Partizan Belgrade 1 Arsenal 3
Arshavin 15, Cleo 33 pen, Chamakh 71, Squillaci 82
A tale of three penalties ended with Arsenal winning 3-1 against ten men.
Wilshere and Arshavin opened Partizan up five or six times in the first half, as I hoped.
Arshavin was sharp and ebullient.
He scored the first goal after a one-two with Wilshere. Tiny passes, fierce shot.
Arshavin poked a ball away from a defender to Wilshere, got the return, hit the keeper’s chest. Later, when Arshavin was tackled, the ball broke for the alert Rosicky, making a diagonal spurt, but his shot was saved too. Then Arshavin headed on to Chamakh, followed up, lobbed the keeper neatly and saw his shot cleared off the line.
The stocky Russian has phenomenal vision and magnetic ball-control. A genius and an enigma. In a team that could defend, Arshavin’s goals would mean more and he would be more motivated.
DENILSON made a very risky tackle from behind in the box that looked like a penalty. But he got away with it. Then he handled in 33. You can do that in midfield but not in the box. German ref Herr Stark was close to the incident and saw it and gave a penalty. Cleo gently sent Fabianski the wrong way
SONG thinks he’s better than he is. He looks ridiculous and should sue his hairdresser.
FABIANSKI is 25 now and not a kid. He was OK. He wasn’t shaky.
Score at half-time was 1-1.
Second half was sleepy until Marko Jovanovic was sent off in 56 for bringing down Chamakh after he ran onto a defence-splitting pass from Arshavin. The Russian then took one of the worst penalties in Arsenal’s recent history, hitting keeper Stojkovic’s leg.
Later on Stojkovic did well to save Arshavin’s deflected shot.
When Sagna gave Wilshere a hospital ball around the hour, the teenager was whacked severely from behind. Even a player as tough as Jack can’t take too much of that. Sloppy, sloppy pass by Sagna. Terrible. More craft needed, more concentration, more disguise. Passes like that can put you on a stretcher.
Arsenal really need the steely artistry of Jack Wilshere, so his careless teammates should protect him more.
Without Fabregas there to create chances, Arshavin and Wilshere had to open up Partisan and they did that in Belgrade. Big game for Jack and he played well.
In 71, Chamakh headed a Rosicky cross against the bar and followed up to nod in the rebound for 2-1.
Nasri and Vela came on for Wilshere and Chamakh.
Squillaci headed in Nasri’s inswinging corner for 3-1.
A Gibbs challenge on raiding right back Stevanovic was just outside the box but a penalty was given and this time Fabianski saved from Cleo, diving to his left. A harsh award. Soft penalties are saved more often than they’re scored, I reckon. You see it again and again.
Wenger had rested Nasri and Koscielny for Sunday’s game at Chelsea, so when the team were announced it looked like a 4-4-1-1, a system I like a lot. That set-up served Arsenal very well in the early Bergkamp years.
Djourou was off the pace. With six changes from the West Brom game, Arsenal’s teamwork was disjointed and their defending was comical early on. Strangers in the night
Bottom line, Arsenal won 3-1 and Shakhtar Donetsk won 3-0 at Braga, so Group H looks sorted after only two games. Pub defending by Braga, who have yet to score a goal.
In Amsterdam, a lovely nutmeg by Luis Suarez on Nesta to set up Ajax’s first goal against AC Milan. Seedorf gave Ibra the pass for 1-1. Second half was goalless.
Late goals elsewhere, with sub Di Maria making the difference for Real Madrid at Auxerre in 81 minutes, Auxerre, like Ajax, are a lot better than Braga or Partizan.
Did you know that Kevin -Prince Boateng is now playing regularly for Milan?
He’a getting more starts than Flamini ever did. KPB is ex Spurs and Portsmouth and was magnificent for unlucky Ghana in the World Cup, although I neglected to mention how well he was playing.