Arsenal vs FC Porto
Match pulse
ARSAttacking pressure by 5 minutes
Who won: Arsenal 4-0
Arsenal beat FC Porto 4-0 on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at Emirates Stadium. Goals for Arsenal: Robin van Persie (31', 48') and Emmanuel Adebayor (40', 71' pen).
Play by play
- 90'
Arsenal needed a good performance tonight and that's what they gave. A convincing win against a decent opposition who just could not find an answer to Arsenal pace and movement. Crisis? What crisis?
- 90'
There's the final whistle.
- 89'
Lucio and Costa link up to threaten a chance, but Clichy is alert to the danger and blocks the cross and Arsenal clear their lines. Too easy.
- 88'
Released by Bendtner, Vela pulled the ball back from the byline but Adebayor and then Eboue failed to make contact as the ball pinged around the box.
- 87'
Arsenal fans now cheering every touch as they count down the last few minutes.
- 86'
Adebayor drags a shot wide and a hat-trick chance goes begging. Good work from Bendtner towork the opening.
- 85'
The Gunners fans, shellshocked and booing at fulltime on Saturday, are chanting and singing and lauding their team tonight after a confident showing here has resulted in a comprehensive win.
- 83'
Porto have never really addressed the root cause of all Arsenal's best moves tonight: Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard has been at the centre of everything, his passing and vision have created chance after chance, opening after opening and Porto have had no answer to his invention.
- 82'
Costa earns himself Porto's first booking - the game's second - for pointlessly holding onto the ball at a throw-in given Arsenal's way. The Porto man clearly frustrated with a sound beating at Arsenal's hands.
- 81'
Bendtner slips a ball down the left wing for Adebayor, but the pass finds Adebayor offside.
- 80'
Gallas is hurt. Limping badly he is out of position with what looks to be a damaged foot.
- 79'
Bendtner and Vela are quick. Very quick. And they are causing problems for a weary Porto.
- 78'
Portuguese U-21 international Daniel Candeias is on for Porto, with Rodriguez - their best player on the night - taken off exhausted.
- 77'
Vela's arrival was greeted with huge cheers - the Mexican bagged a hat-trick against Sheffield United last week in the League Cup and the home fans sense the youngster has goals to give.
- 76'
Earlier in the game a 4-0 scoreline looked unlikely, but Arsenal have ground Porto down and the visitors have had no answer for Arsenal's relentless attacks.
- 75'
Going forward Porto aren't too bad - it's just that in defence they are terrible!
- 74'
Tomás Costa pounces on a loose ball 35 yards outside the Arsenal goal and fires a great shot toward Almunia.
- 73'
The first yellow card of the game is brandished at Clichy for a late tackle on Lucho.
- 72'
Some exceptionally poor defending leads to a goal-mouth scrap which Porto manage to hook away - already Vela looking dangerous.
- 71'
A change for Arsenal: Walcott has left the fray with Carlos Vela on in his place.
- 70'
The spot kick was conceded by Guarin who needlessly hacked down Bendtner just on the edge of the area when the striker had his back to goal - a desperate challenge by a team in dire straights.
- 69'
Adebayor ran up, sent Helton the wrong way and passed the ball low into the bottom right of the goal. Good pen.
- 69'
4-0 to Arsenal!
- 69'
Penalty to Arsenal.
- 68'
Rodriguez, drops off his marker and unleahes are powerful drive from range which only just goes over Almunia's bar - a warning for Arsenal.
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