Almunia
Sagna Toure Senderos Clichy
Flamini Fabregas Denilson Diaby
van Persie Bendtner
Sagna Toure Senderos Clichy
Flamini Fabregas Denilson Diaby
van Persie Bendtner
The defence is only one player short of the strongest possible but in midfield Wenger fielded four central midfielders. Obviously, there was very little width, with Clichy's dynamic forward runs providing the only real use of the wings.
Sagna looks solid but doesn't provide the offensive threat of Eboue.
Van Persie looks hungry as ever but has been battling Armand for the entire first half and is lucky not to have been booked as yet. I admire his passion but he needs to be smart too and curb his enthusiasm at times. He can only be Arsenal's number one striker if he's on the pitch and needless bookings from silly tackles will only get him suspensions and increase his chance of injury.
Arsenal had little threat on the PSG goal in the first half but broke the deadlock with only seconds to go. Clichy played a long cross ontpo the right corner of the penalty box where Bendtner chested down the ball into the path of Flamini who took the ball well and slid it into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
Arsenal need a spark of inventiveness in the second half and an injection of pace as Clichy is the only player apart from van Persie who looks up to full speed.
The Gunners have the following players unavailable for this match:
Walcott
Adebayor
Rosicky
Djourou
Song
Eduardo
Gilberto
And these players are on the bench:
Fabianski
Gallas Hoyte Traore Eboue
Barazite Gibbs Randall Lansbury Hleb
Murphy
The following players started the second half:
Almunia
Hoyte Gallas Senderos Traore
Eboue Denilson Diaby Hleb
van Persie Bendtner
And Denilson just sprained his ankle... great!? It's ok, he's running it off?
Hleb injected much needed pace in the second half and Arsenal looked more dangerous. Bendtner spurned two good chances before he rose like a salmon to meet a cross, which rebounded back for him to poke home. Arsenal led two nil before Galles was done by a goal similar to the classic Zola backflick at the near post.
Later on Hleb was felled in the penalty area but Bendtner hit a weak penalty. It was a shame because Arsenal deserved the 3-1 win.
