Dynamo Kiev 1 Arsenal 1

EASY DOES IT ... Ismael Bangoura sends Manuel Almunia the wrong way for Kiev's goal



IF anyone in football should understand the meaning of deja vu, it is French
intellect Arsene Wenger.




The sense of having seen it all before is never more applicable than in the
case of his hair- tearingly frustrating Arsenal team.


How many times has Wenger watched his lavishly gifted young stars play their
opponents off the park in Europe, yet need a desperate last-ditch goal just
to rescue a point?


How many times have Arsenal dominated possession, carved out chance after
chance, yet still failed to take advantage of their supremacy?


And how many more times will Arsenal continue to shoot themselves in the foot
before realising it is acceptable to win ugly every now and then?


This was Arsenal’s fourth trip to the Ukraine and with only three minutes to
go they looked destined for a fourth defeat.


But with just two minutes of play remaining, Theo Walcott threaded one last
cross into the danger zone for a grateful William Gallas to bundle the ball
home from close range.


Incredibly, that was Gallas’ third goal in Europe this season after being on
target in both qualifiers against FC Twente.


The difference this time was that it rescued a priceless point when the
Gunners looked to have made life hard for themselves yet again.


For so long last night they were up against a team scared of their own shadows
after failing to secure a single point in last season’s Champions League.


A team who would willingly have settled for a goalless draw until they
realised Arsenal were happy to play all night in pursuit of the perfect goal.


Yet even then it still needed a helping hand from Arsenal when Bacary Sagna
wrestled Ognjen Vukojevic to the ground as they tussled for a 64th-minute
cross.


Ref Luis Medina Cantalejo had no doubts it was a penalty, despite Wenger’s
furious touchline protests.


Ismael Bangoura was just as convincing as he rolled his spot-kick past Manuel
Almunia.




Yet Arsenal had not started like a team with a phobia about life in the
Ukraine.


There seemed little to worry about as they stroked the ball around with their
customary precision to keep the volatile crowd quiet.


Kiev looked the more fearful as they backed off and allowed Arsenal the time
and space to get their passing game going.


Such generosity almost cost them in the third minute when Walcott’s delicious
reverse pass found Robin van Persie in so much room he hesitated to check he
was still onside before firing an unchallenged shot at keeper Stanislav
Bogush.


Despite thrashing Spartak Moscow 8-2 in the qualifiers, Kiev started with a
real lack of conviction and ambition.


Nobody scared them more than Walcott, whose hat-trick heroics in Croatia last
week have obviously caused panic through Eastern Europe.


That can only be good news for England, who are back in Kiev in October next
year for their penultimate World Cup qualifier.


The 19-year-old looks to be playing without a care in the world right now and
caused panic in the Dynamo ranks every time he received the ball.


Yet for all Arsenal’s possession, they were always vulnerable as long as they
were unable to cash in on their supremacy. Emmanuel Adebayor made room to
shoot in the 16th minute but his effort was blocked by a last-ditch
challenge from Taras Mikhalik.


But there was no excuse for Adebayor two minutes later when a terrible
backpass allowed him to race between the centre-backs before drilling a
wonderful opportunity wide.


Van Persie blew another chance when he swivelled on to Walcott’s low cross but
sent his effort into the side netting.


And a minute before half-time Cesc Fabregas failed to take advantage of the
fine approach play of Adebayor and Van Persie with a tame shot straight at
Bogush.


Kiev were so toothless during a dismal first-half display it came as a bolt
out of the blue when they almost snatched the lead within four minutes of
the restart.


Roman Eremenko’s angled shot got the faintest of touches off Almunia before
striking the base of the near post.


It was the slap across the face Arsenal needed to shake them out of their
complacency.


Only Walcott was showing any real urgency and it came as no surprise when
overworked Dynamo skipper Andriy Nesmachniy was booked for one foul too many
on England’s newest star.


They say fortune favours the brave and no one showed more courage than Theo to
keep going right to the bitter end.