SOCCER/AZ Alkmaar 1 Arsenal 1:ARSENAL HAD only themselves to blame. One goal to the good courtesy of captain Cesc Fabregas, they had one foot in the knock-out stage of the Champions League and they appeared content to play the second half at a canter.
How they were made to pay.
With injury-time almost up, and an Alkmaar rally in full swing, a free-kick from the hosts was pumped into the penalty area and, almost in slow motion, substitute Graziano Pelle headed square for David Mendes da Silva to swoop and caress a marvellous volley past Vito Mannone.
Arsenal will remain confident of ensuring safe passage. They have shown themselves to be the best team in this group. But it grated that, despite enjoying the upper hand for the majority of this tie, the were left to lament their lack of cutting edge. And some loose defending at the death.
Arsenal had a score to settle with Ronald Koeman, the manager who replaced Louis van Gaal at Alkmaar over the summer. It was Koeman’s PSV Eindhoven who inflicted defeat upon Arsenal on their previous visit to the Netherlands in the Champions League proper in 2007. Wenger’s team could not recover the deficit in the return leg in London and exited at the last 16 stage. “They had very defensive tactics,” said Wenger. “They waited for a mistake.”
Koeman admitted his team would attempt to stop Arsenal from playing and, in his central midfielders, Mendes da Silva and Stijn Schaars, he hoped he had the means to that end. The pair snapped at Arsenal heels in the early running and tried to keep Abou Diaby and Fabregas within their range at all times.
Alkmaar’s strategy involved trying to get Mounir El Hamdaoui, their leading scorer, into dangerous areas, while Moussa Dembele also flickered on the right flank. They struggled, however, for options in the final third.
It was a largely cagey opening, in which only one clear chance was fashioned. It fell to Robin van Persie but the striker could not find a way past Sergio Romero, the Argentina goalkeeper.
Bacary Sagna and the quicksilver Andrey Arshavin had ushered Diaby forward up the inside left channel and his cross found its way to Van Persie at the far post. When he jinked inside onto his left foot, excitement rose within the travelling Arsenal ranks but Romero stood tall to save smartly.
AZ had entered the tie on the back of five defeats in eight games in all competitions and suffering from problems in front of goal. Moreover, with the collapse of the club’s holding company, DSB Beheer, the beleaguered owner, Dirk Scheringa, knows he will, in all likelihood, have to sell.
Alkmaar lined up without a shirt sponsor, a consequence of their parlous financial condition, but with banners of support in the stands for Scheringa. Wenger had predicted such matters would not affect the Alkmaar players.
Arsenal felt their way into the game and, after Arshavin had gone close on the half hour, they sprang forward to take the lead.
The goal was chilling in its simplicity. Niklas Moisander, the Alkmaar defender, gifted away possession and, in a flash, Arsenal poured forward with their three marquee players.
Arshavin fed Van Persie and, with vision and unselfishness, the Dutchman squared from the left for the advancing Fabregas to tap home his fifth goal of the season.
Arsenal’s half-time lead might have been greater but Romero, just about, managed to smuggle a Van Persie blast over the crossbar.
Alkmaar’s plan to enlarge their neat and tidy stadium from its 17,000 capacity will have to wait and Arsenal hardly found it a cauldron here, particularly after they settled into their rhythm and assumed a grip on proceedings.
Goalkeeper Mannone, who was surprisingly preferred to the fit-again first choice Manuel Almunia, had precious little to do.
Arsenal appeared to play within themselves for spells, which, while the scoreline was 1-0, meant that their supporters could not relax.
Alkmaar roused themselves for a spirited finale. Dembele gave Gael Clichy one or two nervous moments and, from a Schaars corner, which deflected, Diaby diverted the ball onto the top of his own crossbar.
Moments later, with the home crowd finally energised, Hector Morena almost touched home another dangerous set-piece from Schaars, but Mendes da Silva ensured that Alkmaar had something to shout after.
AZ ALKMAAR: Romero, Moisander (Wernbloom 84), Jaliens, Moreno, Poulsen, Holman (Pelle 73), Mendes da Silva, Schaars, Martens (Lens 69), El Hamdaoui, Dembele. Subs not used: Didulica, Klavan, Van der Velden, Swerts. Booked: Lens.
ARSENAL: Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Song Billong, Eboue (Ramsey 82), Fabregas, Diaby, Arshavin, van Persie (Vela 75). Subs not used: Almunia, Silvestre, Wilshere, Gibbs, Merida. Booked: van Persie, Clichy, Vela.
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden).
