Gunners go down but still advance

Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 1

Thierry Henry gave the Gunners the lead after 17 minutes with an exquisite 25-yard free-kick before David Seaman suffered a double misery.

Firstly, the England goalkeeper, whose performances have been under scrutiny in recent weeks, was beaten after 37 minutes when Tomas Rosicky's free-kick glanced off the head of Gilberto Silva and flashed inside his far post. Then Seaman was harshly adjudged to have tripped Jan Koller in the box and Rosicky drove home the 62nd-minute penalty.

It was not all doom and gloom, however, as the fact Auxerre failed to beat PSV Eindhoven in the night's other Group A clash meant Arsene Wenger's team joined Dortmund in the next phase. Thierry Henry had given Arsenal the lead with an exquisite free kick after their German hosts were twice denied by the woodwork. The home fans in the Westfalenstadion were buoyant, and rightly so, but they were stunned after 17 minutes after the Gunners won a free-kick in a central position 25 yards from goal after Ljungberg was bundled over by Sebastian Kehl. There was only ever going to be one conclusion as Thierry Henry stood alone over the ball, stepped forward and planted it over the wall and in the bottom left corner, with Lehmann rooted to the spot.

It was a quality goal his ninth of the season but first for a month and it nudged the Gunners towards the second phase of this tournament.

Arsenal sat back on their lead and Dortmund forced three good chances in the space of four minutes, but they failed to find their finishing touch. The Gunners were left to try and hit their German hosts on the break, and they almost doubled the lead after 27 minutes. Ljungberg made a good run down the left into the box, but Vieira arrived on the overlap and decided to take the shot instead, driving the ball just wide of the far post.

But subsequent Dortmund pressure eventually paid off as they came up with an equaliser after 37 minutes although it was Arsenal defender Gilberto who got the final touch, and again there was a question mark left hanging over Seaman.

Rosicky curled a free kick from the left high into the box and the ball glanced off the head of Gilberto before beating Seaman inside his far post.

With Auxerre losing in Eindhoven at half-time, a draw here would see both teams through to the second phase, but this match looked as if it had more goals in it. Seaman was then at the centre of more controversy in the 62nd minute when he was harshly adjudged to have tripped Koller, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

The giant Czech striker played the ball wide of Seaman and was never going to reach it as it ran out of play. But as he jumped over the diving goalkeeper his boots brushed Seaman's gloves and he went crashing to the floor dramatically and won the spot-kick.

Rosicky stepped up and struck the ball into the bottom corner. BORUSSIA DORTMUND : Lehmann, Evanilson, Worns, Metzelder, Kehl, Dede, Rosicky, Frings, Ricken, Ewerthon, Koller. Subs: Heinrich, Reuter, Herrlich, Amoroso, Madouni, De Deus Santos, Weidenfeller.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Cygan, Pires, Vieira, Silva, Ljungberg, Henry, Wiltord. Subs: Jeffers, Edu, Luzhny, Kanu, Stepanovs, Toure, Taylor.

Referee: M Gonzalez (Spain)