Gunners blast away in win vs Porto
Source: Agencies |
March 11, 2010, Thursday
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ARSENAL striker Nicklas Bendtner atoned for a poor performance over the weekend by scoring a hat trick in a 5-0 win over FC Porto in London, England, helping the Gunners advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Arsenal overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg last month to advance 6-2 on aggregate. Porto has now lost its last seven matches in London and this was the Portuguese side's heaviest Champions League defeat.
"Overall, I believe over 90 minutes we controlled 80," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "For the 10 we didn't control, we suffered in my opinion a bit too much because they had one or two chances at the beginning of the second half. But overall we controlled the game and scored great goals, and we were good to watch."
Bendtner scored his first in the 10th minute after Samir Nasri split the defense with a through ball to Andrei Arshavin. Porto defender Jorge Fucile's last-ditch tackle provoked a collision with Arshavin and goalkeeper Helton, and the ball fell to Bendtner who slid in to poke it into an empty net.
The Denmark international scored again in the 25th when Fucile gave the ball away on the left to Arshavin when trying to clear. Fucile came in with a tackle, but Arshavin beat him and two other defenders into the area. The Russia international crossed to Bendtner who tapped in from close range.
Bendtner completed his hat trick in the dying moments of the match after Emmanuel Eboue was bundled over in the area by Fucile and the referee awarded a penalty. Bendtner stepped up and blasted it past Helton.
Bendtner became a talking point after he missed numerous glaring chances in front of goal on Saturday in a 3-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League. Wenger said before the match he hoped Bendtner was saving his goals for the Porto match.
Wenger said after the match that Bendtner was lucky to get his hat trick because he was No. 3 in line to take penalties behind Nasri and Arshavin, but both of them had been substituted.
Wenger was pleased with how Bendtner bounced back from his performance Saturday.
"It shows you he didn't lose his confidence," Wenger said. "He came back tonight with a good focus, with the same belief. It's one of his strengths. The confidence level remains relatively stable. He has the size and presence we need. We're usually a very short team."
Arsenal had to cope without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, who was ruled out after limping out of the match against Burnley on Saturday with a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
Arsenal overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg last month to advance 6-2 on aggregate. Porto has now lost its last seven matches in London and this was the Portuguese side's heaviest Champions League defeat.
"Overall, I believe over 90 minutes we controlled 80," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "For the 10 we didn't control, we suffered in my opinion a bit too much because they had one or two chances at the beginning of the second half. But overall we controlled the game and scored great goals, and we were good to watch."
Bendtner scored his first in the 10th minute after Samir Nasri split the defense with a through ball to Andrei Arshavin. Porto defender Jorge Fucile's last-ditch tackle provoked a collision with Arshavin and goalkeeper Helton, and the ball fell to Bendtner who slid in to poke it into an empty net.
The Denmark international scored again in the 25th when Fucile gave the ball away on the left to Arshavin when trying to clear. Fucile came in with a tackle, but Arshavin beat him and two other defenders into the area. The Russia international crossed to Bendtner who tapped in from close range.
Bendtner completed his hat trick in the dying moments of the match after Emmanuel Eboue was bundled over in the area by Fucile and the referee awarded a penalty. Bendtner stepped up and blasted it past Helton.
Bendtner became a talking point after he missed numerous glaring chances in front of goal on Saturday in a 3-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League. Wenger said before the match he hoped Bendtner was saving his goals for the Porto match.
Wenger said after the match that Bendtner was lucky to get his hat trick because he was No. 3 in line to take penalties behind Nasri and Arshavin, but both of them had been substituted.
Wenger was pleased with how Bendtner bounced back from his performance Saturday.
"It shows you he didn't lose his confidence," Wenger said. "He came back tonight with a good focus, with the same belief. It's one of his strengths. The confidence level remains relatively stable. He has the size and presence we need. We're usually a very short team."
Arsenal had to cope without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, who was ruled out after limping out of the match against Burnley on Saturday with a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
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