Arsenal 2 Lokomotiv Moscow 0: Loko derailed but still on track

Pires - Broke the deadlock

Apparently some anorak had calculated that there were nine different permutations to determine first and second place in Group B. But in short we needed a win or both matches to be drawn, so brown trousers were the order of the day.

In the sort of weather that should have made the Moscow Lokomotiv players feel at home our biggest match of the season got under way as Slovakian referee L Michel started proceedings with the rare occurrence of Arsenal attacking the North Stand in the first half. Early doors there were quite a few feet left in by the men in green and black that were not spotted the ref but woe betide any Arsenal man who raised his foot more than six inches off the deck no matter how cleanly he won the tackle. A trip on Patrick by Khokhlov set up a long range free kick for Henry who got it around the wall and on target. Pat was a tad off his best early on but Henry and Dennis who were playing very centrally were combining well. A good break with Freddie almost through saw him dragged back by Lekgetho and a deserved yellow card followed.

Theirry’s free kick from the wrong side, our right, eventually won a corner. With twelve minutes played a ball on for Henry on our right was cut back neatly for Pires on a late run to angle a shot home for the opening goal. 1-0 Arsenal and a very tangible relief spread around the ground. A late tackle by Vieira saw him get a yellow card. Evseev fired well over as Arsenal started to dominate proceedings. Pires twin brother turned up tonight, the one who closes down and tackles, the twin that played so ineptly at Leicester was obviously locked in the dressing room thank goodness. Our forwards closing down repeatedly were the key to winning this match. Lokomotiv were never given time on the ball anywhere on the pitch because everyone worked their rocks off covering, tracking back, nicking the ball and rushing the Moskovites into errors. Dennis and Freddie excelled in this work, Pat and Gilberto were masterful and our back four were subsequently largely untroubled but always very sharp.

Lokomotiv breaks were rare and they managed only two shots in the first half, both of which were off target. They passed well when they did get the ball but didn’t look like penetrating, however we’ve all seen freak goals scored against the run of play so nothing was certain till the fat lady sang, which certainly wasn’t before the break. A slick passing move saw Dennis fail to bend his shot from outside the box. Freddie had a cross that Ash almost got a touch to. A great header by Dennis found Henry who cut inside but saw his curler whistle the wrong side of the post. The North Bank were in good voice but the atmosphere was just a bit stilted, maybe because we all knew how much rested on this match.

Henry - No goals, but two assists

A great Kolo cross was kept at bay but Freddie failed to convert the clearance that fell his way. A good charge by Henry was well stopped. The Russians were pressed back into a 7-2-1 for long periods of the half. Dennis was chopped on a good run which earned Evseev a booking. The Henry free kick was well saved but the follow up by Pat was wildly hit with his left peg. Campbell muscled out Ashvetia big time and bounced him to the ground in a 50-50 challenge. A great chase and run by Henry who finally won the ball in our left back slot was very well received. It was work like this that set the tone. A Maminov handball won a free kick but there was no yellow card. Freddie steamed forward, did a double somersault and pike over Lekgetho’s badly timed challenge and as a result the number four’s second yellow was swiftly followed by the red card. Half time and the shot count was already 16-2 but the score line was still only one-nil.

Ashvetia and Buznikin were replaced at half time by Winston Parks, a classic Russian name that one, and Gurenko I think. Kolo hit a great pile driver from the corner of their area, which was tipped over. This was shortly followed with a miss by Kolo which was much closer to goal. Kolo continued to press with a fine low cross. Pat had a power drive go wide. An error by Cole saw Lokomotiv break but Jens was secure at his near post. Pires hit a drive just past the far post and you did just wonder if things were not to be, so there was no counting of chickens and all that. A tasty run by Freddie ended with a low shot tipped around the post for another corner. A rare Russian break made it just over the half way line. We played keep ball for most of the second half, our concentration and resolve remained top notch and our dominance almost total. It was the almost word that was the problem. A chance for Lokomotiv from a long-range free kick was easy for Jens who caught it low.

Our take no chances passing game was pressing them back as we continued to dominate. There was a ball played into Henry who was left and central with his back to goal, so he neatly hooked it over his shoulder to match another perfectly timed run from Freddie. Freddie did what Freddie does so well and it was 2-0 Arsenal. We knew now that we were through. We were just playing too well to screw up and there were 23 minutes left on the clock and only ten Lokomotivs chugging around the Highbury pitch. At last Lokomotiv came out of their engine sheds and attempted to steam forwards. But it was too little too late and we looked like spanking them every time we countered. There was the odd deep breath in however as when Khokhlov worked his way through for a shot that Jens was required to save.

Wenger salutes the fans

Passing and keeping the ball was the order of the day, it wasn’t exciting but it was thoroughly professional. Moscow still managed the odd shot but our control was emphatic, this was a game that we were always going to win. Easy to say when we were two-nil up but the closing down by our entire team before the break was a mission statement that declared that with the correct focus there would only be one result. Lokomotiv were not poor but they were made to look that way inclined. All that remained in this game was some high-class skills and entertainment by Turbo Man and a lot more passes from the men in red and white to the other men in red and white. Sure there were a couple of minor scares, there always are, but this was an emphatic victory. Three straight wins looking up from our bottom place spot in Group B shocked a lot of people who’d written off our European campaign. Not least of all Inter who only managed a draw tonight in Kiev. This edged Lokomotiv through to join us in the second phase of the Champions League.

It’s at times like this that you really do wonder how many Tottenham fans have become avid East Enders affecionados. Then again who gives a sh*t about Tottenham they’re not in our League, certainly not in our Champions League.