Porto v. Arsenal - Minute by Minute

Preamble: Well, I'm pretty sure the entire Arsenal squad is hurt or something. The Gunners travel to Portugal without the services of Manuel Almunia, William Gallas, Eduardo, Andrei Arshavin, and Alex Song, in addition to pre-existing injuries to Fran Merida, Robin van Persie, Kieran Gibbs, and Johan Djourou. But hey, Carlos Vela is back!

Official line-ups when I have them. I'd expect Sol Campbell to start in place of Gallas rather than Mikael Silvestre, because both Silvestre and Thomas Vermaelen are left-footed. Denilson will probably start in place of Song at holding midfield. I hope Denilson suddenly remembers that he's supposed to run while playing this sport. Up front is a bigger guessing game. Nicklas Bendtner will start, Samir Nasri should be on the wing, but since Eduardo can't replace Arshavin, will it be Theo Walcott or Tomas Rosicky? Or will Emmanuel Eboue make a surprise start somewhere, as he did against Liverpool a week ago in place of Bacary Sagna? We'll see soon.

These new injuries are not exactly just a Champions League headache; Almunia, Gallas, Eduardo, Arshavin, and Song are all expected to miss Sunderland's visit to the Emirates on Saturday. Gallas will be out until early March with a calf injury (it's not his back, as several media sources have claimed.)

Line-up: Fabianski, Sagna, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy, Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky, Bendtner. This means my line-up guess from yesterday's post, upon learning of all of the injuries, was 100% correct. I am awesome.

Starting for Porto: Helton, Fucile, Rolando, Bruno Alves, Pereira, Ruben Micael, Fernando, Raul Meireles, Varela, Falcao, Hulk.

So, Arsenal's 4-3-3 looks a little different today thanks to those injuries (alright fine, it's still really a 4-5-1), but with Campbell, Diaby, and Bendtner featuring, maybe Arsenal can use some height to their advantage for a change!

Arsenal in their standard red and white kits, Porto in their standard blue and white striped kit.

Keep in mind, Fabregas and Clichy are playing on yellow cards.

1 min: Arsenal kicks off and we're underway from Porto! Gunners moving left to right as I see it.

2 mins: Campbell beaten poorly there, terrifying chance from Porto.

3 mins: Hulk just misses a shot wide; Porto have had all the pressure and Arsenal are fortunate to have not conceded just yet. Reminds me of the start at Standard Liege.

5 mins: Bendtner, facing a double team in the area knocks the ball out of play and does not get the call for a corner; first bit of Arsenal "arsenalling" in their passing game.

7 mins: Arsenal have settled down a bit. Nasri takes a shot right at Helton, the Porto keeper.

9 mins: Free kick to Porto in a dangerous spot after a challenge from Vermaelen. Bruno Alves, the Porto captain takes it from 30 meters out and it's caught comfortably by Fabianski.

11 mins: End to end action at the start! Hulk is clearly giving the defense fits, but he can't draw a penalty kick from a collision with Campbell.

12 mins: Porto 1 - 0 Arsenal. Clichy beaten easily, like he has been for the last few weeks; Varela crosses the ball and Fabianksi knocks it into the net. Horrible mistake, probably should've been an own goal, but it's not. Brutal, brutal mistake.

16 mins: Great move on the edge of the box by Nasri leads to a corner, which just goes right to Helton.

18 mins: Every time I see Porto's goal, I cringe harder and harder. Bendtner with a shot nearly deflected in, looks like another corner for Arsenal that they won't do anything with.

19 mins: Porto 1 - 1 Arsenal. It's Sol Campbell! A header off the corner and Arsenal is level! What a crazy start to this game.

21 mins: Fabregas a free kick from 27 meters, off the wall, hit an Arsenal player and lands in Helton's arms.

22 mins: Arsenal corner, after a great look at the net from Rosicky, sails over everyone's heads.

23 mins: Vermaelen escapes a booking there, but concedes a free kick outside the box, for a very deliberate push. The kick goes wide left.

25 mins: Sagna is struggling to keep pace at times, but unlike Clichy of late, he's recovering well, and earns a goal kick.

27 mins: Porto doing their best Arsenal impression in terms of passing; Clichy had a chance to clear but mishit, and a Vermaelen header concedes Porto's first corner.

28 mins: Arsenal struggle to clear and eventually, Fabianksi is forced to make a big save, but pushes the rebound near Hulk, but too far for him to hit it on goal as Sagna closes.

31 mins: Far touchline assistant calls the foul on Diaby for that slide tackle and he's booked. Arsene Wenger is very disappointed. Good catch by Fabianski on that free kick, but I momentarily feared he'd fall into the net with it.

36 mins: Little to say, but plenty to see, as the action continues to sway back and forth across the pitch.

37 mins: Big save Helton after the Bendtner deflection. Arsenal corner.

39 mins: There's no more terrifying sight than Cesc Fabregas rolling on the pitch in pain, clutching his ankle. He's fine though.

40 mins: Sol Campbell holds off the Porto attack at the line just long enough for Fabianski to pounce.

42 mins: Great ball to Rosicky, great pass to Bendtner, whose cross was clearly intended for that fan in the third row.

45 mins: Bendtner cancels a great run by falling in the arc over nothing. Back and forth we go again.

45+1 mins: There were 34 seconds of stoppage time? In a half with two goals? Halftime recap coming, but first, a bit of a fun little get together between the two sides entering the tunnel. Should be a cracking second half.

HALFTIME: Porto 1 - 1 Arsenal. "Curious match, this," says Casey and I completely agree. A wide open affair. Arsenal looked shaky at the start, pulled themselves back into the match with a goal seven minutes later, but it's obvious how much this team misses Alex Song. There just doesn't feel like there's a holding midfielder in red out there, leading to action that is swinging wildly back and forth. Meanwhile, shoot us an e-mail at hipstergooner@gmail.com.

46 mins: Second half starts. Gooners, let's pray for some holding from our midfield!

47 mins: Free kick to Arsenal drawn by Denilson outside the box on the left side. Cesc to take it, curls it in, Campbell heads it just a touch high over the bar.

49 mins: Bendtner's shots have just not been on target since coming back from injury. Miscommunication between Sagna and Fabianski was a little worrying. Nothing we haven't seen from Almunia before.

50 mins: Rosicky hauled down in the box with no call. Eduardo Embargo on PK's still on against Arsenal since August.

51 mins: Porto 2 - 1 Arsenal. Hold on, I'll get to this after I clean up from my head exploding.

53 mins: So, Fabianksi stops paying attention, picks up a back pass, then doesn't even try to block the quick indirect free kick, which leads to a goal. Another. Brutal. Mistake. From. Fabianski. Just horrible. Another farcical goal allowed by the Gunners.

54 mins: That'll be controversial for sure and Casey and I are discussing the relative "shittyness" of taking that kick so quickly. But it's on the keeper to get the team ready for it, and tonight, Fabianski has failed miserably.

56 mins: Thank God Fabianski didn't pick it up that time.

58 mins: Another header from an Arsenal free kick sails harmlessly over the bar.

60 mins: Fabianski with a good low save on the Hulk shot. Apocalypse, maybe?

62 mins: Arsenal again come close with possession in the box, but just don't seem to have the personnel to just turn and fire on goal tonight.

64 mins: Fucile booked for Porto on a challenge on Fabregas. Cesc keeps confronting Porto players, but let's remember, he's already sitting on one yellow. Another booking and he's out for the return leg.

66 mins: Arsenal escapes danger with two blocks in the box before a Nasri clear.

68 mins: First subs. Theo "I'm Exceedingly Frustrating to Watch" Walcott replaces Tomas "I Have Awesomely Long Hair" Rosicky. For Porto: Costa is on for Meireles.

71 mins: So, does Arsenal have an equalizer in them? And more importantly, a second away goal? Corner coming...

74 mins: Theo Walcott, with fresh legs, does a great job coming back on defense, then hits a horrible clearance.

76 mins: Fifteen minutes to play here. Clever ball from Nasri to Fabregas doesn't work as the defenders close nicely; goal kick.

78 mins: Alvaro booked for a challenge that led to a play-on advantage call. Then Sagna called for a foul despite looking like he got the ball first.

80 mins: Does anybody on Arsenal want to defend here? A third Porto goal would be killer for Arsenal. Hulk down hurt after a collision with Diaby.

81 mins: Porto corner with ten minutes to play. Carlos Vela warming up. Hulk subbed off, Mariano Gonzalez on.

83 mins: Vela on for Bendtner. Not like we need height or anything.

84 mins: More bookings for Porto, it's Fernando this time. Another Porto sub as well. Cesc is still down hurt.

85 mins: Way to pass it right into touch, Arsenal.

88 mins: Eboue on for Nasri.

90 mins: Has Arsenal had a shot on goal in this half? I don't think so.

90+1 mins: There will be three minutes of added time. Arsenal corner over everyone.

90+3 mins: Great pressure from Arsenal and NOBODY SHOOTS!

FULL TIME: Porto 2 - 1 Arsenal. Full recap coming in an hour or so.