Arsenal 0-0 CSKA Moscow – 01/11/06 – (Champions League) 3 November, 2006

What an extraordinary game. Chance after chance after chance and none of them would go in. it could have easily been 5-0, but luck was not on our side as we drew 0-0 to leave us in a bit of trouble in the group. People have said it was an amazing performance by Arsenal on Wednesday night but from where I was sitting, I didn’t see that. I don’t think we played badly at all, I just think we lacked that cutting edge and we found it hard to break them down at times. We had 23 shots and they had five, that’s tells you that it was a pretty one sided game and the game was just Arsenal attacking again and again. All we needed was just one chance to go in, just one.

Luck was against us and the ball just wouldn’t go in the net. We had about 5 good chances, by where I mean we should have scored. The best one was Henry making a good run down the touchline and then squared it to Rosicky about 2 yards out with an open goal gaping but somehow he managed to miss the target and play it straight back into the stranded ‘keepers arms. It really was distressing to watch and you couldn’t help but think it just wasn’t going to be our night.

Another great chance in the first half was from Cesc Fabregas, he got a clever ball played through to him and was one-on-one with the goalie, he side-footed the keeper and had an open goal to shoot at with a little bit of an angle but he only managed to hit the side-netting. There was someone waiting in the box, I think it was Henry, who Fabregas could’ve squared it to and they would’ve had an open goal to shoot into but instead Cesc went alone but couldn’t break the deadlock.

Those were our best two chances I think, they were both in the first half and both were open goals. They really should’ve been buried but it just wasn’t to be. The first half was the best for us I feel. At half time I was thinking we’re going to kick into gear when we come out and score early but it just never happened. We had a few open headers but nothing threatening to Moscow’s goal. It’s just one of those days in football where you do everything imaginable to score but nothing comes off. Some people in the crowd were trying their best to lift the team but as a whole I wasn’t impressed with the Gooners. In Wenger’s post match interview he said ‘the crowd were great’. No they weren’t, we weren’t shit but we were nowhere near ‘great’. I don’t know whether it was the frustration or the freezing temperatures or what. I had a good feeling going into the game and we did play quite well and create the chances but I just don’t understand why we couldn’t score.

Gilbertosilver from Gunnerblog rang me after the game to see what I thought and I was speechless. Even now I still can’t believe it was 0-0. To be fair we could have quite easily lost 1-0 thanks to a defensive error with left Lehmann to face a one-on-one. He managed to block the shot and then scrambled on it before it trickled over the line. I think it was Vagner-Love who made the shot, when he was running towards our goal I thought it was definitely a goal, well done Jens for making that save.

Thierry Henry also doesn’t understand why we didn’t win. He had this to say:

“We were looking at each other and wondering how we didn’t win. We had enough opportunities. At one point the Moscow centre back looked at me and said, ‘there is only one team on the pitch’. As the skipper, when I walked back into the dressing room I couldn’t say anything to the team. We had the right aggressivity, the right attitude and played good football. We created chances once again and did not put the ball in the back of the net. We had so many opportunities. Cesc had one, Robin had three and how the shot from Tomas did not go in, I still ask myself. But sometimes football is a bit weird. Nine times out of ten the ball from Tomas would go in but it was the 10th time and I am laughing about it because it is funny. I have been in a situation where I have been the guy who has missed a sitter and maybe he is going to be the guy who makes us win at West Ham on Sunday. It is difficult in a way to be too down about it because I think we had a tremendous game.”

Thierry’s right, we did everything as we should’ve but just nothing would work for us, at the end of the game we were just hoofing it up hoping someone would get on to it but I think we all knew it was going to end up 0-0. When the whistle went I swear I heard boos, I’m not sure but I think I did. I’m not sure what it was for but there was alot of angry and fustrated Gooners inside that stadium, I just hope I didn’t hear us booing the team.

After the game the Moscow fans were celebrating as if they’d won, I suppose they just couldn’t believe they’d kept a clean sheet and we delighted with the point. So we are now level with Porto with 7 points and Moscow top the group with 8, so we have no more room for slip ups. That’s enough on the match, it hurts talking about it, I just want to put it behind us and get on with the next game. See you later people.