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..:: Deficiente-Forum - Internacional ::.. => English => Noticias Internacionais => Sport => Tópico iniciado por: RoterTeufel em 07/03/2012, 15:21
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ARSENAL 3 AC MILAN 0: WENGER BRAVES ARE OUT AFTER A THRILLER
ARSENAL came agonisingly close to becoming The Unbelievables last night.
The Gunners went gung-ho as they did their utmost to overhaul a 4-0 first leg defeat against mighty Milan.
It was almost the greatest comeback ever in the Champions League.
But after a sensational first half in which they scored three goals, their superhuman efforts took their toll after the break.
And in truth, it was Milan who looked most likely to score as the clock ran down and killed off the dream.
That did not stop boss Arsene Wenger being furious at the officials for awarding just three minutes of stoppage-time.
The Frenchman, unlike the cynics, never stopped believing.
He had pointed out on the eve of the game Milan were on the end of the previous worst Champions League reversal.
They had gone out 5-4 on aggregate to Deportivo La Coruna eight years ago – the season Arsenal became the Invincibles – after winning 4-1 at home. He also argued Milan might feel they just had to turn up and defend well to go through.
Well, they turned up but they did not defend well in the first half.
The first example came after seven minutes when Laurent Koscielny was allowed to drift away from Mark van Bommel, who ran into static team-mate Philippe Mexes, and nod in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s corner at the near post.
In the 10th minute Theo Walcott put in Robin van Persie, whose shot with his right foot from a tight angle was kept out by Christian Abbiati’s boot.
But Arsenal should have done better when an error by Urby Emanuelson saw him present the ball to Tomas Rosicky.
He passed to Van Persie, rather than go towards goal and the return ball was played in behind the Czech Republic star. But the second did come in the 26th minute.
Thiago Silva’s awful clearance from a Walcott cross went straight to Rosicky. He curled in a side-footed drive which Abbiati could only push inside his left-hand post.
There was hardly any celebration from the Arsenal No.7, who knew much more was required, although keeper Wojciech Szczesny went wild at the other end.
The Gunners were given more hope in the 42nd minute. Djamel Mesbah turned his back on Oxlade-Chamberlain and bundled him over in a sandwich with Antonio Nocerino – and after a long pause ref Damir Skomina gave a penalty.
Van Persie kept cool to smash the spot-kick halfway up the net to the left of Abbiati for his 32nd goal of the season.
Milan should have scored a crucial away goal – which would have left the north Londoners needing to score six – before the break when Robinho’s run allowed him to set up Stephan El Shaarawy in the box but he cut his shot well.
It was a rare attempt by the Serie A outfit, who bizarrely seemed to want to play in slow-motion even when a quick break was an option.
In contrast the Arsenal players were inspired and inspiring, lifting the home support time and again with pulsating runs, perfect tackling and crisp passing.
Only superb keeping by Abbiati denied Arsenal a fourth in the 59th minute.
Van Bommel was robbed by the excellent Rosicky, who sent Gervinho away.
His shot was blocked by Abbiati with his legs, after it took a deflection off Mexes, and then the keeper reacted amazingly to deny Van Persie’s follow-up chip and eventually smother the ball.
Wenger sat hunched on the bench, knowing that reaching the quarter-finals would make all the barbs about a seven-year trophy drought go away for a long time.
His heart must have been in his mouth in the 63rd minute when Szczesny’s silly pass to Alex Song allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pounce. But with the keeper scrambling back, the Sweden international shot wide.
And in the 77th minute Nocerino somehow managed to prod a shot straight at Szczesny from a couple of yards when he was set up by sub Alberto Aquilani.
It seemed like it a sign Arsenal might be about to produce an historic night.
But there was nothing left in the Gunners’ tank and Van Persie will probably have woken up this morning thinking about what might have been if he had managed to lift his shot on the hour over Abbiati.
The worry now is that the Dutchman will be off in the summer.
So the next miracle Wenger needs to pull off is to keep his star striker and rebuild Arsenal into a team that can challenge for major honours again.