Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Champions League: Arsenal 5 - 0 Porto, 6-2 aggregate: Super Nick!

Nicklas Bendtner wants everyone who questioned him on Saturday to shut up. Pic via Sky Sports.

Arsenal 5: Bendtner 10, 25, 90+1 (pen), Nasri 63, Eboue 66
Porto 0
Arsenal wins 6-2 on aggregate.

Wow. This had all the makings of a disaster for Arsenal. Down 2-1 to Porto. Haven't won a European tie after losing the first leg in 32 years. Cesc Fabregas is hurt. William Gallas is hurt. Andrei Arshavin can't play all 90 minutes. Nicklas Bendtner couldn't hit the water from a boat with his shots on Saturday.

Then today, Arsenal thoroughly coasts to an emphatic 5-0 win. Who saw this coming?

Arsenal dominated the opening minutes as it was clear that Arshavin, Bendtner, and Samir Nasri were playing at another level. Arshavin had two great shots saved by Helton in the opening eight minutes, but in the 10th, a through ball from Nasri sprung the diminutive Russian who poked the ball forward after a collision with Helton. Bendtner had an open net to shoot for and did not miss this time. For the first time this season, Arsenal scored in the first quarter of an hour at home, and drew level in the tie on aggregate.

Fifteen minutes later it was Arshavin again setting things up, maneuvering around three Porto defenders to make his way to the line where he punched a cross to Bendtner waiting for the ball and the Dane buried his second of the game with ease again.

Arsenal got a little sloppier from this point on, having gone ahead on aggregate 3-2. In the 34th minute, Andrei Arshavin found himself with an open net, but unlike Bendtner today (but just like him on Saturday), the Russian fired high and into the crowd.

Arsenal needed that third goal to seal it, but it just wasn't coming. To start the second half, it was all Porto for about twenty minutes. Arsenal's defenders were on their heels, the passes weren't as crisp, and it looked like Porto was destined to get a much needed away goal that would have brought the tie completely level at that point.

And then, it happened. Samir Nasri did an amazing impression of Cesc Fabregas. He controlled the ball on the right wing, made four Porto defenders look absolutely foolish, worked his way to the line, pounded the ball past Helton, where it proceeded to careen off the far post and into the net. Arsenal had their third goal and a 4-2 lead on aggregate. And Samir Nasri had a highlight reel goal you'll be seeing again and again for a while.

Porto now found themselves two goals away from advancing and earned a corner. But, in pushing everyone forward, Arsenal earned a counter attack, with Arshavin again the set-up man. His through ball found Emmanuel Eboue onside, he found his way around Helton and had another easy goal for the Gunners. 4-0. 5-2 on aggregate. It was all over for Porto in a matter of two minutes.

The rest of the match labored on, as Theo Walcott, with new found confidence, attempted to fire twice with the left foot he scored with against Burnley on the weekend, but he wasn't close. He later tried a cross to Bendtner to get Super Nick the hat trick, but Bendtner's difficult header glanced wide.

But the hat trick would indeed come! Eboue earned a penalty kick in injury time, Bendtner stepped up to take it, and pounded it to the low corner on the left. Helton guessed right, but the pace was too strong. Goal number three for Bendtner, goal number five for Arsenal, and a trip to the quarterfinals. Arsenal will know their quarterfinal opponent, as well as whatever else the bracket might have in store in ten days time.

Oooh, to be a Gooner. 

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