Dynamo Kiev 1 Arsenal 1THE DYNAMO Kiev supporters packed behind one of the goals last night unfurled a giant banner shortly after the kick-off. "Wanted, dead or alive" the letters on it read, above a drawing of the Champions League trophy. Arsene Wenger shares the sentiment. Europe's elite competition has become an obsession to him.
His Arsenal team were on the brink of a setback here that might not have been fatal but would have made their quest to escape the group stages a fraught affair, any margin for error most likely removed.
Yet as the home crowd prepared to celebrate, Arsenal showcased their spirit and carved out an equaliser. Theo Walcott's cross from the right caused panic inside the Dynamo area and with Emmanuel Adebayor also on hand, William Gallas swept home from close range.
Arsenal had dominated the first half and ought to have been comfortably in front, having created a fistful of presentable opportunities. But they were almost unhinged after the break by a debatable penalty that had Wenger raging at the officials at full-time. Ognjen Vukojevic had Bacary Sagna's shirt as the pair grappled inside the box but when the Dynamo man went down, the referee blew.
Arsenal's misery in the former Soviet Union looked set to continue - they have now not won in seven Champions League visits - but they could be thankful for the point they took back to London on this occasion.
Arsenal ought to have taken an early lead. Walcott played Robin van Persie through the inside right channel of the penalty area and his shot was palmed to safety by Stanislav Bogush.
Shortly afterwards, Adebayor seized upon a loose pass from Roman Eremenko, bustled past the Dynamo defenders and opened up his body to curl a right-footed shot into the far corner.
His bearings were marginally awry yet Wenger's team had hit their stride.
Dynamo hoped that the staging of the tie at the smaller and tighter Lobanovskiy, rather than the vast Olympic stadium, which is undergoing renovation for the 2012 European Championship, would enable their supporters to create a more intimidating atmosphere.
Yet at kick-off time, there were empty spaces in the stands owing to a problem with the club's new ticketing system.
Van Persie, who got away with a reckless tackle on Betao, had another sighting of goal in the 44th minute only to guide a right-footed effort the wrong side of the post before Cesc Fabregas spurned the clearest chance of the half. Arsenal's approach work culminated in Adebayor drifting a ball to the far post and Van Persie tapping inside, first time, for Fabregas. The Spaniard, though, hurried his shot into the grateful arms of Bogush.
Dynamo are a different team to the one that lost all six of their Champions League group phase matches last season, two of them to Manchester United. Their new coach, Yuri Semin, is in the throes of blending a team drawn from all corners of the globe.
Yet there were nerves on show from them for lengthy spells, which were evident in what appeared to be a shoot-on-sight policy. Dynamo did not trouble Manuel Almunia in the first half.
Dynamo were transformed in the second half, suddenly finding rhythm to their passing and confidence, and when Gallas misjudged a bouncing ball, they poured forward, sensing opportunity.
Olexandr Aliyev played the ball out to Bangoura on the right and his cross caught Sagna on the wrong side of Vukojevic. In the ensuing tussle Vukojevic crumpled head-first into the turf and the referee, Luis Medina Cantalejo, stunned Arsenal by pointing to the penalty spot.
Flares lit the scene when Bangoura sent Almunia the wrong way.
Arsenal looked to have run out of ideas but the relief was palpable when Gallas bundled in. A deserved point had been rescued.
DYNAMO KIEV:Bogush, Betao, Diakhate, Mykhalyk, Nesmachniy, Vukojevic, Yussuf (Asatiani 90), Yeremenko, Aliev, Ninkovic, Bangoura (Kravets 90). Subs not used: Shovkovskiy, Ghioane, Morozyuk, Shatskikh, Olexander Romanchuk. Booked: Nesmachniy, Bangoura, Vukojevic, Diakhate.
ARSENAL:Almunia, Sagna (Eboue 78), Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Song Billong (Bendtner 70), Denilson, Van Persie (Vela 83), Adebayor. Subs not used: Fabianski, Ramsey, Wilshere, Djourou. Booked: Sagna.
Referee:Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain).
Guardian Service
