Champions League - Arsenal cruise past Celtic

Eurosport - Thu, 27 Aug 09:06:00 2009

Goals from Eduardo, Emmanuel Eboue and Andrei Arshavin have given Arsenal a 3-1 Champions League play-off second-leg win over Celtic at the Emirates, putting the Premier League club into the group stages with a 5-1 aggregate victory.

FOOTBALL Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue (center) celebrates scoring his sides second goal of the game against Celtic with teammates Bacary Sagna (right) and Da Silva Eduardo (left) - 0

A controversial first-half penalty from Eduardo effectively killed the tie, which the Gunners had led 2-0 from the first leg in Glasgow.

Eboue doubled the lead seven minutes into the second half while, moments after coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute, Russia star Arshavin turned and fired home.

Massimo Donati scored a wonderful consolation goal, a far-post volley deep into injury time that gave Celtic fans something to cheer on an otherwise dominant evening for the London side.

Arsenal, who were without the injured Cesc Fabregas and initially kept Arshavin and Robin van Persie on the bench, were the better team in the first half but there was a sour taste about the manner in which they took the lead.

Having missed a sitter on nine minutes when he put wide of an open goal, Croatia international Eduardo hurled himself to the floor after a heavy touch into the box took the ball past Artur Boruc in the Celtic goal.

Boruc did rush out, anticipating a shorter ball, but he checked his block to avoid contact with the Brazilian-born striker.

It did not matter to Eduardo, who had already begun his ascent, and it mattered even less to Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez, who pointed to the spot to the shock of Celtic and Boruc in particular.

Whether Eduardo dived or slipped is debatable, but Boruc did not appear to touch the player, who dusted himself off to roll a cool penalty to the left of the Polish goalkeeper on 28 minutes.

Eduardo - who has now scored five goals in seven games since returning from a horrific leg-break - missed another good chance four minutes later. Alex Song slid a superb low ball to Bacary Sagna, who was in acres of space on the right wing and fizzed a low cross that his team-mate could only toe-poke past the post.

For all of Arsenal's pretty possession, Celtic looked dangerous on the break with Aiden McGeady particularly bright with the ball at his feet.

The SPL leaders had a 40th-minute goal correctly disallowed when Scott McDonald strayed offside before finishing Marc-Antoine Fortune's low, far-post cross, while McGeady put a low drive wide from the edge of the box.

Arsenal had two more opportunities to double their lead before the break, but Eduardo's curler was well-saved by Boruc and - from the corner that followed - Niklas Bendtner headed inches wide when he should have scored.

The second half saw Celtic go close early on, but McGeady's ambitious shot whistled just wide with Manuel Almunia beaten.

After that it was all Arsenal again.

Eduardo had his third bad miss when, after a 49th-minute counter attack left the injured Darren O'Dea upfield, he slipped into the area but snatched at the finish with his weaker right foot, sending the ball well wide.

It did not matter because, within two minutes, Eboue doubled Arsenal's lead on the night when a glorious backheel from Bendtner allowed Abou Diaby to find the Ivorian, who steadied himself before shooting fiercely into the bottom left.

With the aggregate score now 4-0, Hoops boss Tony Mowbray rested McGeady and Shaun Maloney, while his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger brought on Arshavin and the highly-rated 17-year-old Jack Wilshere.

Arshavin did not take long to make a mark, spinning into space in the area and sliding an impudent finish into the bottom left 60 seconds.

Denilson and Scott Brown argued their way to pointless bookings after Wilshire caught Willo Flood, and the match faded until Donati lashed home a spectacular volley that meant nothing but will be a candidate for goal of the season.

Arsenal now enter Thursday's group stage draw in Monaco, while Celtic have to be content with a slot in the Europa League.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 203 - 222 of 222

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  1. Arsenal were the better side...which makes that dive­ even more infuriating...and he shoulda had his other­ leg broken for that celebration afterwards.

    From seaniebhoy163, on Thu 27 Aug 9:46PM

  2. gaz ya baw bag! scumgers are the best team in the spl­ ??
    tell me how many titles theyve won in the past eight­ years and how many weve won ya english pr ick

    From GLASGOW REPUBLICAN, on Thu 27 Aug 8:49PM

  3. Go Arsenal!

    From gazyounglive, on Thu 27 Aug 7:47PM

  4. To "glasgow republican"... if you love the­ irish republic so much why don't you get on the­ tattie boat bach home to dublin!

    Rangers are the best­ team in the SPL... even they fell down to Arsenal in a­ friendly!

    From gazyounglive, on Thu 27 Aug 7:46PM

  5. You celtic supporters just never get it do you!!! How­ can you be soooo pathetic, SCORTISH futeball is­ finished, just listen to me guys, stay up north in your­ little bubble where you belong!!!

    From What-a-Load-of-Rubbish-U-Lot, on Thu 27 Aug 6:21PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    CELTIC are a far bigger club than arsenal always have­ been always will be!!!
    the fact that you's english­ scum draw more money in and can pay higher wages dosnt­ make yer club special yer havin a laugh!! POOR FANS!! ­ (OUT SUNG AT HOME!!) POOR HISTORY!!
    if we where on the­ say income as you's we would tare you an new ar­ se!!
    HAIL HAIL
    TIOCFAIDH AR LA!!

    From GLASGOW REPUBLICAN, on Thu 27 Aug 5:04PM

  7. Eduardo's DIVE;
    It sickens me to hear that FIFA­ wants to discipline Eduardo for diving in Arsenal­ Celtic march yesterday. May I ask FIFA if the refree­ and his assistants were blind at the time of the­ incident? If Celtic goalkeeper had commited that­ offence, why was he not given a yellow or red card and­ be sent away? FIFA, please be warned how you defend­ your refrees in a case of this nature.
    Although we are­ all humans and do make mistake but if anyone should be­ punished, it should be the refree and his assistants as­ none of them was able to correct the refree at that­ horrible error.
    From Chidi London 27-08-2009 at­ 16.35

    From chidiogbonnia, on Thu 27 Aug 4:33PM

  8. no matter eduardo dive or not. arsenal still win that­ game right..so to man utd fan just shut-up and wait­ till this saturday to see the real arsenal character

    From khairil, on Thu 27 Aug 1:35PM

  9. im a gunner supporter through and through but i got to­ ask all you lot, why do you all seem to think that we­ are going to do well this season just coz we've won­ 4 games so far ? we've beaten 2 @#$% teams in the­ prem and ok we beat celtic which as a result looks­ good. but 3 out of our 5 goals were lucky. don't­ get me wrong we did deserve to win but we desperately­ need a few signings . a good striker and another good­ attacking midfielder to get us anywhere near man u ,­ liverpool and chelsea. what is wrong with wenger surely­ he can see that we need good players not just the kids.­ whers our Rooney,torres or drogba ? if he don't­ make the signings we ar going to finnish embarrasingly­ behind spurs and that should never happen !!! wot do­ you think ?

    From Steve H, on Thu 27 Aug 1:20PM

  10. theres only one tony mobray....one tony­ mowbray....walking along singing his song..
    walking in­ a mowbray wonderland...........hail hail 360 minutes in­ europe ha ha....
    the saviour...the messiah....hail­ mogga...you poor deluded hoops...how much has that cost­ you...rock on arsenal and thanks for stuffing­ him..BOING BOING BAGGIES

    From KENNETH K, on Thu 27 Aug 1:11PM

  11. theres only one tony mobray....one tony­ mowbray....walking along singing his song..
    walking in­ a mowbray wonderland...........hail hail 360 minutes in­ europe ha ha....
    the saviour...the messiah....hail­ mogga...you poor deluded hoops...how much has that cost­ you...rock on arsenal and thanks for stuffing­ him..BOING BOING BAGGIES

    From KENNETH K, on Thu 27 Aug 1:09PM

  12. Comment 231. Eduardo is a cheating scumbag! Also Celtic­ isnt the Scottish Champions lol!!! Get your facts­ right!

    From ian, on Thu 27 Aug 1:04PM

  13. to #265 Michael M - get your facts right a***hole. ­ Pires got caught diving ONCE against Portsmouth and AW­ was so embarrased he DROPPED Pires for 6 games PLUS the­ return to Portsmouth. Thats why even though all the­ anti arsenal press drag up that dive every single time­ the topic is raised you never hear Harry Redknapp­ mention it. Yes the dive looked bad on the telly last­ night and maybe he should face a 2 match ban BUT only­ if it applies to EVERY player who dives!! we were­ robbed twice last year by blantant dives from Ronaldo­ and Drogba but nothing was ever raised about that. ­ Every forward in that position would have anticipated a­ contact from teh keeper and gone down. It only looked­ so bad because the keeper was amazing in pulling out of­ that tackle on that wet ground. Most other keeper­ would have gone into him

    From basil_boots, on Thu 27 Aug 12:24PM

  14. UP Gunners 4 Live.Keep it up Wenger Arsenal shall go­ unbeating this season.

    From Chris, on Thu 27 Aug 11:12AM

  15. CELTIC WER OUTCLASSED LAST NITE IT WAS LIKE TAKING­ SWEETIES FROM A WEAN ARSENAL TREATED IT LIKE A TRAINING­ SESSION COM ON CELTIC GET A GRIP

    From Stephen, on Thu 27 Aug 10:47AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Arsenal have taken the councelling they recieved for­ being the most boring boring team in the world to the­ other extreme,and brought in a whole bunch of diving­ circus acts.Startin with the worst of them all,the­ grand master of diving.Robert Pires.A grand master of­ cheating to teach his new grasshoppers.

    From MICHAEL M, on Thu 27 Aug 10:37AM

  17. All of a sudden, it seems foreigners are tainting the­ game and Arsenal are bonifide cheats. May I suggest you­ watch the video 'STEVEN GERRARD, THE HYPOCRITE'­ and see what serial diving is. Drogba and Ronaldo have­ never been attacked this way following an incident. BUT­ THEN, PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE SHORT-TERM, SELECTIVE­ MEMORIES.

    I think it is APPALLING AND EXTREMELY NAIVE­ for any team to think they can win a 2-legged tie with­ ONLY 2 SHOTS ON TARGET....And this same team would like­ to play in the EPL. I'm sure the­ drubbing/humbling/teaching/brushing would have been­ worse with Arshavin, RVP or even Wilshire (Yes)­ starting.

    From se1021an, on Thu 27 Aug 10:15AM

  18. Ok ok ok! it was a dive, so minus one goal.What does it­ give us? 4-1 agg.Meaning? Arsenal are still better, The­ Gunners gunned down the Hoops. Anyway i wish Mc Geady­ was a Gunner coz hes good.Wish you the Best in the­ Europa.

    From namukolo, on Thu 27 Aug 10:06AM

  19. why has my comment been censored???????????

    From se1021an, on Thu 27 Aug 9:56AM

  20. Eduardo is a better diver compare to ronaldo,he was so­ perfect the way he normally dives anyway is part of the­ game but must be very careful. i wish them well and­ hope to have a better draw for the next stage

    From oyedeji, on Thu 27 Aug 9:31AM
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