10-man Valencia dug deep to earn a valuable Champions League Group B point at Highbury tonight, as frustrated Arsenal failed to score for the second consecutive game. Stand-in goalkeeper Andres Palop was the Spanish champions’ hero on the night when he made braves saves late on from Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg after the Gunners had increased the pressure following the dismissal of Miguel Angulo 18 minutes from time.
The eagerly anticipated clash never quite lived up to its billing, but, after being dominated for long periods, the Spaniards will go home happiest with the result. For Arsenal, as in Saturday's defeat by Manchester United, it was again a case of what might have been as missed chances and the heroics of Palop cost them the opportunity to take a real stranglehold on the group after their opening win away at AS Roma two weeks ago.
Arsenal had flirted repeatedly with disaster in the opening minutes. Angulo was allowed a free run and shot, the returning David Seaman came within inches of being caught in possession on the six-yard line by Pablo Aimar and an Ashley Cole headed clearance crashed into Pascal Cygan. But once they had warmed up, the home side began to put Valencia under pressure and should have gone ahead in the 21st minute when Freddie Ljungberg failed to convert Dennis Bergkamp’s superb centre. Palop, standing in for the injured Santiago Canizares, did well to gather a Bergkamp drive through a crowded penalty area seven minutes later.
He then denied Thierry Henry twice in the space of a minute - comfortably coping with a rather tame free-kick before producing a much better effort at the feet of the Frenchman after he had been released by a pass from Patrick Vieira. Vieira, who had been doubtful for the match until two hours before kick-off, lasted only seven more minutes before he had to be substituted.
Valencia had a rare chance minutes after the restart when John Carew found himself in space on the right of the Arsenal box, the Norwegian international pulling his shot across Seaman's goal. Ljungberg almost made amends for his earlier miss with an exquisite turn in the box to leave himself free against Palop. But the Spanish keeper was equal to the challenge, standing up and waiting for the shot which he managed to block with his boot.
Bergkamp then got on the end of Henry's chip with a header that Palop plucked from the air as it looped towards the top corner. Valencia continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack - Bergkamp's header was followed immediately by a swift raid that finished with Angulo testing Seaman with a low drive.
But their chances of victory suffered a hammer blow 18 minutes from time when Angulo was given a straight red card by referee Kim Nielsen after elbowing Cygan. A minute later a fierce Ljungberg drive brought another good stop from Palop. That set the stage for a late onslaught from Arsenal and second-half substitute Sylvain Wiltord should have won them the match in the final minute, when his shot was cleared off the line by Carlos Marchena. But Valencia also might have snatched the three points when Carew's header looped over Seaman and had to be hooked clear by Sol Campbell.
In the group's other match tonight, Ajax took a sizeable step towards the quarter-finals after goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former Liverpool player Jari Litmanen saw off AS Roma 2-1. Gabriel Batistuta headed a late consolation for the Italians but they now have a mountain to climb to reach the last eight. Ajax now lie second in the group, level on points with Arsenal, who have a superior goal difference.
Filed by James Boylan.
