arsenal dent twente ambitions published: wednesday 13 august 2008, 23.30cet fc twente 0-2 arsenal fc arsenal are set for their eleventh straight appearance in the group stage after an improved second-half show.
by wayne harrison
arsenal fc are on course for their eleventh consecutive appearance in the uefa champions league group stage after second-half goals from william gallas and emmanuel adebayor secured victory at fc twente.
captain's contribution off the pace for long periods, captain gallas touched in a free-kick at the far post after 63 minutes before adebayor added a second eight minutes from time. the eredivisie hosts, under the guidance of former england coach steve mcclaren, had looked the more enterprising prior to gallas' strike, but deflated by the concession of an away goal, failed to threaten thereafter, leaving the english premier league side in pole position to progress.
denneboom threat it was competition debutants twente who were first to threaten when romano denneboom headed wide at the far post. arsenal had not settled, two corners inside the opening quarter the sum total of their attacking efforts, and they almost fell behind when denneboom swept past denilson into the penalty area only to slice high and wide. arsenal responded, albeit ambitiously, as 17-year-old summer signing aaron ramsey's long-distance effort sailed over.
sagna chance denneboom was proving a handful and it was his pass which sprung the visitors' offside trap nine minutes before half-time, but one-on-one with almunia, marko arnautovic's first touch let him down. arsenal still had not slipped into gear, their best chance of the half being a bacary sagna shot wide after twente goalkeeper sander boschker had spilled clichy's effort.
adebayor goal twente continued to look the more assured after the restart, yet out of nothing, arsenal took the lead. van persie's free-kick from the right was allowed to run on by the deep lying twente defence leaving gallas to bundle in from close range. buoyed by their lead, arsenal assumed control and added a second when theo walcott latched on to a long ball over the top to sqaure for adebayor to slot under boschker.
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