Sloppy Gunners held to draw in Norway

Rosenborg 1 Arsenal 1

Arsene Wenger admitted the Barclays Premiership leaders need to start to show the same confidence in the Champions League as they do each week in their domestic league if they are to progress in Europe’s elite club competition.

But after starting brightly in the Lerkendal Stadium and taking the lead through Freddie Ljungberg on six minutes, the Gunners failed to convert their chances and were made to pay when Roar Strand fired in a deserved equaliser for the hosts at the start of the second half to maintain the Norwegian’s unbeaten home record in this competition stretching back to September 2001.

Wenger can at least take some consolation from Arsenal’s four-point haul in their opening two group games, which is a stark improvement on their Champions League form of early last season.

The Gunners took the lead with their first real menacing attack in the sixth minute last night. Thierry Henry tested Espen Johnsen with a low, 25-yard drive which the Rosenborg keeper did well to turn behind.

The Frenchman’s corner was expertly delivered into a crowded goalmouth, and Frode Johnsen could clear only as far Patrick Vieira at the edge of the box. He quickly returned the ball goalwards, where Ljungberg was on hand to sweep it into the net.

Arsenal kept possession well just after they took the lead, and Rosenborg struggled to break the visitors down.

In the 20th minute, Rosenborg captain Erik Hoftun sent a 30-yard strike well wide after being set up from a free-kick following Edu’s foul on Strand. As the half-hour approached, Jens Lehmann flapped at a corner from the left. But fortunately for the big German, Johnsen was not able to get a clean contact on his header. At the other end, Henry held the ball up superbly and fed into the path of an on-rushing Ljungberg. Although he had timed his run to perfection, the Swede made a hash of an angled shot - stabbing the ball sideways across the six-yard box - and Rosenborg were able to clear.

With five minutes to half-time, a clever back-heel from Ole Christer Basma to Strand just inside the penalty area saw the ball returned to him first time - and it needed a timely intervention from Edu to block a dangerous cross.

It was the hosts who created the first opening of the second half. Fredrik Winsnes’ long punt up field found Oyvind Storflor in space down the left, and he swung the ball into the box where Johnsen got up well but could not keep his header down. Sol Campbell then could only half-clear to the edge of the Arsenal penalty area and knew little about the block he made when the ball was fired back goalwards by Strand.

After 50 minutes, a superb ball between the centre-half and full-back from Patrick Vieira released Ljungberg into the right side of the Rosenborg penalty area. His centre picked out Henry in the six-yard box, but somehow Vidar Riseth managed to make the block at point-blank range.

It was, though, no surprise when Rosenborg equalised on 52 minutes.

Winsnes again picked out Storflor on the left, and the forward pulled the ball back to Strand who this time made no mistake as he fired the ball past Lehmann from 15 yards. Arsenal then wasted a great chance to get back into the lead. Campbell released Ashley Cole inside the left-hand side of the penalty area, only for Ljungberg to mis-kick from five yards with the goal at his mercy after the England full-back had played a lovely pass across the box.

Just after the hour, Henry dragged an effort wide of the far post having latched on to a long ball and surged into the area. Vieira then elected to cut a pass back across a crowded six-yard box rather than go for goal after he had picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area.

Rosenborg remained dangerous on the break, and it could have got worse for Arsenal in the 70th minute had Mikael Dorsin managed a good contact on his low shot from just inside the box after being picked out by Johnsen’s cut-back. Edu tried his luck with a rising 25-yard drive which had the goalkeeper beaten but flew just wide of the angle.

Jose Reyes blasted the ball high and wide after Henry’s shot had been blocked - and although Johnsen failed to hold on to an effort from the Frenchman in stoppage time, the ball bounced to a Rosenborg player rather than one in a red shirt.

That summed up the night for Arsenal.

ROSENBORG: Espen Johnsen, Basma (Russell 74), Riseth, Hoftun, Dorsin, Strand (George 64), Solli, Winsnes, Brattbakk (Braaten 82), Storflor, Frode Johnsen.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Ljungberg, Vieira, Edu, Pires (Van Persie 82), Henry, Reyes.

Referee: Florian Meyer (Germany).