partizan's endeavour did them credit after the miseries that had been endured previously. Disbelief may have hindered Wenger's team after the equaliser and the reaction was not immediately ferocious. It was Partizan, with nothing to lose any more in the Champions League, who showed the ambition and moments of style that had looked beyond them until now.

More hardened sides than Arsenal would not have permitted such a night to contain anything more than a thorough and uncomplicated victory. That, all the same, is part of the appeal at the Emirates. Nobody can be quite sure what they are witnessing.

Arsenal, in their own fashion, are a club of means and, troubling though this match was in periods, the manager still allowed Jack Wilshere some rest as the youngster was an unused substitute.

As with their north London foes Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal exude a sense that something new is emerging. The last 16 of this tournament will tell us more about the true worth of both clubs.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 8 Dec 10

Arsenal's attack once again comes to defence's rescue in nervy win

Arsenal's forwards again had to rise above the defence's shortcomings to beat Partizan Belgrade and secure qualification

Arsenal's defence is the topic of the hour – can they possibly recapture the Premier League title with such an uninspiring unit? – but tonight they were not expected to have much defending to do against a side who conceded 10 goals while losing all five of their group matches before their arrival in London for the concluding fixture.

Already lacking the injured Thomas Vermaelen, the home side's back four lost Gaël Clichy before the kick-off, the French left-back suffering from some sort of seasonal complaint, allowing Kieran Gibbs to take his place as the token Englishman.

Andrey Arshavin was candid about the team's shortcomings during an interview on the eve of the match, quite sensibly attempting to lay the blame on defensive teamwork – the organisation and diligence of the whole side, in other words – rather than the defenders alone. His own covering of his partner on the left flank, he admitted, sometimes left a good deal to be desired.

But the Russian had nothing to do, by either commission or omission, with the injury that removed poor Gibbs from the contest after a quarter of an hour. The 21-year-old England international was attempting to close down Almami Moreira, Partizan's playmaker from Guinea-Bissau, when he turned his ankle and fell to the ground with his arm immediately raised in a signal for urgent assistance. Carried off, he got back to his feet and returned to the field but he was limping heavily and clearly in discomfort when, eight minutes later, he was replaced by Emmanuel Eboué.

The Ivorian's arrival at least restored the all-Francophone nature of Arsène Wenger's rearguard. It is useful, of course, for the back four to be able to communicate with each other, but the manager's default measure of filling a defensive hole with a French speaker does not suggest that he combs the corners of the earth for suitable players. Neither Laurent Koscielny nor Sébastien Squillaci, born in Tulle and Toulon respectively, was an obvious choice, or an inspiring one. The currently injured Johan Djourou, a Swiss national, was born in Abidjan and has French as his first language, while one imagines that Vermaelen, although a Flamand rather than a Walloon, must have picked up something of Belgium's other tongue.

It even seems a strange anomaly that there has been no French or French-speaking goalkeeper at Arsenal during Wenger's 14 years in charge. Not within sniffing distance of the first team, anyway, although a few years ago he called Guillaume Warmuz of Lens into the squad. Wenger was also linked for a while with Mickaël Landreau, the captain of Nantes, a gifted technician who ultimately proved not quite tall enough for the very top flight.

This summer, trying to confront the most serious deficiency in his current squad, Wenger was linked with Hugo Lloris, but the current France international remained with Olympique Lyonnais, leaving the manager to choose between Manuel Almunia and tonight's choice, Lukasz Fabianski. Lloris's father, a Monaco-based merchant banker, is a friend of the Arsenal manager and, acting as his son's agent, is said to have planned Lloris's career in three-year stages: three years with Nice, followed by three years with Lyon. This is his third year at the Stade Gerland, and it seems highly likely that he will be starting next season at the Emirates, thus increasing the ability of the defence to share their thoughts in the language of Descartes and Balzac.

Tonight the current line-up was tested principally by the combination of Moreira and Cléverson Gabriel Córdova, better known as Cléo, a tall, long-haired 25-year-old Brazilian who last year became the first player in 20 years to transfer to Partizan from their bitter local rivals FC Crvena zvezda, formerly Red Star Belgrade. Cléo's first goal for his new club came on his debut against Rhyl. Seven days later, in the return leg, he scored his first hat-trick, opening with a bicycle kick.

The goal with which he equalised was nowhere near as spectacular, but rather more relevant, considering the quality of the opposition. Sasa Ilic was allowed to play a neat square pass across the area from the left to the Brazilian, who feinted to put Squillaci off balance before shooting from 20 yards and seeing the ball spin off the centre-back's foot to defeat Fabianski's dive.

The failure of Alexandre Song and Denílson to make any sort of intervention was perhaps more significant than Squillaci's inability to produce an effective block. Once again Arsenal's deficiencies in the area of the holding midfield player, evident since the unwise decision to pension off Gilberto Silva, were exposed.

The construction of a great football team involves every aspect of the game, and it is hard to excuse Wenger's refusal to take seriously the piecing together of an effective rearguard, particularly when they concede a goal like Cléo's equaliser, which left Arsenal's supporters praying that Sporting Braga would not snatch a win in Ukraine.

But then, 20 fretful minutes later, came the smooth volley from Theo Walcott and the nimble finish from Samir Nasri that quieted, once again, the familiar misgivings.

Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 8 Dec 10

Gunners grind out qualification

Is this to be the season when Arsenal get things done the hard way? A campaign in which, rather than their usual style of either blowing teams away or being blown out, they struggle through and achieve their aims via tests of endurance and nerve? They are, according to Arsene Wenger, in a "strong position", having qualified here, while topping the Premier League and facing a highly winnable League Cup semi-final.

Wenger presented the four fronts now open - the FA Cup begins next month - to Arsenal as "an exciting challenge" but it is difficult to disagree with his admission that there is "room for improvement". As with many Arsenal games so far this season, and especially of late, this was no breeze. However, for a team that is yet to convince, and with many question marks placed against them, they are in an enviable position. Monday gives them the chance to put five points between them and Manchester United while for the 11th consecutive season, Wenger leads them into the latter stages of the Champions League.

The conversion of a must-win game into an easy-win encounter was the aim here. Only victory could fully guarantee progress. In the end, events in the Ukraine made this a barely necessary grind, as Shakhtar Donetsk's despatching of Braga cast the Gunners into a trapdoor of the Champions League's elite. There is now a significant chance that one of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich may lie in wait in the last 16. To progress into the last eight, the hard way will have to be taken again. The only other potential opponents in Schalke barely offer great comfort either.

The Serbian visitors were seeking little more than their second Champions League goal of the group stage, reflection of wholly different horizons for a club that reached the 1966 final of the old European Cup. Yet a sense of edginess gripped the Gunners right from the early stages. They were not helped by a rather unfamiliar 4-4-2 formation, and yet another striking of the injury curse that has especially befallen their backline.

The luckless Kieran Gibbs had succumbed to what looked like serious injury when his studs caught in the turf, and though there was relief that he was able to play on for a while, his removal from the pitch in the 22nd minute made this yet another game in which the young hopeful has had a chance to stake a claim ended prematurely. "It is unbelievable," Wenger said of Gibbs' latest injury, an ankle sprain at best. "He is quite down, he's on crutches and I cannot tell you more."

Samir Nasri, Footballer of the Year-elect and looking it, was given a wide role, while the youthful brio of Jack Wilshere was confined to the bench as Arsene Wenger chose to field a strike partnership that almost looked a throw-back in these days of 4-3-3, 4-5-1 and 4-2-3-1. Plain old 4-4-2 looked its outdated self here, as a pairing of Marouane Chamakh and a slightly deeper lying Robin van Persie barely gelled.

Van Persie won the first-half penalty that allowed Arsenal hearts to flutter a little less, and converted it himself in the 30th minute. It allowed his team some freedom of expression and the attacks began to flow in more customary style. Prior to that, the new strike partnership had looked cumbersome. Both are used to playing as the more advanced in front of a packed midfield and the selection of two strikers allowed Partizan greater numbers in midfield. Since an ankle injury sustained over a year ago on international duty, Van Persie is yet to regain the touch that once made him his team's prime attacking weapon.

Nowadays, Chamakh looks the line-leader of choice, and the Moroccan would seem to have superior physiology on his side. This was Van Persie's first start since August and it looked it, with even the awarded penalty looking soft. He made the most of Marko Jovanovic's challenge. His spot-kick had luck on its side as Partizan keeper Vladimir Stojkovic guessed right but could not avert the left-foot shot from entering the net.

On the left wing, Andrei Arshavin, a winning contestant in last week's hotly disputed Zurich beauty contest, departed the scene with 23 minutes to play, his ineffectiveness causing some anger among Arsenal fans. This was no anti-Russian front; this was on account of a consistent lack of product. Arshavin may have joked in pre-match about his team's frailties but there was little cause for amusement when his team-mates conceded a fortuitous Partizan goal. Lone striker Cleo, carrying on in solitary fashion, pinged in a snap shot that clipped off Sebastien Squillaci and ballooned past Lukasz Fabianski in the 52nd minute.

Conversely, that served to add some much-needed atmosphere to a game previously lacking in audience participation. Though the crowd's tones were more hectoring than encouraging, Arsenal looked lifted by the challenge. Theo Walcott's arrival after coming on for Arshavin gave England a more minor victory over Russia when he supplied the goal that pushed Arsenal back ahead, when seizing on a mistake by Jovanovic.

Nasri's well-taken goal, repeating the form that has lessened the yearning and continued need for Cesc Fabregas, made it all academic. It is Nasri's name, to the tune of KC & the Sunshine Band's "Give It Up" that is now most sung from the Arsenal stadium rooftops. Perhaps he now will join the Barcelona wanted list. However, the difficulty for Arsenal did not end there as Bacary Sagna was red-carded when bringing down Aleksandar Lazevski as time ticked on and the Macedonian bore down on goal.

Sagna had prevented late worries but will now be missed in the first leg of the second round. "Very harsh," said Wenger, who was happy to accept this was a qualified success in more than one meaning of the phrase. February, and before that, next Friday's draw, will present new opportunities in this competition, though the hardest of tests may lie in wait.

"What I know is that we have a 50% potential of playing in Spain, and a 50% potential of playing a German team, and I don't know," said Wenger, with a glimmer of sarcasm before casting a glance to the one they all want to avoid. "Barcelona is a super favourite but we take what we get. We played them already last year. We will see."

MAN OF THE MATCH - Samir Nasri
He has had and will have better games this season, but this was another illustration of his current vein of high confidence and delivery of the goods. His jinking runs and attacking zeal were his team's most potent weapons on the night, and it is his new strength and power that most look to have made the difference to the Frenchman.

ARSENAL'S VERDICT
Wenger was not happy with his team's attacking play here, and his description of "low key" seemed apt. There was an element of experimentation in the strike force, and it did not pay off. One of Chamakh and Van Persie will start at Old Trafford, and the former has to be favoured.

PARTIZAN BELGRADE'S VERDICT
A team that has lost every group-stage game, yet they did not look quite as bad as that record suggests. Their organisation in midfield and defence impressed Wenger and their hardy group of very vocal fans will have enjoyed the highlight of their first away goal.

SLEEPING BAG
Arsene Wenger's coat continues to be a thing of wonder. A puffa jacket that drapes midway down those lengthy legs, it betrays a certain influence of the hip-hop star on the 60-plus Alsatian. Its loose fit allows the manager to adopt that curious crouching position he uses in times of worry. It is yet to catch on in N5 but it surely will.

Source: John Brewin, ESPN Soccernet on 8 Dec 10

Walcott and Nasri settle nerves

Arsenal moved into the last 16 of the Champions League with a laboured 3-1 win over Group H whipping boys Partizan Belgrade at Emirates Stadium.

Successive away defeats to Shakhtar Donetsk and Braga had left the Gunners - who opened their European campaign with three straight victories - still needing a result to secure safe passage through to the knockout stages for the 11th successive season.

After a lacklustre start, Robin van Persie fired the home side ahead from the penalty spot - his first goal of the season - and after Cleo had netted a shock equaliser, substitute Theo Walcott volleyed Arsenal back into the lead before man-of-the-moment Samir Nasri swept home a third.

Arsenal finished the game with 10 men when defender Bacary Sagna was shown a red card for a professional foul on 85 minutes.

Despite maintaining a 100% home record, Arsene Wenger knows those poor away performances could yet come back to haunt his side, who finished runners-up to Shakhtar and so will face either Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Schalke in the last 16.

Van Persie, taking the captain's armband in the absence of the injured Cesc Fabregas, was deployed in a deeper role behind Marouane Chamakh, with Nasri out wide but with a license to roam.

However, despite having plenty of possession, Arsenal lacked any real creativity while Almami Moreira looked lively for the visitors, whose only goal in the Champions League so far had come against Arsenal in Belgrade.

Nasri - whose fine brace against Fulham had sent Arsenal top of the Barclays Premier League on Saturday - crafted an opening from the right when his cross was headed over by Chamakh.

On 15 minutes, full-back Kieran Gibbs turned his ankle badly and was taken off on a stretcher, but managed to return to the action only to eventually be replaced by Emmanuel Eboue.

As the half-hour mark approached, Arsenal - who travel to Manchester United on Monday night - were gifted the opening goal when Marko Jovanovic upended van Persie after Alex Song had burst into the Partizan penalty area.

The Dutchman took the spot-kick himself to fire home his first goal since the final day of last season.

Partizan - nicknamed the Steamrollers and who had lost all five European ties so far - could easily have let their heads drop, but continued to try to attack. Brazilian striker Cleo got clear down the right, but his cross into the danger zone was hacked away.

Van Persie played in Chamakh when he capitalised on a mistake by captain Mladen Krstajic, but for once this season the 10-goal Moroccan got the ball stuck under his feet and keeper Vladimir Stojkovic collected.

Given his current form, Nasri would have been expected to bury the ball when it dropped to him from van Persie's knockdown some 10 yards out at the start of the second half - but the French midfielder fired his shot high over the bar.

Arsenal's defensive frailties were exposed again when Partizan scored a shock equaliser on 52 minutes. The ball was worked down the left and then through to Cleo, some 20 yards out. He was given the space to turn and fire a shot goalwards, which deflected off the lunging Sebastien Squillaci and looped over Lukasz Fabianski.

The atmosphere was flat as the home fans became somewhat anxious another disappointment lay ahead. With 24 minutes left, Wenger looked to inject fresh life into the attack as he sent on Walcott, replacing the ineffective Andrey Arshavin.

The England winger was blocked on the edge of the area by Krstajic, which earned the Partizan skipper a yellow card. Nasri whipped the free-kick over the wall, with Stojkovic making a fingertip save.

The keeper, though, could do little as, on 73 minutes, Walcott lobbed the ball into the far corner after it fell to him on the right side of the area.

Chamakh was replaced by Nicklas Bendtner and the Dane had a hand in Arsenal's third after a neat exchange of passes with Song on the edge of the area fed Nasri - and the Frenchman sidestepped his marker as he swept the ball into the far corner.

There was late drama as Sagna was sent off for tripping Alexander Lazevski after being deemed last man by Italian referee Paolo Tagliavento.

Radosav Petrovic struck the free-kick, right on the edge of the area, goalwards - but Fabianski made a fine save.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 8 Dec 10

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 3-1 Partizan Belgrade match

On whether he was nervous...
I was never really nervous. Worried yes, because you cannot say you don't worry when it is 1-1. But I felt we had the resources to score and in the last 20 minutes they would drop physically. I was always confident that we would qualify but you never know.

On being below-par...
Yes, it was a bit of a low-key game because we didn't find our pace in the game. We couldn't find openings in their defence. They defended very well, they were focused on closing us down everywhere. We were just below our normal pace. You have to give them credit, they defended very well and on every single ball they closed us down. I felt our speed of passing was not incisive enough and it was a bit nervous as well.

On potential opponents in the last 16...
The potential opponents are there is a 50 per cent chance of travelling to Spain and a 50 per cent chance of travelling to Germany. If you ask me where would you like to go? I don't know. You [the journalists] might prefer to go to Spain, for us not necessarily.

On whether any team should be feared...
No. Let's be realistic, Barcelona are the super-favourite at the moment but we take what we get and if it is Barcelona it is Barcelona. We have played them already last year and we'll see.

On whether Arsenal will improve by the next round...
Overall we are in a strong position in the league, we are qualified in the Champions League, we are in the Semi-Final of the League Cup and we start the FA Cup in January. There are plenty of exciting challenges in front of us but there is room for improvement and I am confident we will improve.

On whether tonight's display would be enough to beat the Spanish sides...
Every game is different. You cannot transpose our game tonight into a Real Madrid or Barcelona game. Every game has its own difficultes and its own shape. What I know is that we qualified for 11 years on the trot out of the group stage and let's go further now.

On not hitting top gear yet...
We have played some great games since the start of the season but tonight was certainly not our best. But what is extremely important for a group like ours is that we are still in the competitions and when we play now in the last 16 hopefully we have done well in the Premier League and the League Cup and we can have a high level of confidence because that will be needed.

On Robin van Persie's central role behind Chamakh...
I was not completely happy with our offensive game tonight. But I will have to watch that again. Maybe it was down to the quality of Partizan's defending because I felt they defended in a very intelligent way and very well. I will have to analyse that a bit better.

On Sagna's red card...
It was very harsh.

Source: Arsenal.com on 8 Dec 10

8 December 2010: Arsenal 3-1 Partizan Belgrade, The Emirates

Arsenal took their place in the last 16 of the Champions League for the 11th straight season thanks to a 3-1 win over Partizan Belgrade on Wednesday.

Arsène Wenger’s side only needed a win to secure safe passage but it turned out to be a rather nervous night against the bottom side in Group H.

In fact, they could only breathe easily when Samir Nasri fired home the third 13 minutes from time.

Robin van Persie gave Arsenal the lead on the half-hour from the penalty spot but they failed to kick-on from there. Cleo’s 52nd-minute equaliser was hardly on the cards but it was always a danger.

Theo Walcott came off the bench to fire the home side back into the lead in the 73rd minute.

After Nasri’s goal, Arsenal should have cruised home but this was a not a fluent night at Emirates.

In the final stages, Bacary Sagna was sent off for a last-man foul on Aleksandar Lazevski.

Shakthar's win against Braga mean they have won Group H. That could present Arsenal with a problem in the draw on December 17.

But this was a night when Wenger’s side simply had to get through.

And they did.

The manager made three changes from the side that had squeezed past Fulham on Saturday. The most noteworthy was Van Persie, who came straight in as captain. It was only the Dutchman’s third start of the season and, interestingly, he operated ‘in the hole’ behind Marouane Chamakh.

Elsewhere, Denilson replaced Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs came in for Gael Clichy who had gone down with sickness.

It was mighty cold at Emirates Stadium this evening. Much had changed – including the season – since Arsenal had hit 11 goals in those massive wins over Shakhtar and Braga.

Defeats in the corresponding away games had left them needing to match the result of the Portuguese team in Ukraine to qualify. Braga were unlikely to win and Arsenal seemed a shoo-in against a side that were trying to avoid becoming only the 11th team to achieve zero points in a Champions League group.

It should have been straightforward for Arsenal but there was the potential of a nerve-jangling night.

And the first half-hour did not go to plan.

Although the home side were on top territorially, they created little. The closest they came was when Nasri tried to feed Van Persie at the near post.

Meanwhile the pacy Cleo was sitting on the shoulders of the Arsenal centre backs chasing long balls over the top and waiting for a mistake.

Then, in the 14th minute Gibbs turned his ankle in midfield. He tried to soldier on but only lasted 10 minutes. Emmanuel Eboue came on. But the right-sided defender was covering at left back and the move did nothing for Arsenal’s balance.

However, on the half-hour, Arsenal were thrown a bone.

Alex Song flicked Van Persie into space in the area and a rash challenge from Marko Jovanovic brought him down.

The Dutchman fired home from the spot. It was his first goal since the last game of last season.

Naturally the goal was a lift. Eboue’s quick feet took him past two defenders on the left and his probing cross was hacked over his own bar by Mladen Krstajic.

But they could not continue in that vein. Arsenal’s first 45 minutes this evening had been edgy and disjointed.

The opening minutes of the second half were better. Keeper Vladimir Stojkovic denied Chamakh and then Denilson's cross was deflected to Nasri, who thumped his shot high over the bar.

It seemed that Arsenal were finally getting going.

Then Partizan equalised.

The visitors worked the ball in from the right to Cleo just outside the area. He let fly and the ball took a crucial deflection off Squillaci to beat Fabianski.

It was only the second goal the Serbian side had scored in Group H – and that had been a penalty against Arsenal in Belgrade.

At this point, Braga were still drawing at Shakhtar so Wenger’s men were still through. But they seemed determined to take it to the wire.

Sagna’s cross drifted just beyond Van Persie at the far post and there was a glimpse of an opportunity when Stojkovic dropped a cross under pressure from Song. But they were only half-chances.

Midway through the half, Wenger made a change. Andrey Arshavin came off and Theo Walcott replaced him.

Arsenal were now building up some sort of momentum. When the substitute was blocked on the edge of the area, Van Persie’s free-kick was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Stojkovic. From the resulting corner Song curled an effort wide.

Arsenal were getting closer and they would soon make the breakthrough. In the 73rd minute, Sagna’s cross was nodded out straight to Walcott by Aleksandar Krstajic. The England international chested down the ball and fired into the far corner.

The relief was palpable and six minutes later the win was secure. Song danced through a couple of challenges and, after passing to Nasri, looked for the return. The Frenchman, however, dragged the ball back and fired low into the corner.

At the same time, over in Donetsk, Shakthar were taking the lead.

That killed off any chance of top spot. But, in reality, Arsenal still had a job to do here.

Five minutes from time, Sagna brought down Lazevski on the edge of the area. The right back was the last man and, unfortunately, had to go. Fabianski made a fine save from the free-kick from Radosav Petrovic.

It was a tough end to a tough night. But, despite it all, Arsenal are through.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 8 Dec 10

Arsenal must face Partizan without fear, says Arsène Wenger

Arsène Wenger has told Arsenal to play without fear against Partizan Belgrade at the Emirates tomorrow night in a final Champions League group game they must win to be sure of qualification to the knockout stages.

The manager warned that if his players concede an early goal it would make for a nervous evening, while at the same time Andrey Arshavin admitted that defence was a problem for the side.

Wenger said: "We will become a little bit edgy so it is better not to. You want to play the game without fear. Fear is the best way not to achieve what you want to achieve. Risk is part of the game – you have to accept that. I am a fan of that – I have a philosophy based on risk and I know it is part of the game. Nine times out of 10 you win, one time out of 10 you lose."

Asked if fear can also be a motivator, the manager said: "We want to stay in this competition and the players want to stay in this competition. I am convinced of that. They know what they want to achieve. Having said that, even losing the game we can still qualify. We do not want to envisage that – we want to win the game."

Arsenal beat Partizan 3-1 in the reverse fixture but they have lost their past two Champions League games, at Shakhtar Donetsk, who lead Group H, and Braga, who are level on nine points but have a hugely inferior goal difference. Having taken the lead against both Donetsk and Braga, Arsenal were unable to prevent either of them scoring twice. Arshavin said: "We struggle all the time in defence. We have to score more than we concede. Of course we try to improve, but we can't."

He delivered the appraisal with a smile. "We don't blame our defenders," the Russian added. "Sometimes I can't run and that's why I let my defenders make the cross and get the forward to score. It doesn't always depend on the defenders. We must improve as a team on our defending. We don't blame our defenders. We try to improve but can't."

Arshavin said he is unsure if he will finish his career in England. "I don't know. If we were talking about one week then I would say 'yes'. But five or six years? I don't know. Who knows," he said. "The English league is the best and everyone dreams of playing here."

Thomas Vermaelen is out until the new year, and Johan Djourou will not be risked due to a thigh injury, but Wenger can call on Laurent Koscielny despite the head injury he suffered against Fulham on Saturday, and Sebastien Squillaci. He will be without Cesc Fábregas due to hamstring problems, although Wenger said the midfielder is now back in training.

Arsenal head the Premier League by one point from Manchester United, who have a game in hand, and Fábregas is also unlikely to be available for Monday's pivotal meeting between the two at Old Trafford. "[He has] a small [chance]," Wenger added. "That means it is a bit under 50% at the moment. Abou Diaby [recovering from an ankle problem] is out practising as well. He also has a small chance."

Wenger added: "We are not completely top of the tree because if United win at Blackpool [their game in hand] they go back. But we are in there – we have a chance. What we want to do is strengthen our lead because at the moment we cannot really say we are top of the league. But we have an opportunity to strengthen our position and we have that opportunity at Manchester. It is open and that is what makes it interesting."

Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 7 Dec 10

No room for error at the Emirates

Having won their first three group games, Arsenal have stuttered somewhat and now need a win to secure their place in the next phase of the Champions League. The odds heavily favour Shakhtar for finishing top of the group, but if both Braga and Arsenal win, the Gunners will finish top.

However, if Braga manage to get more points from their game than Arsenal manage against Partizan, Arsene Wenger's side are out.

One feels that Wenger would accept progress however it comes, even if that means a potential tie against the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona, as his side have failed to score in four of their last five Champions League games played in December and will be missing Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen and Johan Djourou.

For their part, Partizan have looked better than their five defeats from five games suggests. Young coach Aleksandar Stanojevic will demand that his side give 100%, despite the fact that the game is meaningless to them in terms of the group, and their efforts will not go unnoticed as they try to deal with Arsenal's fluid passing style. They certainly won't be afraid to attack.

Still, only an upset of the highest order would prevent the Gunners from progressing in some capacity, but they can be buoyed by the fact that no team has ever won their first three Champions League group games and failed to qualify for the next stage.

Arsenal player to watch: Laurent Koscielny
With two of their central defenders on the sidelines, Arsenal are relying on the Frenchman to regain full fitness after he suffered a concussion at the weekend. Quick and agile, Koscielny struggled early in his Arsenal career to adjust to the pace of the English game, but looks a little more at home in Europe. His place at the heart of defence, in the absence of the in-form Djourou, will certainly be key to his side's hopes of keeping a clean sheet.

Partizan player to watch: Vladimir Stojkovic
Being an opposition goalkeeper in a Champions League game at the Emirates has not been much fun this season, as they have let in 11 goals in two games thus far. However, the former Wigan loanee and Serbia No. 1 has a point to prove as he is, once again, on loan from Sporting. He put in a few error-strewn performances for the Latics and will certainly have his work cut out to halt the Gunners' attack.

Key Battle: Sebastien Squillaci v Cleo
During recent years, Arsenal have been undone by powerful strikers and long-ball tactics. The purchase of Squillaci, who has been impressive in the air and boasts a lot of experience, has gone some way to alleviating the defensive issues, but there are still some to be exploited. Brazilian striker Cleo has nearly a goal a game since joining Partizan and his style of play is certainly one that could upset the Gunners' defence. Squillaci will have to use all of his experience to keep him quiet.
 
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 8 Dec 10

Arsène Wenger thinks Arsenal's Lukasz Fabianski will be 'great keeper'

Arsène Wenger has challenged stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to make the most of his next chance as Arsenal's No1 after helping his side beat 10-man Partizan Belgrade 3-1 – an opportunity which may come at Chelsea on Sunday.

The often-criticised Pole impressed as he stood in for the injured Manuel Almunia for last night's Champions League Group H clash, saving a late penalty and then capping a confident display with another acrobatic stop from Ivica Iliev in stoppage time.

Wenger has long championed Fabianski's cause, despite a number of blunders, and felt last night's display proved his faith justified. "Fabianski had a good game, we have seen the player who we see in training. He had a faultless game," he said. "I know it is in him. He got it out in the game and hopefully that will give him the needed belief and confidence. I am confident he will come out as a great keeper, I have always said that. We have to keep confidence in him and he needs to gain experience from games like this."

Fabianski could be in line to play against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, should Almunia - himself under the spotlight following some errors in the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion – not recover from an elbow problem. Wenger said: "At the moment Almunia is injured, we will have to see how his injury goes, but at the moment it is too early to say."

Wenger felt his side, missing key men like captain Cesc Fábregas, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen, coped well with the early pressure from Belgrade. "Partizan gave us the game we expected – full of commitment, full of power on every break," he said. "We had a lot of the ball and created a lot of chances. However, we could not kill the game off and then we were always under threat."

Partizan have now lost both of their matches, and look set for a battle with Braga for the Europa League place. Their coach, Alexandar Stanojevic, said: "We have to admit that Arsenal were a better team, so we have to go on."

Source: Press Association, The Guardian on 29 Sep 10

Sébastien Squillaci seals Arsenal's battling win at Partizan Belgrade

Arsène Wenger is far too urbane ever to wave two fingers at Arsenal's critics but his team had a suitably defiant riposte for those who suggested their soft centre faced exposure in Serbia.

The doom-mongers had claimed that Lukasz Fabianski keeping goal in a side shorn of Cesc Fábregas represented a recipe for disaster amid the most hostile of Champions League atmospheres but, ultimately, Wenger's youthful players made victory appear almost routine. Fabianski even saved a late penalty.

If they were rarely permitted to show off their full passing repertoire, Arsenal refused to be bullied into submission and, having weathered a sticky start, deservedly prevailed with Jack Wilshere particularly impressive.

Punctuated by a series of power cuts – which saw two of the four floodlights repeatedly cut out and the game played at times under only partial light – plus incessant chanting from the 32,000 capacity crowd, the night proved anything but serene. Indeed, with the electrical failures affecting the dressing rooms, Wenger's charges were sporadically plunged into darkness while changing.

Their on-pitch reception proved more intimidating still, confronted as they were by a terrific display of waving black and white flags. Arsenal were also treated to a giant banner of Big Ben and the London Eye emblazoned with the message: "You have been run over by a Steamroller." It could have been less friendly though: Partizan are known as either 'The Steamroller' or 'The Gravediggers.'"We respect that kind of fantastic support," said Wenger, who agreed to proceed under intermittent half-light. "I thought it would be terrible to go home without playing, so when they asked me if I thought going ahead was acceptable I said yes."

While Partizan face a heavy Uefa fine, Wenger experienced vindication. "It was important to win after our big disappointment losing against West Brom," said the Frenchman. "It puts us in a strong position confidence wise."

The manager's faith in the previously accident-prone Fabianski – aka 'Flappy Handski' – in for the injured Manuel Almunia was swiftly rewarded when the Pole gathered an admittedly soft shot from Cleo, Partizan's Brazilian-born striker who had shrugged Johan Djourou and Sébastien Squillaci aside with ominous ease.

Shortly afterwards, though, Partizan's rearguard suffered a somewhat more severe communications breakdown. It resulted in Arsenal scoring with their first shot at the end of a move started and finished by Andrey Arshavin.

First, the Russian's pass found Alex Song who promptly played it short to Wilshere whose surge forward concluded with an adroit backheel flick from which Arshavin beat Vladimir Stojkovic, once of Wigan, with a low shot.

Suddenly Arsenal's composure came flooding back, their passing game clicked into rhythm and it took a last-ditch clearance from Marko Jovanovic to prevent Arshavin claiming a second goal courtesy of a cute chip over the advancing Stojkovic.

Not that Partizan were out of it. Menacingly quick on the counter-attack, they nearly levelled when Medo's long-range shot skimmed the bar and did equalise as Cleo beat Fabianski from the penalty spot following Denílson's handball.

Yet as that goal transported the stadium into high-decibel raptures, Wilshere was filling the gap left in midfield by Fábregas with intelligence and maturity. Accordingly Stojkovic was required to save a poorly struck second-half penalty from Arshavin after Jovanovic had been dismissed for bringing Marouane Chamakh down just inside the area.

Shackled earlier, the Morocco striker promptly put things right, meeting Tomas Rosicky's cross and seeing Partizan's keeper palm his header against the woodwork before forcing the rebound home.

Next Samir Nasri's corner was headed in by Squillaci and Fabianski brilliantly saved a penalty from Cleo following Kieran Gibbs's foul on Ivan Stevanovic before superbly repelling Sasa Ilic's goal-bound shot. "I'm happy for him, he just needed confidence," said Wenger, who "does not know" which of his goalkeepers will play at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Whoever starts, the suspicion is that Chelsea may need to be at their very best.

Source: Louise Taylor, The Guardian on 29 Sep 10

Wilshere hails Fabianski after crucial saves

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere praised goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski as the Gunners claimed a 3-1 Champions League win away to Partizan Belgrade.

Fabianski, in for the injured Manuel Almunia, saved a second-half penalty to help Arsene Wenger's men record a second win in the group and also made another great stop right at the death.

"It's been hard for our 'keepers at the moment and that was a great reponse from him,'' Wilshere said on Sky Sports 4. "He made a good save at the end as well. Fair play to him.

"We were confident, we came here to get a win and that's what happened. We came here and we knew it was going to be a hard atmosphere, we dealt with it well and got the result.''

A power failure had earlier forced Arsenal to change for the game in the dark. "We had to use phone torches,'' said Wilshere.

Manager Arsene Wenger was also pleased with Fabianski's "faultless'' performance.

"Fabianski had a good game, we have seen the player tonight who we see in training. He had a faultless game,'' said the Arsenal boss. "I know it is in him. He got it out in the game tonight and hopefully that will give him the belief and confidence he needs.

"I am confident he will come out as a great 'keeper, I have always said that. We have to keep confidence in him and he needs to gain experience from games like this.''

Fabianski could be in line to play against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Wenger said: "At the moment Almunia is injured, we will have to see how his injury goes, but at the moment it is too early to say.''

Wenger felt his side, missing key men like captain Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen, coped well with the early onslaught.

"Partizan gave us the game we expected - full of commitment, full of power on every break,'' he said. "We had a lot of the ball and created a lot of chances. However, we could not kill the game off and then we were always under threat.

"They came back with the penalty, afterwards we needed to keep the pace high and when we got the second goal, I thought we looked comfortable. For us it was important to win straight away after a big disappointment against West Brom.

"It puts us in a good position confidence-wise, Sunday is a big, big game for us. I believe we will go there with a desire to do extremely well.''

There was a chance the match would not have gone ahead if the floodlights had failed. Wenger said: "I thought it would be terrible to go home and not play. I encouraged UEFA when they asked me 'do you want to play even if one corner is off?', I said 'yes, as long as the referee is happy with it'. Overall it was acceptable.''

Partizan have now lost both of their matches, and look set for a battle with Braga for the Europa League place.

Coach Alexandar Stanojevic said: "The atmosphere during and after the match from our supporters tells us they were satisfied and we played a good game. However, when we got the red card it was difficult because it is tough enough to play against Arsenal when you have 11, but when you have 10, it is nearly impossible.

"We have to admit, though, that Arsenal were a better team, so we have to go on.''

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 29 Sep 10

Gunners make it two wins from two

Arsenal recorded their first European away win in a year as they beat 10-man Partizan Belgrade 3-1 in Serbia to maintain their 100% start in Champions League Group H.

After surviving a power failure which forced the team to change in the dark and an intense atmosphere during the opening exchanges, the Gunners, who had six changes from the side beaten by West Brom at home on Saturday, went ahead in the 15th minute through Andrey Arshavin.

However, after wasting several more chances, the visitors were made to pay when Brazil-born striker Cleo levelled from the penalty spot after a handball by Denilson.

Partizan then had Marko Jovanovic sent off for hauling down Marouane Chamakh on 55 minutes, but Arshavin missed his penalty. However, Moroccan striker Chamakh and Sebastien Squillaci secured victory - with stand-in keeper Lukasz Fabianski saving a late spot-kick.

Power was restored, and then failed in the main stand again just as the teams walked out to a cacophony of noise at Stadion FK Partizan, which was transformed into a sea of black and white as the 'Gravediggers' threw paper and waved flags, unveiling a banner declaring: "You have been run over by a steamroller.''

The Serbians have a chequered history of crowd trouble, thrown out of the 2007-08 UEFA Cup while in September last year, a Toulouse fan died in hospital after being injured following violence in a bar ahead of the two sides' Europa League tie.

Indeed, Partizan went as far as issuing a plea for calm on their own website ahead of tonight's game.

Wenger, though, maintained his men should be able to cope with such an intimidating atmosphere, and so it proved.

The Gunners, playing in yellow, made a positive start, as Jack Wilshere was pressed up in support of lone frontman Chamakh.

The home fans, though, were screaming for a penalty when Pierre Boya went down under close attention from Johan Djourou, but German referee Wolfgang Stark was having none of it.

Cleo then tripped over as he got clear into the left side of the Arsenal box, with Denilson sliding in to make a saving tackle as Nemanja Tomic looked to capitalise on the loose ball.

Fabianski needed two attempts to gather a hesitant header back to him from Squillaci as Boya looked to nip in on goal.

Cleo was lively, dispossessing Djourou on the right before cutting in to blast over from 20 yards.

However, the home side were stunned on 15 minutes as Arsenal snatched the lead. Wilshere charged at the defence and when his path was blocked, the England youngster had the presence of mind to back-heel the ball into the path of Arshavin, who drilled his shot into the bottom corner.

The Russian almost grabbed a second when put into the penalty area, but Partizan goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic was out quickly.

Stojkovic denied Tomas Rosicky, before Jovanovic cleared Arshavin's goal-bound chip.

Arsenal paid the penalty for missing so many chances though when Denilson needlessly stuck his arm out as Radosav Petrovic delivered the ball into the box after half an hour. Cleo sent Fabianski - in for the injured Manuel Almunia - the wrong way to level.

Arsenal had an early chance at the start of the second half following a driving run by Alex Song, with the ball breaking to Rosicky on the right and his angled drive was well held by the goalkeeper.

Partizan were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when Jovanovic was shown a red card for tripping Chamakh as the Moroccan latched onto Arshavin's through ball. Arshavin took the penalty himself - only to blast it straight at the goalkeeper.

On 69 minutes, the lively Arshavin was again denied, this time when Stojkovic made a good stop at the near post.

Moments later, though, and it was 2-1. Rosicky floated the ball in from the right and Chamakh headed goalwards. Stojkovic touched the ball onto the crossbar but the Arsenal striker was first to the rebound, nodding the ball into an empty net.

With eight minutes left, Squillaci headed in a corner from substitute Samir Nasri to make it 3-1. There was late drama, though, when Kieran Gibbs was adjudged to have tripped Ivan Stevanovic in the penalty area, but this time Fabianski produced a brilliant save to deny Cleo.

The Pole then capped a confident display with another acrobatic stop from Ivica Iliev in stoppage time.

Source: ESPN Soccernet on 29 Sep 10

Wenger's reaction to the Partizan Belgrade 1-3 Arsenal match

On the difficulty of the game…
Partizan gave us the game we expected - [they were] full of commitment, full of power on every break. We had a lot of the ball and created a lot of chances. However, we could not kill the game off and then we were always under threat. They came back with the penalty - afterwards we needed to keep the pace high and when we got the second goal I thought we looked comfortable.

On Lukasz Fabianski’s performance…
Fabianski had a good game, we have seen the player tonight who we see in training. He had a faultless game. I know it is in him. He got it out in the game tonight and hopefully that will give him the needed belief and confidence. I am confident he will come out as a great keeper, I have always said that. We have to keep confidence in him and he needs to gain experience from games like this. At the moment Almunia is injured, we will have to see how his injury goes but at the moment it is too early to say.

On the atmosphere in Belgrade…
The atmosphere is special here, but overall it was supportive and not aggressive - that is what we want in football. I respect that kind of support, it is fantastic for the home team.

On the decision to substitute Jack Wilshere…
He got a few knocks and I decided to be cautious with him. Especially in the first half Jack, Arshavin and Chamakh were a constant threat. I like what he did on the goal because it is quick, instant reaction.

On bouncing back after Saturday’s defeat...
For us it was important to win straight away after a big disappointment against West Brom. It puts us in a good position confidence wise. Sunday is a big, big game for us. I believe we will go there with a desire to do extremely well.

On the power cut before the game…
I thought it would be terrible to go home and not play. I encouraged UEFA when they asked if I wanted to play with one corner off, I said yes.
 
Source: Arsenal.com on 28 Sep 10

28 September 2010: Partizan Belgrade 1-3 Arsenal, FK Partizan Stadium

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.

A satisfying night for Arsenal and a solid boost of confidence before Sunday’s massive match at Stamford Bridge.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 28 Sep 10

Partizan Belgrade look to rekindle fond memories against Arsenal

Partizan knocked out Newcastle on the way to their last appearance in the Champions League group stages and they have the ability to upset Arsenal.

For Sasa Ilic, the thought of playing an English side in the Champions League brings back happy memories. Seven years ago, he was captain of the last Partizan side to play in the group stages of the competition, although after a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United in Belgrade in the first leg of their final qualifier, few gave them much hope.

Ilic, though, ran on to Albert Nadj's chip, and held off Olivier Bernard and Kieron Dyer to lay on the game's only goal for Ivica Iliev – who is also back at Partizan – and then converted his penalty in the shoot-out. "That's one of the fondest memories of my whole career," he said. "I would say that was one of my best performances for Partizan.

"We arrived in Newcastle with a negative result from the first leg, we played in front of 40,000 fans, but we managed to keep the game even and to win. We also had some luck, and a super [Ivica] Kralj in goal."

About what followed in the group stages, Ilic is rather more ambivalent. Partizan played some good football, but kept missing chances and finished bottom of their group having drawn all three home games and lost all three away against Porto, Real Madrid and Marseille. "I had three golden chances against Real Madrid in Belgrade and in both games against Marseille, but I didn't score," Ilic said. "Those were really 100% chances. But sometimes the one above says either yes or no."

As Ilic points out, though, even reaching the group stage was a fine achievement, one that looked better with each passing season as Partizan's European form got worse and worse. Since Aleksandar Stanojevic took over in April, becoming, at 36, Partizan's youngest-ever coach, they have lost only once, at Shakhtar Donetsk in the first game in the group. Given they went down only 1-0, and with a little luck could easily have drawn, even that represented a radical improvement on their pitiful 4-1 defeat in Donetsk in the Europa League last season.

There is an understandable tendency in England to regard the group phase of the Champions League as a chore, something that has to be got through before the real action begins in February, but there is genuine excitement in Belgrade about the visit of some of Europe's elite. It has led to a flurry of jokes mocking Red Star, whose fans have a tendency to regard their European Cup triumph in 1991 as an unbeatable trump in any dispute with Partizan. The best is probably the one that asks, "How do Red Star players get to play in the Champions League?" The punchline – "one by one" – refers to the goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic, a former Red Star player who has ended up at Partizan via Sporting and Wigan. It also refers, more particularly, to Cleo.

The Brazilian, whose Serbian citizenship came through last week, joined Red Star on loan in summer 2008 from the Portuguese club Olivais E Moscavide. He impressed in a struggling side, but Red Star's sports director, the unfortunate Ivan Adzic, decided the £650,000 fee was too much, and made the fateful comment that: "We don't think he's that good for the price." Each of the eight goals he scored in six Champions League qualifiers this season has underlined the gravity of Adzic's mistake.

It's not just about goals with Cleo, though. He also drops off and pulls wide, and interacts well with Iliev, who will operate as a second striker in a fluid 4-4-1-1. Ilic provides creativity on the left in what is likely to be a midfield focused largely on resistance, with the promising 21-year-old Radosav Petrovic partnering the Sierra Leone midfielder Mohamed "Medo" Kamara in a combative centre.

"You can expect Arsenal to dominate with their passing game and their one-twos," Ilic said. "They will have more ball possession because they're technically brilliant. But, on the other hand, we're playing in our stadium, in front of our great fans. The atmosphere will be hot. Arsenal play all the time in packed stadiums, but they're not used to such an atmosphere. We must rise above ourselves and give more than 100%."

Effort and spirit are Stanojevic's watch words. Training is tougher than it used to be; Mladen Krstajic, the veteran centre-back, defied doctors to play in Donetsk with a broken nose, and even Ilic, a player appreciated for his technical rather than his physical attributes, has shown a markedly improved work-rate. And when players have strayed, Stanojevic has been quick to crack down. Until recently, Partizan's key player had been Moreira, a playmaker from Guinea-Bissau (although he holds Portuguese citizenship). He was their highest-paid player (reportedly on £7,000 a week), and had helped them to three successive league titles.

He wanted to leave in the summer, apparently angered that he hadn't been given the captaincy, but either there was no concrete offer or Partizan demanded too high a fee, and he has seemed disillusioned this season. There was friction on the flight back from Brussels to Belgrade after the penalty shoot-out victory over Anderlecht in the third qualifying round, as he tried to sleep while others celebrated, and there have even been suggestions that he has made more of recent injuries than was justified. This month he even turned out for the reserves and, although he is theoretically back in contention for the Arsenal game, he is unlikely to play.

For others, though, just to be on the same pitch as Arsenal is a thrill. Ilic, in particular, is a fan of the way Arsenal play. "Apart from Barcelona," he said, "they're the team I most enjoy watching. They play perfect football. Sometimes they even try to walk with the ball into the goal, which sometimes cost them. They've got many excellent players: Arshavin, Rosicky, Nasri and Fábregas are the ones I like the most. They are extra-terrestrials."

West Bromwich Albion brought them down to earth on Saturday and, while Arsenal are clear favourites, it is possible Partizan could do the same.

Source: Jonathan Wilson, The Guardian on 28 Sep 10

Partizan Belgrade vs Arsenal

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will miss Tuesday's Champions League trip to Partizan Belgrade with an elbow injury.

Almunia, who was at fault for two goals as the Gunners lost 3-2 at home to West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday, will be replaced by Lukasz Fabianski.

"The whole squad was very low after the weekend but I believe we will play well on Tuesday," said boss Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners are still without the injured trio of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie.

Full-back Kieran Gibbs will undergo a fitness test on Monday before the Arsenal squad flies out to Belgrade.

Arsenal started their European campaign with a 6-0 home win against Braga and Wenger, who says he would not have dropped Almunia had he been fit, is looking for a quick response to Saturday's calamitous defeat by West Brom.

"There is always an easy target, an easy scapegoat," added the Gunners manager. "But I believe we win together and we lose together.

"Even if people think Manuel made a mistake on the second goal, we made a few before that as well as a team, so we all have to stand up for what happened.

"Manuel is very low, he was disappointed to have lost the game. Everyone felt the same, because we had a good opportunity and we didn't take it.

"But we are a good side and we will bounce back and I think we will have a good game in Belgrade."

Almunia's injury gives Fabianski another chance to stake his claim to be Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper.

The Pole played in last week's 4-1 Carling Cup victory over Tottenham but was beaten by a relatively tame strike from Robbie Keane as Spurs equalised to send the match into extra-time.

"I believe in his talent," said Wenger. "He gets another opportunity to show how good he is.

"There is only one way to show confidence in a player and that is to put him on the pitch and give him his chance."

Partizan, who lead the Serbian championship, drew 0-0 with Spartak Subotica on Sunday, having lost 1-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk in their first game in the group stage of the Champions League.

They will be looking to Serbian international midfielder Sasa Ilic and Brazil-born striker Cleo to do the damage at the Stadion FK Partizan.

"What I expect is for Partizan to play a highly passionate game and to try to catch us on the break," said Wenger.

"They have the traditional strengths of Serbian teams - they are intelligent, with a good technique and in the final third, if you give them room they are always dangerous.

"Overall what I believe is the most dangerous for us is that they win the duels, play at a high pace and we are not prepared for that.

"I believe the collective drive that they have going forward could be dangerous for us."

Source: BBC Sport on 27 Sep 10

Arsenal draw Shakhtar, Braga and Partizan

The draw for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage has been made.

Arsenal will take on Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Braga and Partizan Belgrade in Group H.

Below are brief profiles of the three sides, with links to their official websites.

Shakhtar Donetsk
Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk qualified directly for the Group Stage and are already seven games into their domestic league season. Former Arsenal striker Eduardo has scored twice in three appearances for Shakhtar.

Sporting Braga
Sporting Braga came second in the Portuguese Liga last season and defeated Sevilla 5-3 on aggregate in their play-off match to reach the Group Stage.

Partizan Belgrade
Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade qualified for the Group Stage after defeating Anderlecht on penalties in their play-off. Both legs had ended 2-2. It is their first appearance in the Champions League for seven years.

Source: Arsenal.com on 26 Aug 10