CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP H: Partizan Belgrade 1 Arsenal 3:ARSENE WENGER is far too urbane to ever wave two fingers at Arsenal's critics but his team had a suitably defiant riposte for those who suggested their soft centre faced exposure in Serbia.
The doom-mongers had claimed that Lukasz Fabianski keeping goal in a side shorn of Cesc Fabregas represented a recipe for disaster amid the most hostile of Champions League atmospheres but, ultimately, Wenger’s youthful players made victory appear almost routine. Fabianski even saved a late penalty.
Punctuated by a series of partial power cuts – which saw two of the four floodlights repeatedly fail – plus intense chanting from the 32,000-capacity crowd, the preamble to the kick-off proved anything but serene for Arsenal’s players.
Indeed with the electrical failures affecting the dressingrooms, they were sporadically plunged into darkness while changing for the tie.
Not that the Londoners’ need to use mobile phones as torches will have worried the Belgrade police unduly.
Fearing the sort of violence which Partizan fans have a reputation for provoking, they harboured bigger concerns and Wenger’s side were duly greeted by the sight of legions of shield-bearing riot officers as their bus pulled into the ground.
Arsenal’s on-pitch, pre kick-off reception was arguably even more intimidating. Confronted by a terrific display of waving black and white flags, they were also treated to the sight of a giant banner of Big Ben emblazoned with the message: “You have been run over by a Steamroller.”
It could have been less friendly though: Partizan are known as either “The Steamroller” or “The Gravediggers”.
Some sceptical Arsenal fans joked that Wenger was digging his side’s grave by selecting the accident prone Fabianski in place of the injured Manuel Almunia.
Yet the Frenchman is nothing if not loyal and such faith was rewarded when Fabianski quickly gathered a shot from Cleo, Partizan’s Brazilian-born star striker who had shrugged Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci aside with ominous ease.
Although Kieran Gibbs was also enduring the odd shaky moment at left-back, it was not all bleak for Wenger.
Cleo’s final touch seemed to be betraying him and, after being dispossessed by Denilson as he shaped to shoot, Partizan’s top scorer fired wide when well placed.
Meanwhile, Fabianski dived to save at the feet of Boya after another defensive misunderstanding.
Shortly afterwards, Partizan’s rearguard suffered a more severe communications breakdown. It resulted in Arsenal scoring with a move started and finished by Andrey Arshavin.
First the Russian passed out to Alex Song who promptly played it short to Jack Wilshere whose surge forwarded concluded with an adroit backheel flick from which the Arshavin beat Vladimir Stojkovic, once of Wigan, with a low shot.
Suddenly Arsenal’s hitherto absent composure came flooding back, their passing game clicked into belated rhythm and it took a last ditch clearance from the Marko Jovanovic to prevent Arshavin claiming a second goal courtesy of a cute chip over the advancing Stojkovic.
Not that Partizan were out of it. Quick on the counter-attack, they very nearly levelled matters when Medo’s long-range shot skimmed the bar and did finally score as Cleo beat Fabianski from the penalty spot following Denilson’s handball.
It was the sort of atmosphere amid which Wenger must have particularly missed his injured captain, but Wilshere was filling Fabregas’s gap in midfield well while Tomas Rosicky began the second period by testing Stojkovic’s reflexes.
He did even better in saving a poorly-struck penalty from Arshavin after Jovanovic had been sent off for bringing Marouane Chamakh down.
Chamakh eventually put things right, meeting Rosicky’s cross and seeing Partizan’s goalkeeper palm his header against the bar before forcing the rebound home.
Next, Sami Nasri’s corner was headed in by Squillaci and Fabianski earned hero status by brilliantly saving a Cleo penalty.
Guardian Service
PARTIZAN BELGRADE:Stojkovic, Stevanovic, Marko Jovanovic, Krstajic, Lazevski, Tomic, Medo, Petrovic (Smiljanic 69), Sasa Ilic, Boya (Iliev 83), Cleo. Subs not used: Zivkovic, Stankovic, Savic, Bogunovic, Kizito. Sent Off: Marko Jovanovic (56). Booked: Sasa Ilic.
ARSENAL:Fabianski, Sagna, Djourou, Squillaci, Gibbs, Rosicky, Denilson, Song, Arshavin (Clichy 84), Wilshere (Nasri 74), Chamakh (Vela 74). Subs not used: Szczesny, Koscielny, Eboue, Lansbury.
Referee:Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
Arshavin 15, Chamakh 71,
Squillaci 82
Cleo 33 pen
Att:25,000
