FC Twente 0 Arsenal 2
Gallas 63
Adebayor 82
Denilson-Ramsey flopped in the first half, so Arsenal had no rhythm or fluency in their passing.
As many Gooners had feared, Twente was a test too far for a midfield containing three babies.
FC Twente, making their Champions League debut at the home of neighbours Vitesse Arnhem, outplayed Arsenal, maintained a brisk tempo, but missed chances, with Arnautovic, an Austrian, the most guilty forward. Some hard tackles were flying in, which upset Arsene. It was a pressure match and his team was stuttering, big time.
After 63, Robin van Persie hit an inswinging free-kick from the right and the Twente defence allowed the ball to bounce seven yards from their goal, and Gallas timed his diagonal run perfectly and lifted his right boot to sidefoot the ball as it bounced again. However, the ball bounced higher than he wanted and hit his leg. But it dribbled over the line and into the corner of the net. A scruffy but vital goal by the captain. Gallas is good at scoring in tight games, especially from set-pieces.
That goal, aided by shambolic, amateurish defending, got Arsene out of jail.
Near the end, Gallas aimed a fine long ball at Adebayor, who was standing still, not looking for it, but the pass released Walcott, and his square pass put the ball on a plate for Adebayor, whose shot went off the leg of the advancing keeper for 2-0.
Arsenal were fitter than Twente, as we all figured. Over the 90, that was important.
Aaron Ramsey is a very good kid who started 19 games for Cardiff. This was his Arsenal debut. He will have better nights and many of them. Arsene being Arsene, I wouldn’t put it past him to play Denilson-Ramsey in central midfield against West Brom on Saturday. I wouldn’t, you wouldn’t, but he might.
There’s a lot more we could say.
But let’s draw a veil over this one.
Let’s file it under : Result better than performance.
FC TWENTE (4-3-3): Boschker; Wilkshire, Douglas, Wielaert, Braafheid; Janssen, Brama, Tiote; Denneboom, Arnautovic (Gerritsen, 90), Elia (Huysegems, 86). Subs not used: Paauwe (gk), Zomer, Heubach, Wellenberg, Chery.
ARSENAL (4-4-2): Almunia; Sagna, Gallas, Djourou, Clichy; Eboué, Denilson, Ramsey, Walcott (Randall, 84); Van Persie (Bendtner, 88), Adebayor. Subs not used: Fabianski (gk), Vela, Wilshere, Hoyte, Gibbs.
Referee: Mr. Mallenco (Spain).