Champions League - Eduardo seals Arsenal win

Eurosport - Thu, 17 Sep 09:28:00 2009

Eduardo scored a late winner as Arsenal staged a second-half comeback to win 3-2 at Standard Liege in their Champions League Group H opener.

Arsenal's Eduardo scores against Standard Liege in Champions League, FOOTBALL - 0

Arsenal found themselves two down inside five minutes with Eliaquim Mangala's low drive followed by a Milan Jovanovic penalty.

Nicklas Bendtner pulled one back on the stroke of half-time before a controversial Thomas Vermaelen equaliser after 79 minutes.

Just two minutes later Cesc Fabregas's corner hit the knee cap of the Gunners striker and flew into the back of the net for the winner.

It completed a crazy night for Eduardo, who won his appeal against a two-match ban imposed by UEFA for diving in the qualifying game against Celtic, as he made a schoolboy error inside two minutes to gift the Belgians the lead.

Arsenal rookie goalkeeper Vito Mannone, making just his second senior appearance, had a baptism of fire as Arsenal only half cleared a corner before Eduardo attempted an audacious flick 25 yards from his own goal. The loose ball fell to Mangala whose left-footed drive nestled in the back of the net.

And the Champions League debutants were in dreamland soon after when Jovanovic cut inside William Gallas and referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez from Spain awarded a penalty after the slightest of touches.

Jovanovic sent Italian rookie Mannone the wrong way with the 27,000-capacity crowd at the Maurice Dufrasne Stadium now in raptures.

The visitors, who won by a record 7-0 scoreline in 1993 on their last visit to Liege, failed to find their feet as they were hurried and hustled by the hosts with their passing particularly profligate.

But they got a vital goal going into the break as Abou Diaby's fine run ended with an astute pass into the path of Bendtner whose low strike from the right channel went between the legs of keeper Sinan Bolat.

However the Londoners, who had won just one of their last seven away games in the Champions League, started the second period as they had begun the first and a dreadful back pass from Alex Song, which was intended for Gallas, was picked up by Dieudonne Mbokani and the Cameroon midfielder was lucky that Gael Clichy was quick enough to get around on the cover to block the shot.

At the other end Mangala made a perfectly timed tackle as an inch perfect long ball from Tomas Rosicky, making a welcome first start since January 2008, put Bendtner clean through on goal.

The Gunners were largely restricted to long-range efforts until they equalised with a very scrappy and controversial goal.

Fabregas's deep free-kick clearly struck the arm of Song. That kept the ball in play and he hooked across the face of the goal for Belgian international Vermaelen to bundle home from close range.

Eduardo was then denied by a superb diving Bolat save before Vermaelen saw a backheel hacked off the line by Marcos Camozzato in a frenetic spell before the winner came to earn Arsene Wenger's side three precious points.

Lee Walker / Eurosport

Comment 200 - 219 of 219

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  1. #243:
    alex song hasn't been playing very well the­ last couple games [like clichy], but arsenal need him.­ they have no-one else to play his role.
    Pre season and­ the end of last season, he was amazing!
    He was the­ difference.

    From s0nicpirateiero, on Thu 17 Sep 6:35PM

  2. AW is a good manager but tell him with need a good­ striker and avery good mid feilder to help d young team­ ­ ­ ­ HAJI B

    From Waheed, on Thu 17 Sep 2:41PM

  3. Is it just me, or is Alex Song the luckiest man alive.­ I mean, he gets to wear an Arsenal shirt every week!­ Lets be clear here, Paul Davis, John Jenson, Patrick­ Vieira he aint. Jesus, the blokes a donkey who­ can't pass, well not to his team mates anyway,­ can't tackle and can't shoot for toffee. Sorry­ to go on, but he's useless. Feel mean for sounding­ off as he seems like a nice bloke, however he­ doesn't deserve his spot in the side.
    I thought­ this was meant to be Diaby's year. He likes playing­ in a central role, so AW should try him in the holding­ role, at least he can pass a ball, and forward as well,­ not like Song who can only pass either sideways or­ backwards.
    If we play this bad on Saturday, we'll­ be turned over by Wigan as well!!!

    From papapavlouandrew, on Thu 17 Sep 1:30PM

  4. i am a arsenal suporter i think no champions cups or­ league we will finnish 7 th spend some money you tight­ git no use buying in januery when we are 20 points­ adrift we would have been a lot closer if ashavin had­ been bought in august

    From holton211, on Thu 17 Sep 1:03PM

  5. I saw on TV­­ they gave me an excellence and never­ give­ up­­ performence until at the end of the match.I­ am­ very­­ proud for being an ARS fans.

    From Kah Wai, on Thu 17 Sep 12:52PM

  6. we were very lucky arsenvenger you should have bought a­ goalkeeper weare conceding to many goals almunia is­ dodgy come for balls he should leave and does come for­ balls he should gallas is not a good defender he thinks­ he a centerfoward diaby is a donkey eboue is another­ donkey senderos is crapp ventner will never be a good­ striker he is without class denielson gives the ball­ away to many times you did not buy some players now we­ got lots of injuries and no depth in squad while im­ haveing a moan sell walcott to man city because he may­ run fast but afootballer he is not arsenal for ever

    From holton211, on Thu 17 Sep 12:51PM

  7. Nigerian Yussuf scores for Ukrainian side, Algerian­ Bougherra scores for Scottish champions, get the­ African flavour on a big European night @­ africaplays.come

    From Kenneth O, on Thu 17 Sep 12:03PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:43AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:42AM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:42AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:41AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:40AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    EDOUARDO THE DIVA... EDOUARDO THE DIVA...EDOUARDO THE­ DIVA... AHAHAHAHAAAA

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 17 Sep 11:40AM

  14. number 219 is grammatically incorrect

    From xian, on Thu 17 Sep 10:49AM

  15. man u supporters keep you mouths shut

    From musaka, on Thu 17 Sep 10:44AM

  16. man u supporters keep you mouths shut

    From musaka, on Thu 17 Sep 10:44AM

  17. man u supporters keep you mouths shut

    From musaka, on Thu 17 Sep 10:36AM

  18. Waoh i was stunned when i saw the score line at­ 3-2.what the hell went wrong with liege?wap naija­ cheats@9jawapp.wapka.mobi

    From ikenna, on Thu 17 Sep 10:18AM

  19. useless

    From paulquinn31, on Thu 17 Sep 10:11AM

  20. Again people only wanting to see what they want to see,­ shane you say it should of ended 2-1 cause eduardo in­ your eyes shouldnt have been playing, but then he would­ not of been there to make the mistake that lead to­ lieges first goal, the offside/hand ball, firstly the­ ball does not make contact with the head of eduardo­ and as stated by others, goes straight to Song, hand­ ball is when the hand goes to the ball, in this case he­ had his arm out for balance and the ball went to his­ arm, its a thing called momentum and how the body­ shifts to maintain an upright position, thus not­ handball, good comeback by the better team who by­ skysports stats had 70percent possesion during the­ entire match, not good enough in terms of performance,­ Eduardo has been found not Guilty in the end and should­ no longer receive critism when a panel of his peers­ finds him not guilty, did anyone see the guy dive for­ zurich to win the penalty against real madrid, why are­ the media and you media lap dogs not going ape @#$%­ about him hmm? just another day of hypocritical @#$%.

    From fuzzyfunkuk, on Thu 17 Sep 9:51AM
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