But that said the Twente fans, who'd travelled the 40 plus miles to the stadium (their regular home is being renovated), did their level best to impersonate an Anfield type version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Which mediocre though it was still sounded better than the drivel expounded by George Burley. This tedious man is to football as dog turds are to pavements.
Our team line-up had pretty well been predicted given that some nine players were unavailable including Cesc and Kolo. So Djourou was in at the back and Ramsey partnered Denilson in midfield. Twente had their top striker suspended and it showed. The referee, a Mr. Mallenco from Spain was pretty inept throughout. He failed to spot anything off the ball such as blatant obstructions, and wouldn't know have recognised a shirt tug if he'd been hauled over himself. But that was a good lesson for the Arsenal youngsters who coped fairly well with the crap dished out to them. It wasn't really dirty, just sly.
Twente hustled and bustled early doors and got on top without dominating. We looked half paced and ring-rusty and let them get the better of us. Arsenal won their first free kick after just 15 seconds and Adebayor was given offside soon after when he quite clearly wasn't. Denneboom smashed one wildly wide after some naff defending by Clichy allowed him to stroll through. Almunia had to come out fast after Sagna was beaten for pace. Clichy was hacked and hauled down by Janssen who was carded. A good run upfield by Djourou. Fine Eboue run but a wasted cross, the story of his Arsenal career in a nutshell. Half an hour gone and we'd been ineffective to this point.
A Ramsey shot from range had more power than direction and was our first real goal attempt with about 31 minutes on the clock. We had yet to take the game by the scruff of the neck and our front men were poorly served. Another good run by the rather chunky Denneboom. Djourou suffered a forearm smash across the nose which drew some claret and we went down to ten men while he was treated off the pitch by Colin Lewin our new physio. Van Persie went down in the box but it was pretty inconclusive. Gallas hoofed one upfield such was our mediocrity. Almunia out well to save a one on one with the keeper but the attempt on goal was pretty naff. A Van Persie cross won a corner as Robin stayed down following an accidental kick from their keeper. The corner was not properly cleared and Clichy smashed a rocket from range, which moved enough in the air for the keeper to get caught and he parried late. Sagna smashed the rebound wide with his left peg.
A poor pass by Clichy set up another wild shot for Twente who were quite clearly not all that. Eboue taken out off the ball and we finished a tedious half by winning a corner. What a tedious half of football.
The second half started with Twente winning an early corner and then Arsenal woke up. Eboue to Adebayor who chested down for Robin, who saw his shot blocked. The yellow shirts had upped the pace and looked sharper in the pass, but were nowhere near full throttle or in super-pass mode. Denilson was given a yellow card for nothing more than Twente had been getting away with the entire game thus far. Gallas went down when a player jumped into him. Walcott was tripped but we wasted the free kick, it was that sort of game. Another decent Arsenal break saw Denilson taken out off the ball but nothing was given, making his earlier card even more of a mystery. Theo took a whack in the face.
A great interception by Eboue high up the field came to nothing. No so the free kick he won soon after when he was tripped. It was wide right and Robin took it. He curled it in low and the defence seemed to watch it on it's way through where Gallas appeared to bundle it into the net off his shin. A good free kick but one that should have been easily dealt with. 0-1 to Arsenal and an away goal to boot.
Van Persie booked for a stupid and unnecessary shove in the back, nothing worse than anything Twente had done but far more obvious. We really must learn to foul effectively if we are going to do it.
By now we didn't have total possession but we did have control with Denilson growing and Ramsey supporting him neatly. Djourou too looked the part but it has to be said he wasn't up against much. Djourou made another good run upfield. A chance for Twente hit the side netting but I believe Almunia had it covered in any case. With less than ten minutes to play a long diagonal ball saw Theo get behind his man and lay it off to Ade on a plate for a tap in. 0-2 Arsenal.
Theo was rewarded for his set-up by being subbed. Mark Randall came on in his place wearing the 47 shirt. Bendtner came on for Robin with 87 minutes on the clock and almost scored with his first touch. Can't say we really played well enough to win by two clear goals but it was good, in a weird sort of way, to see us play poorly and get a result. Results breed confidence as we all well know and the home leg should be a walk-over. No one really shone for Arsenal but I thought Denilson was very solid in midfield and could well grow into the role.
So our journey Arnhem wasn't after all a bridge too far and so that simple fact ruined many a potential banner headline for the redtops. Good.