PSV Eindhoven 1 Arsenal 0: PSV outwit Wenger in game of cat and mouse

By Phil Shaw at the Philips Stadion

Wednesday, 21 February 2007

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Advantage PSV. Barcelona. Football it wasn't, but Ronald Koeman - whose Benfica side dispatched Manchester United and Liverpool from last season's Champions League - could yet add Arsenal to his collection of English scalps after the Dutch club gained a first-leg advantage thanks to a second-half goal by Edison Mendez.

The Ecuadorian's right-footed shot past a sluggish Jens Lehmann just after the hour, was the 100th goal Arsenal have conceded in Europe's premier competition since they first entered in 1971.

In the words of Arsène Wenger, it leaves last season's finalists in "a tricky situation". Arsenal need to muster greater cutting edge in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on 7 March if they are to keep alive their hopes of painting Athens red come May. "We have to score twice without conceding," the manager said. "Though from what we've seen, I have the confidence that we can do that."

Wenger declined to blame Lehmann for the goal, while conceding that his comments were not informed by video replays. "I felt the mistakes we made were before that, he added, alluding to his defenders' failure to close down Mendez's space.

Wenger had criticised what he saw as Koeman's negativity when the former Barça player was in charge of Ajax. He was scarcely kinder this time. "I felt they started the game to play for 0-0. It was important to score the first goal."

Koeman saw it differently. Claiming a tactical masterstroke by taking on Arsenal's towering central defenders without a central striker in the absence of the injured Jefferson Farfan, he went on to pronounce it "a deserved result".

Looking to the return, he added: "I think we're in a fantastic position. Of course, they're playing at home and will start aggressively, but that could give us some space. If we play at the same level we have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals."

Many of the crowd were handily dressed for such a triumph, sporting fancy dress as the four-day carnival which grips the southern part of the Netherlands every February culminated in a result perhaps few expected. Arsenal had the lion's share of possession, but as Wenger admitted: "We dropped our level after half-time. Our cohesion and passing went. We looked a bit out of rhythm."

It may have been asking too much for the teams to be imbued with the festive spirit. There was no repeat of the start Arsenal made on their previous visit, when Gilberto Silva struck after 20 seconds, and for a time the players might have been kitted out in carnival cat-and-mouse outfits.

Arsenal had the greater element of surprise, especially through Tomas Rosicky's sudden interventions, and the Czech almost broke through in the 13th minute. Finding space on the left of the penalty area, he squeezed in a shot which Heurelho Gomes parried. The ball sat inches from the line, until Carlos Salcido hacked it clear.

Despite the precision of Phillip Cocu, 36, Arsenal began to make it look as if they were at home, with Cesc Fabregas, 19, more than matching the veteran. Thierry Henry was a brooding, almost detached presence. Three minutes before half-time, however, another slick move led to Rosicky feeding the Frenchman 14 yards out. Swivelling to volley, Henry's shot flew straight at Gomes, but a second, swerving effort from 20 yards that flashed narrowly over seconds before the break suggested a man warming to his task.

Unfortunately for Arsenal and their captain, that proved illusory. It was PSV who were growing in assurance, Salcido's cross picking out Arouna Kone, whose hasty volley rolled wide of the far post. But in the 61st minute, Mendez took Kone's short pass to unleash a low drive that Lehmann put on a glove on but could not stop.

Fabregas came closest to an equaliser, taking Rosicky's 70th-minute pass before letting fly. Gomes, Koeman's Brazilian keeper, clawed his shot over with a marvellous leap which ensured Eindhoven's party mood remained unspoilt.

PSV Eindhoven (4-3-1-2): Gomes; Kromkamp, Alex, De Costa (Sun Xiang, 65), Salcido; Mendez, Culina, Cocu; Simons; Diego Tardelli (Vayrynen, 74), Kone. Substitutes not used: Moens (gk), Addo, Feher.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Lehmann; Gallas, Touré, Senderos, Clichy; Hleb (Baptista, 74), Gilberto Silva, Fabregas, Rosicky; Henry, Adebayor. Substitutes not used: Almunia (gk), Ljungberg, Denilson, Flamini, Djourou, Aliadière.

Referee: T H Ovrebo (Norway).