SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Arsenal score precious away goal in 1-1 draw with Villarreal in Champions League

Record ID: 739112

  • Title: SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Arsenal score precious away goal in 1-1 draw with Villarreal in Champions League
  • Date: 8th April 2009
  • Summary: VILLARREAL, SPAIN (APRIL 7, 2009) (REUTERS) ARSENAL COACH ARSENE WENGER ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE WENGER SEATING AT PRESS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE(English) ARSENAL COACH ARSENE WENGER SAYING: "It was a great game as well, both teams played very well and the high tempo in a very offensive way. Villarreal started stronger than us and scored
  • Embargoed: 23rd April 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA70UG4OVK7JIO4EWM0RUNV713Z
  • Story Text: Emmanuel Adebayor's superb overhead strike gave Arsenal an important away goal as they drew 1-1 with Villarreal in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday (April 7).
    The game was only 10 minutes old when Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna received the ball outside the area and scored with fierce drive that flew into the top corner.
    "Villarreal started stronger than us and scored an early goal.
    That made it of course very difficult but in the second half we had a great response and managed to take completely over and managed to get as you said a great equaliser," Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger told a news conference after the match.
    Arsenal were hindered by first-half injuries to goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defender William Gallas who both had to be substituted, as Villarreal dominated.
    But the Londoners responded in the second half and Adebayor's acrobatic effort from Cesc Fabregas's pass in the 66th minute left the visitors with an away-goal advantage for the return leg in London on April 15.
    "I believe at the start I thought that his body was a bit in the wrong position to score, you know, but he managed to turn that to an advantage for him. And of course it was a great goal and after I believe we had many dangerous situations where we could have taken advantage of to score a second goal," Wenger said about Fabrega's role in the match.
    A match which started at a hectic pace, full of slick passing from both sides, was blown open when Senna's thunderbolt left Almunia with no chance.
    Visiting defender Gael Clichy had already blocked an attempt from a corner on the line by then, but Arsenal responded with Samir Nasri testing keeper Diego Lopez at his near post in the 18th minute.
    Villarreal, who are unbeaten at home in this competition, pressed hard towards the end with Senna and Diego Godin going close, but Arsenal held firm and carried plenty of threat themselves on the break.
    Villarreal's coach Manuel Pellegrini said he had been pleased with his team's performance.
    "I think that we played a very good match, the first half was excellent, the second one was more balanced. We shared the ball but I think a draw did not reflect the whole 90 minutes."
    Pellegrini added that he did not feel defeated.
    "No, no I don't worry about the possibility of Arsenal having killed the leg. We lost the possibility to get to England with a victory, but honestly I repeat that the draw doesn't mean that we are defeated or Arsenal is in semi-finals, we are going to be very hard to defeat," he said.
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