Half-time report

It’s 1-3 at half time but it could have easily been 3-5 or more. Both sides are leaving obscene gaps at the back and we were very very lucky not to concede more. Wenger opted to start with only Adebayor up-front but this is far away from being a quiet, 0-0 or 1-1 match like the one against Kiev. Both sides are going for it, and so far, the only difference has been the clinical finishes of our players.

The match started with a bang. Ferenbahce almost taking advantage of some awful defending by our players with Denilson failing to close his player down but Almunya – captain for the day – bravely coming out to block.

The next 10 minutes were all for Arsenal. Adebayor blasted a good goal opporunity from the edge of the penalty box before beating the offside trap minutes later and cooly slotting it in to silence the Turkish noisy crowd. Seconds later, Theo does the same; wonderful run to beat the offside trap, contrary to Emmanuel he decides to round the keeper, before slotting it in for 0-2. Three minutes later, they could have been three: wonderful footwork from Diaby on the right, cross to Nasri who delays his shot and the keeper blocks into a corner.

Another Denilson mistake saw Ferenbahce quickly take advantage, cross from the left to Semih whose 1st touch let him down and Almunya again bravely came in to block. Ferenbahce ’s effort were repaid minutes later. Song blocks a Ferenbahce counter attack instead of closing the player down, gets a yellow, and from the resulting free kick, Guiza’s shot is struck by Silvestre for an own goal. The man-marking was very disappointing.

Luckily for us, 5 minutes later it was 1-3. A long ball finds Abou Diaby who shrugs off his marker and buries his shot into the bottom corner. He then gets booked for celebrating. Silly.

The last 15 minutes were all for the home side. First, Eboue sleeps on the right but Ugur Boral fails to take advantage by blasting it wide. Then, the Turkish side finds the net with Guiza but the goal is rightly cancelled off for offside. The last two chances of Ferenbahce all came from two Silverstre mistakes who twice wrongly plays the offside trap, letting Guiza through on goal with the Spaniard’s first effort just wide and the second bravely blocked by Almunya, man of the match so far.

Line-ups

It’s a cautious approach adopted by Arsene Wenger for the away match in Turkey. Van Persie is relegated to the bench with Diaby starting for a more protected midfield. It’s also rumoured that Toure will be out of action for a month.

Ferenbahce

Volkan Demirel, Lugano, Roberto Carlos, Edu, Alex, Guiza, Selcuk Sahin, Semih Senturk, Ugur Boral, Maldonado, Gokhan Gonul.

Arsenal

Almunia, Eboue, Song, Silvestre, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Danilson, Diaby, Nasri, Adebayor.

Subs: Fabianski, Van Persie, Vela, Ramsey, Djourou, Bendtner, Gibbs.