Having been unlucky not to register a win at the Emirates stadium, the second leg in the first Champions league knockout stage saw Arsenal go through at the San Siro, against AC Milan courtesy of goals scored by Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor.
The set of questions posed before the fixture however, was whether Arsenal could perform the way they did at home against Milan but on foreign soil? Could they score against a well marshaled and experienced defence and could they progress to the quarter finals against a team steeped in European success and the current holders of the Champions league? The answer to all these questions would be yes.
Arsenal is not a great global brand in the vain of Manchester United or Chelsea. In the English premiership they are known for their attacking brand of football, but outside of England and in Europe, it is debatable whether Arsenal is perceived as an English football giant. In the first leg at The Emirates, the Milan players and manager recognised that Arsenal were a great creative force, and were full of accolades for the way key players performed against them. Adebayor was difficult to control, Fabregas seemed to be pulling the strings better than what golden boy Kaka was expected to do in the Milan squad, and Flamini was industrious and effective as ever in that anchor man role.
Arsenal under Wegner are better suited to European football than English. Most times they seem as though they should be playing in Serie A or La Liga rather than the quickness and physicality of a top flight English league. Indeed Arsenal (with their nucleus of nationalities from West Africa and the European continent) would prefer to play Milan week in week out, rather than Aston Villa or Birmingham City. In Arsenal’s previous two fixtures they dropped points, because Villa and Birmingham were effective in not giving Arsenal time on the ball.
The tough task of silencing a continental competent football team was achieved at the Emirates, only just after Adebayor hit the wood work with a header, from a good Theo Walcott cross. The impetus was on Milan to destroy Arsenal at the San Siro; the cauldron of intimidation and Italian passion and the venue where no English club has ever managed to earn a victory. Milan deserved to go through, hell they expected to go through but by judging from their first encounter the second encounter was always going to be tough.
At the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, the goals had come late in the 84th and 90th minute respectively, but Arsenal dominated and outplayed Milan from the very beginning where Fabregas was undoubtedly their star player. Having been electric in the preliminary stages of Arsenals campaign, the Catalan midfielder had not been able to sustain the same level of performance that had brought him many unanimous accolades. This match though reaffirmed why he is such a precocious talent.
Fabregas orchestrated his team with extreme finesse; always finding the right pass, executing the perfect pass, showing great skill, demonstrating speed of thought and showing a tiger like attitude that belies his youth. Amidst all the skill in his repertoire, in addition he managed to perform defensively well. This was put to the test when a corner from Andrea Pirlo was headed goal wards by the 39 year old Paolo Maldini. The 20 year old Fabregas was there to clear off the line and win the first of many battles of ‘old’ versus ‘new’.
Phillip Senderos, perpetually the media and fans whipping boy, nearly put the North Londoners ahead at the far post when he met Fabregas’ cross in the 47th minute. His overall performance was near enough immaculate especially considering his task of keeping both Kaka and Pato quiet. Adebayor was also proving difficult for Milan to handle; where on the ground, in the air, and with strength and skill he was giving the Milan back four cause for concern. He had a couple of great efforts on goal and had great vision to find Fabregas in the 32nd minute who unleashed a rasping shot against the Milan crossbar.
As the game wore on though and Arsenal were creating chance after chance, with Emmanuel Eboue wasting a couple of glorious opportunities, it seemed as if it was going to be one of those nights for the Gunners where great play and domination fails to produce goals or a win. But as Arsenal pressured, Milan were tiring under legs of a team with an average age of 31. This was emphasised when a move of ‘keep ball’ that entailed 30 passes reminiscent of Brazil against Italy in the 1970 cup final, or Holland against Germany in the 1974 World cup final or Argentina’s move in the 2007 World cup. In this instance a goal was not the outcome of great team play, instead referee Konrad Plautz wrongfully booked Alexandr Hleb for diving after being felled by Alesando Nesta when he should of given a free kick.
Gennaro Guttuso was one notable Milan player that was left ragged through exhaustion, and his gamesmanship was questioned when he signalled to the Arsenal players to play the ball out of play during another period of Arsenal passing, because he was injured. No sooner had Diaby granted his request, than the midfielder got up unscathed. Perhaps he should have stayed on the floor a while longer to recuperate his fitness levels, for he was to be punished near the end. Alexander Hleb fed Fabregas in the middle of the park, then with a sudden burst of pace and a change of direction, he had evaded the attentions of Gattuso and was facing the Milan goal. As Nesta retreated, with Adebayor in close proximity, Fabregas sent forth a 20 yard strike past Kalac, the Milan keeper. Grateful in his decision to shoot when given the opportunity, the strike confirmed that Arsenal are more effective when they do not try to pass the ball into the net.
The second goal was a master class in tactical trickery from Wenger. Substitute Theo Walcott with pace in abundance had come on for Eboue to further the game plan to tire and exhaust Milan. As mentioned before this nearly worked in the first leg but here the 18 year old made sure he made an impact. Fabregas had sent a raking pass to the teenager on the right wing. Kaladze and Walcott both had a 50/50 chance of getting the ball but whereas the both ended up on the floor for contention of the ball, only Walcott managed to get up in time, with the ball at his feet. He then found the composure to find Adebayor who had made a terrific run; squaring the ball across the Milan goal for a simple tap in at the far post for the Togolese striker.
It was not expected that Arsenal could achieve this feat on foreign soil even though some of their best wins in this competition was against Italian teams away (remember 3-1 at the stadio Olympico against Roma in 2003: or 5-1 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro in 2004). The current holders of the Champions league were knocked out through a triumph of freshness over experience, and maturity over youth. The Milan tifosi recognised this too at the final whistle; applauding an English team that they expected to adapt a route one/long ball approach to win the game.
When the draw was revealed sometime in December, Arsene Wenger commented on the status of the 7 times winners of the European trophy when he said: “they are the most consistent, the most effective and therefore the best European club of the past 20 years.” However he went on to add: “That doesn’t mean they have to be the best for the next 20 years.”
Average team age:
AC Milan: Kalac 35 years and 3mths, Oddo 31yrs 6mths, Nesta 31yrs 9mths, Maldini 39yrs 6mths, Kaladze 30 yrs and 1mths, Pirlo 28yrs 7mths, Ambrosini 30yrs 9mths, Gattuso 29yrs 11mths, Kaka 25yrs 8mths, Inzaghi 34yrs 4mths
Alberto Gilardino 25yrs 8mths, Pato 18yrs 6mths
Arsenal: Almunia 30yrs 7mths, Sagna 24yrs 10mths, Senderos 23yrs 1mth, Gallas 30yrs 4mths, Clichy 22yrs 5mths, Eboue 24yrs 6mths, Flamini 23yrs 9mths, Fabregas 20yrs 7mths, Diaby 21yrs 10mths, Hleb 26yrs 7mths, Adebayor 23yrs 10mths, Silva 31yrs 5mths, Walcott 18yrs 12mths
Average age Arsenal 25yrs 6mths, Milan 31yrs 7mths
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I remember watching the last 10 minutes of this match, watching Fabregas and Adebayor owning the San Siro was a joy to behold but also a pretty surreal experience. At the final whistle the Milan fans seemed to be in shock at how well an “English” side could play. The second goal was the icing on the cake, what a superb run and cross from Walcott.
What I didnt understand about Italy at the Euros was that they started against Holland with the exact Milan midfield of Pirlo, Gattuso and Ambrosini. Now don’t get me wrong they still are good players (in particular Pirlo) but Milan had generally been awful last season.
Argentina Soccer
arsenal should get david villa