Champions League qualifier: Arsenal 4 FC Twente 0 [6-0 on aggregate]
The eleventh consecutive season in the Champions League is some achievement – easily taken for granted.
The Twente return leg, although a bit stop-start was a game of small but fascinating cameos, particularly for Walcott and Bendtner who fought through ‘difficulties’ to come good in the end.
It was a great chance to put on a performance and wash Fulham out of the system.
Bendtner started in place of Adebayor, Djourou instead of Toure, and Fabregas for Eboue. The crowd roared early on when Walcott got hold of the ball. He was blocked.
Bendtner could have scored from a van Persie inswinging corner, but somehow stopped. Both incidents showed the players’ latent potential.
In a continuation of the Fulham game, Denilson hit it straight out of play and then performed a suicidal turn on the edge of his own area, which would have been punished in later rounds. Twente though have an attack full of rubber teeth and failed to capitalize.
Sagna sent in a good ball but Bendtner was a bit slow but a least got a free kick.
Van Persie got his free kick on target – saved by Mihaylov.
A Janssen free kick travelled dangerously into the area and Douglas could have scored but jumped out of the way. It was a reminder of Arsenal’s latent defensive frailties at set pieces.
Walcott skipped a challenge and won a corner.
Nasri got hold of the ball on the left and exchanged passes cutting in. It was this piece of play which lit up the proceedings – taking it to a new level..
Van Persie was bundled off the ball. He spent a lot of the time on the ground raising the question: is he getting muscled out of it too easily?
Walcott beat his full back Huebach and then sent in a wildly underhit pass.
Fabregas then went on a cameo run in the Twente area showing Arsenal fans what the team had been missing, setting up Van Persie who shot wildly over.
Centre back Wielaert cycnically took out Bendtner on a run and was rightly booked.
And Van Persie found himself on the floor again from a cross.
On 26, Walcott skinned Huebach on the right and sent in low into the area. Van Persie knocked it into the path of Nasri who dummied – beating three defenders in one move, aimed to shoot one way but slotted it the other, coolly past Mihaylov. It had echoes of West Brom. And more evidence he will provide far more goals than Hleb [who Reuters say went to Barca for £28m including performance related payments!]
Fabregas set up Bendtner – but he stumbled.
Walcott then knocked a great ball to Van Persie but he shot wide from an easy chance. He’s off form.
A neat Bendtner back heel in the area saw Walcott fouled. He could have gone over for a penalty, but he carried on – and it came to nothing.
A Danneboom header across goal reminded Arsenal to keep concentration in defence.
Eboue came on for Nasri for the start of the second.
From a Gallas run the ball rebounded up for Bendtner whose shot rebounded off Mikalov for the captain to tap in. Welcome relief for the beleagured Frenchman.
But soon after TWO Twente players, Tiote and Douglas got a chance of free header in front of goal from a corner. Howard Wilkinson once said 60% of goals come from set pieces and if defender gets the first touch it reduces the oppositions’ chance of scoring by 90%.
Almunia, reminding us of bygone days, ran out of his goal to wildly to try to collect a ball when clearly should not have.
Then, at the other end, the ball took a lucky break off Bendtner into Walcott’s path. He beat one defender with his instant acceleration and his shot curled a la Henry low into the far corner.
Bendtner missed a chance wanting too much time.
But as if to make amends at the death, Adebayor, who came on for Van Persie, passed to the Dane in the area. Denilson picked up the loose ball and sent a wonderful back-heel [he needed that to wash away the last game] to Bendtner who got what he deserved, like Walcott for a good battling performance.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Djourou, Clichy, Gallas, Walcott, Fabregas [Song 66], Denilson, Nasri [Eboue 45], Bendtner, Van Persie [Adebayor 64]. Substitutes: Vela, Ramsey, Fabianski, Toure
FC Twente: Mihaylov, Wilaert, Braafheid [Rajkovic], Brama, Elia, Denneboom, Huysegems, Heubach [Wellenberg 45], Tiote, Douglas, Janssen,