Nine-man Gunners stay alive

PSV Eindhoven 1 Arsenal 1

While the Gunners seem worryingly addicted to adopting the hardest route possible in Europe, they can at least reach the knock-out stages with victory in their final group game at home to Rosenborg.

And, with PSV having clinched a place in the knock-out stages for the first time in nine attempts, Arsenal could - whatever happens against Rosenborg - join them if Panathinaikos fail to beat the Dutch side in their own final fixture.

To be assured of their fate, Arsenal will nevertheless have to survive without captain Patrick Vieira, as well as right-back Lauren in a fortnight’s time.

However, they achieved that feat in the final stages in Eindhoven as Vieira received his first red card since his dismissal at Old Trafford last season as he followed Lauren off the pitch.

Both players were guilty of second bookable offences, with Arsenal soldiering on manfully for the final 12 minutes with just nine embattled men.

Once again, set-pieces had earlier proved their undoing, with not even Sol Campbell’s early return from injury proving able to prevent Andre Ooijer from heading home an eighth-minute corner. Thierry Henry, nevertheless, provided the perfect riposte to his PSV Eindhoven critics as he struck his 14th goal of the season to bring Arsenal level.

Henry may have been criticised on the eve of the game by PSV midfielder Phillip Cocu, but he completed a neat one-two with Fredrik Ljungberg to equalise on 30 minutes.

And so Arsenal again had mixed emotions in Eindhoven, just like their previous visit two years earlier, when a 4-0 win was marred by racist abuse and missiles being directed at Henry. However, PSV had promised there would be no repeat of such problems, especially in the wake of the racist abuse hurled at England players in Madrid last week.

There were no obvious taunts this time around, although ex-Feyenoord winger Robin van Persie, who was stretchered off to add to Arsenal’s woes, was roundly booed on his return to Holland.

Despite a promising start, with Henry flicking a shot just wide, Arsenal’s set-piece problems continued, with even Campbell left standing as Ooijer raced on to Mark van Bommel’s corner.

Now, without a clean sheet in 11 games, Arsenal simply cannot afford to be undone so easily in the air. However, even against a side that had conceded just one in 12 previous games, they rallied gamely.

And after Henry had shaved the near post after dispossessing Wilfred Bouma on the touchline, he found a way through with 30 minutes gone.

After striding forward purposefully, the Frenchman picked out Fredrik Ljungberg and received the perfect return pass before clipping his shot past Heurelho Gomes to level.

Tensions were rising as both sides became more physical, with both Vieira and Ooijer earning yellow cards. While Reyes’ fierce drive was parried by Gomes, Arsenal had to be wary at the back, with Jens Lehmann then tipping Van Bommel’s drive around the post.

Wenger, meanwhile, responded by taking off Reyes, who had suffered under some physical challenges, and brought on Van Persie, who was roundly booed.

Arsenal’s task was magnified when Lauren, who had earlier been booked for dissent, was dismissed for his second bookable offence with 25 minutes left, a foul on Lee Young-Pyo.

Ljungberg briefly moved back into defence before Justin Hoyte came off the bench to replace Pires. Arsenal, meanwhile, could still have gone ahead, only for Henry to round off a glorious run with a weak shot, while Van Persie lobbed an effort over the bar and Ljungberg wasted another opening.

However, Vieira then followed Lauren off the pitch when he was booked for a late foul on Park Ji-Sung and Arsenal were left to hang on.

PSV:Gomes, Ooijer, Alex, Bouma, Lee, Van Bommel, Vogel (Beasley 65), Cocu, Park, Farfan, Sibon.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Ljungberg, Fabregas, Vieira, Pires (Hoyte 69), Reyes (Van Persie 63), Henry, Van Persie (Flamini 81).

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany).