Arsenal’s seven goal encounter with Turkish side Fenerbahce, epitomised a thrilling night of Champions League football where 36 goals were scored in total around the grounds.
Fenerbahce’s ground in Istanbul has an infamous reputation.
Chelsea lost there in April, and until tonight, the Turkish champions were unbeaten at home in their last 15 European games in three years.
Attack-minded set-up
Despite this, and despite not having three first choice defenders in captain William Gallas, Kolo Toure and Bacary Sagna, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, selected an attack-minded starting 11.
Fenerbahce’s ground in Istanbul has an infamous reputation.
Chelsea lost there in April, and until tonight, the Turkish champions were unbeaten at home in their last 15 European games in three years.
Attack-minded set-up
Despite this, and despite not having three first choice defenders in captain William Gallas, Kolo Toure and Bacary Sagna, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, selected an attack-minded starting 11.
The tall, powerful Togolese striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, started alone up front, but had the useful support of Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and Abou Diaby playing just behind him.
This was Abou Diaby’s first European appearance of the season, since he opened the scoring so emphatically at Anfield in the Champions League quarter-finals in April.
The long-legged Frenchman’s dribbling ability, quick movements and body strength make him altogether unpredictable and a real challenge to mark.
Diaby added presence to the five man midfield, and his early interception in the centre, contributed to the build-up play for Adebayor’s opening goal.
The opening half of the game was characterised by fluent, exciting forward play and suspect defending from both teams. Arsenal were able to exploit Fenerbahce’s square positioning through Theo Walcott’s pace and drive which led to their second goal.
In such an open game, the winner will be the side that is most exploitative of the other’s weakness and most lethal in finishing their chances.
Arsenal did just that. They recorded six shots on target in the whole game, finishing five of them, compared to the home side’s seven.
Shaky defence
For all their clinical finishing, Arsenal’s patched up defence did look very vulnerable at times.
Left-back Gael Clichy and centre-back Mikael Silvestre left the left-side wide open at times for Fenerbahce’s Spanish striker Daniel Guiza and Semih Senturk to push forward.
Defending set-pieces tends to be Arsenal’s downfall, and in the nineteenth minute once again they were caught short at the back post, allowing Guiza to volley across the six yard area and gain a fortunate deflection off Silvestre.
No defensive midfield
Arsenal’s stand in central defensive pairing of Alex Song and Mikael Silvestre, were not aided by the absence of a natural defensive midfielder.
The central midfield was often exposed as Diaby was given license to go forward and Nasri and Walcott stretched the width of the pitch.
Fabregas’s natural inclination is to be the playmaker, leaving Denilson (see picture above - courtesy of Jasmine Krancjar) to do his fair share of defensive duties.
Denilson’s inability to stand into Mathieu Flamini’s departed role, still remains a real concern for Arsenal, and on nights where finishing might go astray, they need to find a way of being tighter defensively.
This was a night, however, that celebrated attacking flair and promising players of the future.
As 17-year-old Welshman Aaron Ramsey announced his arrival on the European stage with a goal in the ninetieth minute, Arsene Wenger’s ethos should live on.
This was Abou Diaby’s first European appearance of the season, since he opened the scoring so emphatically at Anfield in the Champions League quarter-finals in April.
The long-legged Frenchman’s dribbling ability, quick movements and body strength make him altogether unpredictable and a real challenge to mark.
Diaby added presence to the five man midfield, and his early interception in the centre, contributed to the build-up play for Adebayor’s opening goal.
The opening half of the game was characterised by fluent, exciting forward play and suspect defending from both teams. Arsenal were able to exploit Fenerbahce’s square positioning through Theo Walcott’s pace and drive which led to their second goal.
In such an open game, the winner will be the side that is most exploitative of the other’s weakness and most lethal in finishing their chances.
Arsenal did just that. They recorded six shots on target in the whole game, finishing five of them, compared to the home side’s seven.
Shaky defence
For all their clinical finishing, Arsenal’s patched up defence did look very vulnerable at times.
Left-back Gael Clichy and centre-back Mikael Silvestre left the left-side wide open at times for Fenerbahce’s Spanish striker Daniel Guiza and Semih Senturk to push forward.
Defending set-pieces tends to be Arsenal’s downfall, and in the nineteenth minute once again they were caught short at the back post, allowing Guiza to volley across the six yard area and gain a fortunate deflection off Silvestre.
No defensive midfield
Arsenal’s stand in central defensive pairing of Alex Song and Mikael Silvestre, were not aided by the absence of a natural defensive midfielder.
The central midfield was often exposed as Diaby was given license to go forward and Nasri and Walcott stretched the width of the pitch.
Fabregas’s natural inclination is to be the playmaker, leaving Denilson (see picture above - courtesy of Jasmine Krancjar) to do his fair share of defensive duties.
Denilson’s inability to stand into Mathieu Flamini’s departed role, still remains a real concern for Arsenal, and on nights where finishing might go astray, they need to find a way of being tighter defensively.
This was a night, however, that celebrated attacking flair and promising players of the future.
As 17-year-old Welshman Aaron Ramsey announced his arrival on the European stage with a goal in the ninetieth minute, Arsene Wenger’s ethos should live on.
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