Re: Arsenal The Gunners

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 11:59 am

Flowing Arsenal whet Wenger's appetite

PUBLISHED: TUESDAY 9 MARCH 2010, 23.20CET
Ars�ne Wenger has "a funny feeling that it would be good for us to play an English team" in the quarter-finals after Arsenal FC breezed past FC Porto thanks largely to a Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick.

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1460121_w2

Samir Nasri (right) and Nicklas Bendtner were among the goals for Arsenal�Getty Images

Arsenal FC manager Ars�ne Wenger played down talk of perfection but nevertheless reflected on "a very good performance" as Nicklas Bendtner scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 defeat of FC Porto which spectacularly overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit. The Frenchman is already looking ahead to the 19 March draw for the quarter-finals, and a potential meeting with another English club; opposite number Jesualdo Ferreira could only look back and pinpoint Arsenal's ruthlessness as the source of his team's demise.
Ars�ne Wenger, Arsenal manager
It's never perfect but that was a very good performance, very strong. We had a very good first half. They played well for ten to 15 minutes at the start of the second, but after Nasri scored the third goal that made a big difference; from then on it was easy. Nasri's goal was individual brilliance but overall it was a good, solid team performance.
The hat-trick shows how quickly football changes. [Bendtner] played well on Saturday without scoring and had less chances today and scored three goals. I hope it will give him the desire to work even harder. I don't know [about the quarter-finals] but have a funny feeling that it would be good for us to play an English team. We haven't done well against Chelsea and Man United this year and it would be a good opportunity to put that right.
Jesualdo Ferreira, Porto coach
We started well but Arsenal capitalised on our mistakes. The result looks harsh bearing in mind how the game developed; they took advantage of almost all their chances and we didn't take advantage of ours. We had to do what we could because at this stage it's about goals and not points. We had to attack to try to score but this made it easy for them to take advantage as they're a very talented and mature squad.
We could have closed down the spaces and defended better but we had to play our game and push. We made mistakes which were unusual for this team but we were never lucky at crucial moments and they didn't make the same mistakes we did.

RELATED ITEMS

�
I don't know [about the quarter-finals] but have a funny feeling that it would be good for us to play an English team
Ars�ne Wenger

�

�
The result looks harsh bearing in mind how the game developed; they took advantage of almost all their chances and we didn't take advantage of ours
Jesualdo Ferreira

�

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:01 pm

rieyna168 wrote:yesssssssssssssss tom..
happy gila menang 5-0 kat emirates.

yehaaaaaaaaaaaaa mmg hepi btul arrrrr puas hati tgk gunners ader penyudahan setiap kali attack gawang goal diaorg mmg berbaloi2 tgk pagi tadik heheee..

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:06 pm

Wenger praises hat-trick hero Bendtner

Arsenal's Arsene Wenger was delighted to see Nicklas Bendtner score a hat-trick in the 5-0 win against Porto.

The Dane put Arsenal 2-0 up in the first-half and completed his treble with a late penalty in the Champions League second round second-leg at the Emirates Stadium, writes Stewart Coggin.
Samir Nasri's outstanding third and a breakaway goal from Emmanuel Eboue completed the scoring and put the Gunners through to the quarter-finals with a 6-2 aggregate win. Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Cookie?action=set&name=setsurvey&value=1&maxage=2592000
Bentnder made up for some poor misses at the weekend against Burnley, and Wenger was pleased to see the 22-year-old back on the goal trail.VERY QUICKLY

"It shows you how football can change for a player very quickly," he said. "In three days it goes quickly up and quickly down.
"But it shows you that he had not lost the confidence as he came back tonight with the same focus and belief. It is one of his strengths as well, the confidence level remains relatively stable."
Wenger revealed that Bendtner was lucky to complete his hat-trick as he was the third designated penalty taker behind Nasri and Andrey Arshavin who had been substituted by that point in the match.
The Frenchman was delighted to see Arsenal control the match against a Porto side who provided little resistance apart from a brief period of pressure after the break.INFERIOR POSITION

"We controlled the game and played our fluent football and had a positive start with the early goals which gave us the belief," he said.
"They had one or two chances early in the second half when we were not focused enough but overall we controlled the game, scored great goals and were good to watch. We did what we liked to do, won with style and always went forward in a convincing way."
Wenger was asked in the post-match press conference whether he would like to face Manchester United or Chelsea in the quarter-finals, considering the Gunners have lost every match to their title rivals this season.
"We do not choose Man Utd or Chelsea," he added. "But if I say we absolutely do not want to play an English team, we put ourselves in an inferior position from the start.
"I believe maybe it is a good opportunity if we get them to show we can do well. If we get them we can't do worse than we did in the championship, we can only do better."

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:12 pm

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Gun__1268035476_wenger_burnleyh

'Football can change for you in three days'

12/5 AFC win the PremiershipFree �20 Paddy Power bet
11/1 Arsenal win Champs LgeBet �10 get �20 Free

On the team�s performance against Porto in the second half�
"They had one or two chances in the beginning of the second half and we were coming back from the dressing room not focused enough, but in the game we scored some great goals. We did what we like to do; we won with style and we were always going forward in a convincing way."

On Bendtner�s performance�
"I told you how football can change for a player in three days. It goes quickly up and quickly down. And it shows you as well that he has not lost the confidence that he came back tonight with good focus and with the same belief. It is one of his strengths. His confidence level remains relatively stable."

On Bendtner playing after last weekend�
"He is of a size and a presence and that is what you need. We are usually a very short team so one or two players of size is important, offensively and defensively as well on set-pieces."

On whether Bendtner was the designated penalty taker�
"He was No 3. The No 1 was Nasri, the No 2 was Arshavin. And he was No 3. He was lucky. Arshavin was out and Nasri as well when the penalty happened."
On whom he wants to play in the next round�
"What I wanted to say, we do not choose Man United or Chelsea. And maybe if I say �we absolutely do not want to play an English team�, I put ourselves in an inferior position at the start. I believe maybe if we get them, that it is a good opportunity to show them we can do well."

On if he fancies revenge against Manchester United or Chelsea�
"No. I fancy going through in the Quarter-Finals. But I do not want to say absolutely no on playing an English team because, first of all, I don�t have the choice. If I have a choice I would say yes, but I don�t have the choice. And if we get them, we cannot do worse than what we did in the league. We can only do better.

"You want to make a story with a story. I will take the draw we get. And I do not want to make a negative obsession of not playing against Chelsea or not playing against Man United. That�s all."

On Arsenal coming back to win the tie�
"If you look at history, the statistics were against us. But tonight just shows that historical statistics don�t mean a lot if you have a good team on the pitch who believes they can win the game."

On possibly playing Barcelona in the next round�
"It�s the same. First of all, we are happy to be in the last eight. If you look back at the last five years, I think we were in the last eight a few times. It�s never easy to be in the top eight in Europe. The negative side of that is you only have good teams now. So Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, certainly. It will be difficult, but in the beginning of the season nobody expected this team to be where we are at the moment.
"But we showed we have mental strength and a good desire. We have good quality. I believe it is more important for our side to continue to improve. There are still some weak moments in the game that we can deal with better. And before we speak about Manchester United or Barcelona, it�s important that we improve. And then we have a chance."

On Samir Nasri�
"I believe Samir Nasri is developing very well. What he showed in the game tonight, he has shown in training, and we expected that to come out in games. He is a player with talent and he has shown that again tonight, he showed that on Saturday, and he has started to be efficient now. I believe the first pass against Burnley was great. Tonight on the first goal, he made a great pass to Arshavin and scored a great goal. The great players for me are the players who give assists and score goals. And that is what you want from him."

On Van Persie�s return to the squad�
�It is one month at least."

On Cesc Fabregas�s injury�
"For me he is a great player, and if he was there we would have played even better. I think it is important that he comes back as quickly as possible.

"It was a compliment to the team. Sometimes you can miss a great player for one game or two games, but one game is never enough to judge. In the longer distance you see that better."

On the chances of Fabregas being fit for Hull�
"50/50"

On Arshavin�s performance�
"I like Arshavin because he can make a difference in the box. When it is one-against-one in the box, you know he will pass the player. And you need to be special to do that."

On Porto�s defence�
"I think the pace we put on gave Porto a problem tonight. And that maybe made a difference. When we play on a quick pitch, which we have here, and we can play our quick passing game, it is difficult for everybody."

On playing Nasri in the middle more often�
"If I ask him, he will want to play there, don�t worry. So I don�t ask him. He can play there, but when Fabregas comes back, [Nasri] will play wide."

On focusing on either the Premier League or the Champions League�
"I feel we are not in a position at the moment to choose. What we know is that we are in a period where every game is vital, and we have seen last night again that you have to be absolutely focused on every game in the Premier League. If you don�t do that, you can lose anywhere. So for us, I already have my mind on Hull because I know that will be a big game for us."

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:17 pm

Fresh blow for Gallas

PUBLISHED: TUESDAY 9 MARCH 2010, 23.01CET
Arsenal FC will be without William Gallas for several more weeks after Ars�ne Wenger revealed the defender suffered a recurrence of his calf injury in training on Monday.

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1460105_w2

William Gallas has already been out for a month with a calf problem�Getty Images

Arsenal FC will be without William Gallas for several more weeks after Ars�ne Wenger revealed the defender had suffered a recurrence of his calf injury.

Gallas has been out since the defeat of Liverpool FC on 10 February and was thought to be nearing a return, but Wenger said he had broken down in training on Monday: "Gallas has been out for a month and now he has had a recurrence of his calf injury. He felt very well yesterday and went out but he has gone backwards again. We are at the starting point unfortunately.
"At the beginning it was a minor injury; we don't know how long it will be now. He had a scan on Monday and we will assess it from there. We were impatient with him and pushed him, but there is no obvious sign as to why it keeps coming back. He has no pain at all, then goes for a little jog and it goes again."

RELATED ITEMS

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:20 pm

Almunia to lead from the back

PUBLISHED: MONDAY 8 MARCH 2010, 17.45CET
Manuel Almunia is set to captain Arsenal FC against FC Porto and the goalkeeper, who missed the first-leg loss, promised: "The only thing we have to do is to go for it and fight for the victory."

BY WAYNE HARRISON
FROM LONDON

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1459397_w2

Manuel Almunia missed the first leg but is likely to captain Arsenal in the return�Getty Images

Manuel Almunia insists his focus will not be affected should he be named Arsenal FC captain in the absence of Cesc F�bregas on Tuesday night, as the Gunners attempt to overturn a 2-1 UEFA Champions League first knockout round deficit at home against FC Porto.
The hamstring injury that caused F�bregas to be withdrawn after opening the scoring in Saturday's 3-1 defeat of Burnley FC has ruled the Spaniard out of the decisive encounter with Porto. With regular deputy Robin van Persie also on the sidelines, the armband looks set to be passed to F�bregas's compatriot between the posts.
"Normally, when Cesc and Robin are not in the squad I get it," the 32-year-old goalkeeper said. "My role will be the same as when I'm not captain and just in goal. I have the personality and I will help the team as I normally do every game; the armband doesn't change anything for me. The only thing we have to do tomorrow is to go for it and fight for the victory."
F�bregas's 17 goals in all competitions this season represent almost double the total of any other player in the squad, but Almunia is more than confident that, even without the midfielder, Arsenal can reach the quarter-finals. "He's a fantastic player and every time he's not the pitch we miss him a lot," he said. "Of course he will be a big loss, but all the players are 100% committed to going through."
Almunia was himself absent for the first leg in Portugal, where his understudy, Łukasz Fabiański, endured a difficult evening. The Polish international misjudged a cross from Silvestre Varela before later picking up Sol Campbell's back pass to concede the free-kick from which Porto clinched victory, but Arsenal's regular No1 was reluctant to single out his team-mate. "We win as a team and lose as a team," he said.
"The responsibility of losing is on every player; we don't like to speak about silly mistakes," added the Pamplona native, who has featured just twice in the competition this term. "I understand people talk about the goals we conceded but I wouldn't like to talk about a team-mate's mistakes and prefer to focus on our performance in general. We had a bad result but we only need a 1-0 win to go through, but, of course, it will be a problem if we concede a goal."
Striving to make that happen will be Falcao, Porto's in-form striker who has fired 15 goals in his last 15 games, including the first-leg winner. Almunia was nonetheless eager to underline that Arsenal "don't have to be scared of anybody", and added: "Porto are a great team. They counterattack very well, but everybody is focused and committed and I hope we won't have a problem in progressing."

RELATED ITEMS

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:21 pm

Arsenal ready to 'make history'

PUBLISHED: MONDAY 8 MARCH 2010, 17.05CET
Ars�ne Wenger believes Arsenal FC can "make history" and overturn a 2-1 deficit against an FC Porto side with a fine record of defending first-leg leads, despite the absence of captain Cesc F�bregas.

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1459339_w2

Arsenal FC must attempt to overcome a 2-1 UEFA Champions League first knockout round deficit against FC Porto without injured captain Cesc F�bregas, but manager Ars�ne Wenger believes his charges can "make history" against opponents who have progressed on each of the last 24 occasions they built a home-leg advantage in Europe.
Ars�ne Wenger, Arsenal manager
There's always something new in our game so we can innovate and change history. The team has a good chance to make history. We are very young and in a strong position and, of course, we want to win. Scoring away from home is still a massive advantage under UEFA rules and that's why we are confident we can do it.
In the first game, Porto defended well. I don't think they will be ultra-defensive. We conceded unusual goals in the first game so we want a better defensive performance and we want to score goals. We know it's a tricky game, as it always is in the Champions League against an opponent of Porto's quality, but we believe we can do it. We are confident and are in a good position, so let's go for it.
Jesualdo Ferreira, Porto coach
We need to have confidence in what we do as the game will probably be decided by small details. The balance of the game and how the result pans out will be decisive so we don't need to talk about different scenarios which might happen. At Porto we know what our qualities are and we are confident. We know it will be a difficult match but we have the weapons to make it difficult for Arsenal.
We know the [first-leg] goal they scored puts them in a very good position. For that reason we need to fight, be positive, get a good result and qualify. Last year we reached the quarter-finals and our objective is to do that again. I want to put right the fact that Porto have not won in England before � there's always a first time for everything.
Team news
Arsenal
Out: Kieran Gibbs (broken foot), Johan Djourou (knee), Robin van Persie (ankle), William Gallas (calf), Aaron Ramsey (broken leg), Cesc F�bregas (hamstring)
Doubtful: noneSuspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Ga�l Clichy, Cesc F�bregas, Robin van Persie
� F�bregas was ruled out following a scan on Monday after a recurrence of the hamstring tightness that kept him out for three weeks last month. "We cannot even take a gamble," Wenger said. "To play him again would risk significant damage to the muscle."
� First-leg scorer Sol Campbell has recovered from the groin problem that kept him out at the weekend.
Porto
Out: Ernesto Far�as (knee), Fernando (thigh)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: �lvaro Pereira, Fernando
Weekend results
06/03/10 Arsenal 3-1 Burnley FC
(F�bregas 34, Walcott 60, Arshavin 90+4; Nugent 50)
� Arsenal moved level with Premier League leaders Chelsea FC on Saturday before Manchester United FC's evening victory took them two points clear of the London pair.
� F�bregas equalled Robert Pir�s's club record of 14 goals from midfield in a Premier League season before limping off, while Theo Walcott ended a 19-match scoreless run for club and country.
06/03/10 Porto 2-2 SC Olhanense
(Falcao 81, Guar�n 90+2; Djalmir 13 17)
� Porto, whose 14-game unbeaten run was ended with a 3-0 defeat at Sporting Clube de Portugal on 28 February, are outside the top two spots in the Liga at this stage of the season for the first time since 2001/02.
� Falcao now has 15 goals from 15 games and 24 in all competitions for Porto this season.
Background
� Porto have progressed in the last 24 two-legged UEFA competition ties in which they were defending an advantage away from home. Arsenal have only managed to overturn one such deficit in nine attempts.
Did you know?
� Porto have lost all six of their trips to London including a 1-0 loss at Chelsea in this season's group stage and 4-0 defeat by Arsenal last season.
Read more on the match in the official UEFA Champions League press kit.

RELATED ITEMS

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:22 pm

F�bregas out, Rooney doubt

PUBLISHED: MONDAY 8 MARCH 2010, 13.37CET
Cesc F�bregas has been ruled out of Arsenal FC's second leg against FC Porto on Tuesday, while Wayne Rooney remains a major doubt for Manchester United FC at home to AC Milan.

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1458722_w2

Arsenal captain Cesc F�bregas will miss Tuesday's second leg against Porto�Getty Images

Cesc F�bregas has been ruled out of Arsenal FC's UEFA Champions League first knockout round second leg against FC Porto on Tuesday, manager Ars�ne Wenger has confirmed.

The Arsenal captain opened the scoring in Arsenal's 3-1 victory against Burnley FC on Saturday, but was then replaced six minutes before the break by Abou Diaby. "He has a hamstring injury and we cannot even take a gamble," said Wenger, whose team must overturn a 2-1 deficit.

"We don't know how long he's going to be out for. He's having a scan today. We are convinced it will be a short time. He has a small chance to be back at the weekend against Hull, but to play him [on Tuesday] would risk significant damage in the muscle. It's a recurrence of the same hamstring so we must find out why the hamstring is causing him problems."

Manchester United FC striker Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, is doubtful for his side's second leg against AC Milan on Wednesday. Rooney, who missed the 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on Saturday because of a knee problem aggravated while on England duty, is rated "very doubtful" by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The striker scored two headers in the first leg, which United won 3-2.

For Milan, both Pato and Clarence Seedorf have been passed fit to travel to Manchester following thigh injuries. Seedorf is expected to start the game, with Pato on the bench. Neither played in Saturday evening's goalless draw with AS Roma.

RELATED ITEMS

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 12:22 pm

Arsenal lose Ramsey to broken leg

PUBLISHED: SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2010, 17.28CET
Arsenal FC have confirmed that midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss the remainder of this season after sustaining "fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg" in Saturday's win at Stoke City FC.

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1456761_w2

Aaron Ramsey will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken leg�Getty Images

UEFA Champions League hopefuls Arsenal FC will be denied the services of Aaron Ramsey for the rest of the season after the midfielder suffered a broken leg in his team's 3-1 win at Stoke City FC on Saturday.
Ramsey, 19, was taken to hospital immediately after leaving the field on a stretcher in the 71st minute following a challenge by Ryan Shawcross. "During yesterday's match against Stoke City, Aaron Ramsey sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg," read an official statement by Arsenal. "Yesterday evening he underwent surgery. The operation successfully reduced the fractures and whilst it is too soon to state an exact timescale for recovery, Aaron will certainly miss the remainder of this season."
The victory took the Gunners within three points of Chelsea FC at the Premier League summit and they will look to overturn a 2-1 deficit when they host FC Porto in their UEFA Champions League first knockout round decider on 9 March.

RELATED ITEMS

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 2:56 pm

Bendtner treble fires Gunners

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Nicklasbendtnergoal2vporto_350x197

GettyImages

Nicklas Bendtner scores his second goal against Porto

SCORING SUMMARY
Arsenal	FC Porto
Nicklas Bendtner (9)
Nicklas Bendtner (25)
Samir Nasri (63)
Emmanuel Eboue (66)
Nicklas Bendtner (pen 90)

MATCH STATS
	Arsenal	FC Porto
Shots (on Goal)	20(12)	14(3)
Fouls	17	25
Corner Kicks	9	8
Offsides	2	1
Time of Possession	54%	46%
Yellow Cards	2	3
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	3	7

MATCH INFORMATION

Stadium: Emirates Stadium, England
Attendance: 59,661
Match Time: 19:45 UK
Official(s):
Frank De Bleeckere (Referee)

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Conduit_soccernet_300x250

TEAMS
Arsenal	FC Porto
1 Manuel Almunia	1 Helton
5 Thomas Vermaelen	2 Bruno Alves
31 Sol Campbell	14 Rolando
22 Ga�l Clichy	15 Alvaro Pereira
3 Bacary Sagna	13 Jorge Fucile
8 Samir Nasri	18 Nuno Coelho
2 Abou Diaby	3 Ra�l Meireles
17 Alexandre Song Billong	28 Ruben Micael
23 Andrei Arshavin	12 Hulk
7 Tomas Rosicky	9 Radamel Falcao
52 Nicklas Bendtner	17 Varela
Substitutes
18 Mikael Silvestre	Mariano Nicolas Gonzalez 11
27 Emmanuel Eboue	Nuno 33
9 Eduardo	Cristian Rodriguez 10
14 Theo Walcott	Fredy Guarin 6
15 Denilson	Fernando Belluschi 7
21 Lukasz Fabianski	Maicon 16
30 Armand Traore	Miguel Lopes 22
Substitutions
Emmanuel Eboue for Tomas Rosicky (57)	Cristian Rodriguez for Nuno Coelho (45)
Denilson for Samir Nasri (73)	Fredy Guarin for Ruben Micael(76)
Theo Walcott for Andrei Arshavin (76)	Mariano Nicolas Gonzalez forVarela (76)
Yellow Cards
Thomas Vermaelen (38)	Radamel Falcao (24)
Nicklas Bendtner (44)	Alvaro Pereira (59)
	Jorge Fucile (90)
� Club Squads: Arsenal \| FC Porto

Updated: March 10, 2010, 8:47 AM UKNicklas Bendtner grabbed a hat-trick as Arsenal cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with an emphatic victory over Porto at the Emirates Stadium.� Bendtner puts Burnley show behind him
� Palmer on Bendtner
� Champions League galleryThe Gunners were trailing 2-1 from the first leg and had to do without injured captain Cesc Fabregas.However, Arsene Wenger's young team rose to the challenge as a first-half brace from Bendtner - who missed a string of chances against Burnley here three days ago - was followed by fine goals from Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Eboue before the young Dane slotted home a penalty in the final minute to secure a place among the last eight of Europe's elite once again.The result also broke Arsenal's unwelcome near 32-year run of failing to overturn a first-leg deficit in a European tie since beating Hajduk Split in 1978.Arsenal had started brightly, with Nasri's shot blocked in the six-yard box before the lively Andrey Arshavin saw his far-post header saved following a deep cross by Bacary Sagna.The Gunners went ahead after 10 minutes.Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, standing in as captain, booted a long clearance up field, which Arshavin nodded back for Nasri.The Frenchman knocked a quick pass between the centre-backs for the Russian to run onto.In tracking back, Porto defender Fucile clattered into his keeper, and Bendtner was first to react, stabbing the loose ball into the empty net.Helton needed treatment for a head injury, caught accidentally by Arshavin, but after a short delay, the Brazilian was able to continue.With the tie now level, Arsenal looked to go ahead, as Abou Diaby hooked a 12-yard effort over. Porto continued to pass the ball crisply, but were undone again on 25 minutes.Fucile's poor clearance was latched onto by Arshavin. The diminutive Russian weaved into the left side of the penalty box, before pulling the ball back along the six-yard box to Bendtner, who, despite what he showed here on Saturday, just could not miss.Arsenal were somewhat fortunate when Brazil forward Hulk - who is serving a four-month domestic ban for a fracas with a steward after a match against Benfica - capitalised on a mistake by right-back Gael Clichy and cut in towards goal, but stabbed his shot into the arms of Almunia.Helton touched Bendtner's curling effort around the post.From the corner, Diaby's downward header was clawed away by the Porto keeper, who also denied Nasri in stoppage time.There was a scare at the start of the second half when Tomas Rosicky gave the ball away to Hulk, but fortunately for the Czech winger, the Porto striker was again off target.Almunia then had to be on his toes as Falcao drove in a low snapshot, which the Spaniard gathered at the second attempt.Rosicky, who appeared to be carrying a knee problem, was replaced by Emmanuel Eboue just before the hour as Wenger looked to breathe new life into his side.Arsenal, though, were anything but convincing at the back - with Nasri clearing a header from substitute Cristian Rodriguez off the line.The Frenchman, however, then settled any nerves with a quite brilliant individual goal after 64 minutes.After collecting the ball just outside the area on the right, Nasri twisted past three Porto defenders before drilling a low shot in off the far post from the tightest of angles.Safe passage to the quarter-finals was assured three minutes later when, following a Porto corner, Arshavin broke quickly down the left, holding the ball up before releasing the on-rushing Eboue, who rounded the keeper and stroked in a fourth.Porto had lost here 4-0 in the group stages last season, which was their worst away reverse in the competition.And over the final 20 minutes, it was a case of damage limitation for Jesualdo Ferreira's men. Nasri was given a well-earned rest as he left the field to a standing ovation, replaced by defensive midfielder Denilson.Fellow substitute Theo Walcott looked lively after he came on for Arshavin, and Bendtner headed a good hat-trick chance wide.Eboue was brought down for by Fucile to concede a penalty in the final minute - which the young Dane stroked into the bottom corner to collect the match ball.<li id="quotes">Bendtner puts Burnley show behind himNicklas Bendtner insisted Saturday's horror show was not on his mind as he struck his first hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Porto.The Dane was derided for a performance against Burnley on Saturday in which he missed a sackful of chances, but he made amends in style as Arsenal bookrf their quarter-final place.Asked if Saturday had played on his mind, he told Sky Sports 2: "Not at all. Every time I play a game, I put it behind me as soon as it's finished."Sometimes it's one of those days and today I put it right. I'm happy with my hat-trick but tomorrow we move on."It was good to score early but I don't know if that affected my game."Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was understated in his praise of the Dane."I hope it will not give him too much confidence," he said. "It's good for him. He played well on Saturday but missed chances. Today he had less chances and scored more goals. I hope it gives him the desire to work even harder."On the team's showing, he added: "It's never perfect but it was a very good performance, a strong performance."We had a very good first half, suffered a bit at the beginning of the second half, but after the goal of Nasri it made a big difference and from then it was easy."It was individual brilliance (from Nasri) but overall we had a solid team performance, we were serious, had good solidarity and, as we can play, a fluid game."Wenger said he would not be disappointed to draw an English side in the next round."I have a funny feeling maybe it's good for us to play and English team," he said. "We have not done well against Chelsea and against Man U this year and it would be a good chance to show we can do it against them."</li>

Jump To Scores--UEFA Champions LeagueEnglish Premier LeagueEnglish League ChampionshipEnglish League OneEnglish League TwoEnglish ConferenceScottish Premier LeagueScottish Division OneScottish Division TwoScottish Division ThreeNorthern Irish PremiershipWelsh Premier LeagueCopa LibertadoresCONCACAF Champions LeaguePrimera Divisi�n de VenezuelaAFC Champions LeagueTuesday, March 9, 2010

Arsenal	5
FC Porto	0	FT

Fiorentina	3
Bayern Munich	2	FT

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Espn_160x90

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Managers07_160x600

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 2:57 pm

Bendtner finds shooting boots

By Kevin Palmer, Emirates Stadium
(Archive)

March 9, 2010

Comment
Email
Print

Maybe it is a good job that Nicklas Bendtner was at the front of the queue when the powers that be were dishing out self-confidence.
� Arsenal 5-0 Porto
� Champions League gallery Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Nicklasbendtnergoalvporto_275x155

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Nicklasbendtnergoalvporto_275x155

Empics
Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner opens the scoring

There is nothing more annoying in life than a bighead who believes himself to be a step ahead of the rest, especially when so many of these know-it-alls are living in a world reality rarely invades. Even so, the unshakable confidence Bendtner exudes must have stood him in good stead in recent days.
The big striker was reduced to laughing at himself as he trotted off the Emirates Stadium pitch after his comical display against Burnley at the weekend, with his embarrassing efforts seeing him miss more opportunities to score than a Chippendale would receive if he gate-crashed a drunken hen night. Quite simply, the towering Dane made a fool of himself on Saturday and yet such minor inconveniences were never likely to trouble him.
According to all who come in contact with him, Bendtner's most prominent quality is his unshakable faith in his own talents and that belief served him well as he was handed the task of spearheading the Arsenal forward line on a night when they had to overcome a 2-1 first leg deficit in this Champions League last-16 tie.
After boss Wenger did all he could to encourage the striker with some glowing compliments in his programmes notes ahead of this game, Bendtner wasted a mere eight minutes to banish his demons in the very goal that had witnessed some of his more gruesome misses last weekend.
First on the scene as Porto failed to pick up the pieces after an Andrey Arshavin burst into the box, Bendtner flicked into the unguarded goal to give Arsenal the early goal they craved and his second goal after 25 minutes came after Arshavin carved open the visiting defensive line with some fleet-footed magic on the left flank.
"He is deadly when the goalkeeper is taken out of the equation" was one witty hack's quip, but such snide comments seemed inappropriate on a night when the striker who once infamously donned lurid pink boots answered his army of critics in such grand fashion.
The only surprise was that Bendnter did not manage to complete his hat-trick before the break as Porto's incompetence in the first 45 minutes was complete. Other than a brief spell of attacking intent after the break, the will of the notoriously unhealthy Champions League travellers had been broken all too easily.
Samir Nasri confirmed as much with moment of magic to score the third goal after 63 minutes and, while it seems churlish to criticise a fine goal that calmed any nerves among the Arsenal hoards, the ease with which he shed the attentions of three Porto defenders and shot past Helton was alarming.
Emmanuel Eboue's breakaway moments later sealed the deal for Wenger's boys, but arguably the most memorable moment of the night came after many of the jubilant Arsenal fans had vacated their seats and headed for the exits, as Bendtner completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Eboue was taken down in the box in injury time. Just for once, the striker who believes himself to be one of Europe's finest could claim to have delivered when it mattered most on the biggest stage of them all.
In truth, this was all too easy for Arsenal as the gulf in class between the Premier League sides and their minor league opponents on the continent was exposed once again, with Bendtner not alone in deserving praise for a comprehensively conclusive victory.
Sol Campbell's calm and powerful performance at the back in the second half was worthy of note, while Nasri and Tomas Rosicky ensured the absence of skipper Cesc Fabregas would not be felt, yet you cannot help but feel this Arsenal still need to prove they are up to the job against a genuine European giant before they can be considered contenders for the one prize they have never managed to capture.
For now, Wenger could content himself with a job well done and he reserved a polite message for his match-winner. "I hope this performance does not give Nicklas too much confidence because he doesn't need much more that he already has," the Arsenal boss said, with a chuckle.
"This is one player who is not affected by a bad performance and may it can be seen as one of his strengths that is confidence level remains stable whatever happens. He answered a few of his critics with this performance, but I felt this was a great team effort and now we have another chance in the quarter-finals.
"We still have areas to improve as we dominated this game for 80 minutes and allowed Porto too much space at the start of the second half, so we need to improve before we look to our opponents in the next round." Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Samirnasricelebvporto_275x155

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Samirnasricelebvporto_275x155

GettyImages
Samir Nasri celebrates scoring Arsenal's third goal

In a somewhat perplexing and occasionally tetchy press briefing, Porto boss Jesualdo Ferreira claimed Arsenal were 'lucky' and suggested the final scoreline did not offer a fair reflection of this one-sided game, but his folly was as nonsensical as any that has been muttered by a football coach this season.
No, this was all about Arsenal and there was a school of thought that suggested a Champions League elimination could have aided their increasingly promising pursuit of the Premier League title, with Wenger among those to have voiced doubts over whether his squad have what it takes to mount challenges for both trophies.
However, this team of entertainers would much rather be playing in Europe's marquee event than preparing for league games at their plush training centre and, after the folly that was the performance of bumbling referee Martin Hansson in the first leg, there was more than a little justice in the ultimate outcome of this tie.
The only question hanging in the chilled North London air on Tuesday night was whether Bendtner's head had squeezed through the exit door at Emirates Stadium as he made his way home. He will take some time to return from 'Planet Nick' after this.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Nicklas Bendtner The big Dane has so often been the butt of jokes during his time at Arsenal, but this was the night when it all clicked for him. Maybe he really is one of Europe's finest marksmen, as he always believed himself to be.
COLLY WOBBLES: Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has been an outspoken critic of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in his radio and newspaper contributions this season, so Gunners fans were quick to taunt him midway through his latest broadcast after the fourth goal crashed past Porto. He could only chuckle at the abuse coming his way.
ARSENAL VERDICT: Classy and efficient, Wenger's men negotiated this potentially tricky evening with consummate ease. Their unlikely dream of a Premier League and Champions League double is still within their grasp.

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 3:00 pm

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 3:01 pm

ARSENAL 5-0 PORTO

Wenger hails confident Bendtner after treble

March 9, 2010

Comment
Email
Print

Arsene Wenger hailed the confidence of Nicklas Bendtner after the Denmark striker got back on the goal trail with a hat-trick as Arsenal secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Porto at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Nicklasbendtnerpenalty_275x155

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Nicklasbendtnerpenalty_275x155

GettyImages
Nicklas Bendtner completes his hat-trick from the penalty spot

� Arsenal 5-0 Porto
� Palmer on Bendtner
� Champions League gallery
The Gunners were trailing 2-1 from the first leg and had to do without injured captain Cesc Fabregas. However, Wenger's young team rose to the challenge as a first-half brace from Bendtner - who missed a string of chances against Burnley on Saturday - set them on their way towards the last eight.
Following a good spell by Porto at the start of the second half, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Eboue netted fine goals before the young Dane slotted home a penalty in the final minute. "It shows you how football can change very quickly,'' said Wenger.
"Nicklas had not lost the confidence, it remains relatively stable. He came back with good focus and the same belief - that is one of his strengths as well.''
The result also broke Arsenal's unwelcome near 32-year run of failing to overturn a first leg deficit in a European tie since beating Hajduk Split in 1978. "The statistics and history were against us, but that just shows those do not mean a lot if you have a team on the pitch who believes they can win the game,'' said Wenger.
The Gunners boss continued: "We played fluent football with a positive start and the early goals gave us the belief we needed. We suffered a bit when we did not control the game at the start of the second half when we were not focused enough. Overall, though, we were good to watch and won with style.''
Wenger rates Fabregas a only 50-50 to recover from his hamstring problem in time for Saturday's Premier League trip to Hull. In Nasri, Wenger feels Arsenal have a fine asset, the France international capping a good night's work with a brilliant individual strike, turning three defenders before drilling in from a tight angle.
"What Nasri has shown in the game, he has shown in training and I have expected that to come out,'' said Wenger. "He has talent and now he starts to be efficient - great players can assist and score goals, he is starting to do that now.''
Arsenal could be joined in the quarter-finals by fellow English sides Manchester United and Chelsea. While drawing either would be a chance for a slice of revenge given the Gunners' drubbings in the Premier League, Wenger does not want to make too big an issue of whom they may face.
The Arsenal manager said: "We do not choose Manchester United or Chelsea. If say we absolutely do not want to play an English team, we put ourselves in an inferior position at the start.
"Maybe it is a good opportunity, if we get them, to show we can do well. I do not want to say absolutely no English team. If I have a choice, I would say yes, but I do not have a choice. If we get them, we cannot do worse than we did in the championship - we can only do better. We will take the draw we get and also we do not have to make a negative obsession of not playing against Chelsea or Manchester United.''
Wenger continued: "We are happy to be in the last eight - it is never easy to be in the top eight in Europe. The negative side is you only have good teams now - Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, so it will be difficult. At the beginning of the season, nobody expected this team to be where we are, but we showed we have mental strength, we have good desire and good quality.
"I believe it is more important on our side to continue to improve - there are still some weak moments in the game we can deal better with, so before we talk about Barcelona or Manchester United it is important we continue to improve, then we have a chance.''
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira felt his side had been somewhat unfortunate at key moments in the match. Nasri cleared a header from substitute Cristian Rodriguez off the line, which would have made it 2-1, before going up the other end and scoring his fine individual effort.
"Arsenal turned the game around, put us under pressure and scored an early goal, that was the worst scenario we could imagine,'' Ferreira said. They controlled the match, but Porto deserved a bit more than we got. There were a couple of mistakes which were decisive. You cannot do that against a team of such quality.''

by **tomyejam** Wed 10 Mar 2010, 3:02 pm

by **tomyejam** Thu 11 Mar 2010, 12:38 am

Sagna savours Arsenal spirit

PUBLISHED: WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH 2010, 8.14CET
Bacary Sagna hailed Arsenal FC's team ethic as they overcame captain Cesc F�bregas's absence to thrash FC Porto and reach the last eight. "We are a team first," he said. "It's not about one player."

BY TREVOR HUGGINS
FROM ARSENAL STADIUM

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1459950_w2

Arsenal FC's players were celebrating a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League after conjuring up a 5-0 rout of FC Porto without the help of their inspirational captain Cesc F�bregas.

F�bregas's hamstring injury ruled him out of what looked a particularly difficult second-leg match after Porto's 2-1 victory last month � leaving many Gunners fans fearing the worst.

Instead, a comfortable passage to the last eight was secured with a hat-trick from Nicklas Bendtner, who struck in the tenth and 25th minutes, before second-half goals from Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Ebou�, along with a 91st-minute penalty from the Danish international, completed the triumph.

"It was quite difficult tonight, we had to win if we wanted to go through," defender Bacary Sagna said. "But we were able to score quite quickly and the game became a bit easier for us. We kept pressurising and that was important. You have to congratulate the team for what we did."

Sagna also felt the victory underlined the fact that despite skipper F�bregas's importance to the club, Arsenal are not a one-man side. "We are a team first," he said. "It's not about one player, even though Cesc is very talented.

"Tonight we showed that everyone can play. Of course Cesc is welcome in the team � he's the captain, which means a lot, and he's a very good player. But we're approximately 25 players at Arsenal, so we play as a team."

Arsenal's success was certainly something to savour for Ebou�, who came on as a second-half substitute to score their fourth goal on the break, and then win the stoppage-time penalty converted by Bendtner.

"We knew it would be difficult because Porto are a great side, they play good football, they're technically strong and they're quick," the versatile Ebou� said. "But we wanted to score goals and we managed get five. I'm pleased to have scored, and also to hear the support from the fans."

RELATED ITEMS

by **rieyna168** Thu 11 Mar 2010, 12:06 pm

Tom wei, meh update samer forum AMS..tom kan suka tambah2 info ni... Smile

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 2:51 am

aisehhhhh hampeh tul la Hull ct tuh dpt penalty plak hak tuiiiiiii

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 2:52 am

penyokong Hull mmg badigol soot suke sgt booo org mmg xdo hotak tul

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 2:53 am

mano lah smgat kalahkan porto aritu nieh

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 2:56 am

pasti gunners dpt score 80min-90min huhuuuu

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 2:59 am

patut ler hull nyer penyokong cam hanjen* sobab dah nk terkeluar premier league huhuuuu

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 3:32 am

yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo gunners monang gak 2-1!!! hjahahahahahahaaaaaaaa puas hati walaupun game gunners pagi nie mmg hampeh sket hehehe

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 3:34 am

yeahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 3:58 am

Hull City 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal struck late to earn a crucial 2-1 win over Hull City at the KC Stadium.

Nicklas Bendtner struck in stoppage time as Arsenal kept pace with Chelsea at the top of the Barclays Premier League with victory at 10-man Hull.
The title-chasing Gunners went in front when Andrey Arshavin prodded in after 14 minutes but Jimmy Bullard levelled with a penalty after 28 minutes following a Sol Campbell challenge on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1265184553099_300x250

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 1265184553099_300x250

Arsenal struggled to break down Hull following the 45th-minute dismissal of George Boateng but Bendtner earned a fifth straight win by netting after Denilson's wicked swerving shot.
A full match report will be available shortly.

by **tomyejam** Sun 14 Mar 2010, 4:01 am

Arsenal The Gunners - Page 19 Gun__1268207735_porto09032010_5

Wenger - Bendtner a different player now

12/5 AFC win the PremiershipFree �20 Paddy Power bet
15/2 Arsenal win Champs LgeBet �10 get �20 Free

By Nick Teale

Ars�ne Wenger says Nicklas Bendtner is a different player compared to a few weeks ago.

The Dane has netted five goals in his last four Arsenal appearances and also bagged a towering header for Denmark last week.

But before that the striker had been receiving criticism having not netted since his return from injury on January 27. The stick even re-emerged after the Gunners' 3-1 win over Burnley last weekend.

The 22-year-old missed a host of chances in that game but hit back with a hat-trick against Porto in midweek.

And according to manager Wenger, Bendtner has improved dramatically over the last month.

"If you look at him now and three to four weeks ago, he is a different player," said Wenger. "A few weeks ago he looked out of shape, heavy running, heavy feet. It is already different as he plays games.

"What is important for him is that he is not injured. As a top-level player, first when you need to have a good run and you have a good run it is important."

But despite the Dane's run of form, the manager refuses to guarantee his selection.

"He doesn't know that he is going to play but he knows that he will get a chance," said Wenger. "As long as he does well he has a good chance of playing. As well, he has qualities that are needed in our team."

by Sponsored content