Arsenal triumphant despite stalemate

Arsenal 0 PSV Eindhoven 0

Arsenal failed to score for the first time in 32 matches but still enjoyed a triumphant night at Highbury despite a goalless stalemate earned by an unfamiliar-looking line-up.

The draw enabled the Gunners to finish top of the Champions League Group A despite having Kolo Toure sent off nine minutes before half-time.

Toure’s dismissal, the 46th red card during Wenger’s Arsenal reign, was for two fouls in eight minutes on Dutch winger Dennis Rommedahl.

But battling PSV could not make their advantage count and Auxerre’s win over Borussia Dortmund in France even denied Highbury’s visitors the consolation of a UEFA Cup place.

With Arsenal already assured passage through to the second round thanks to winning their first three games in Group A, including a 4-0- cruise in Eindhoven where Brazil midfielder Gilberto scored the quickest ever Champions League goal in just 20 seconds, it was a somewhat surreal occasion.

This time Gilberto was among the celebrity names missing from the starting line-up as boss Arsene Wenger looked ahead to Saturday’s North London Premiership crunch with Tottenham – even at the risk of a morale-sapping sixth defeat in eight games.

Until midway through the second half Dennis Bergkamp and Sylvain Wiltord were marked absent as well, while the injured Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole did not figure at all.

But a 35,000 Highbury crowd gained some measure of pleasure via a strongly committed defensive showing – an old strength which many suspected had been lost - by centre-backs Pascal Cygan and Igors Stepanovs.

Robert Pires, despite being the victim of some rough tackling, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst showed many splendid touches as they continued their comebacks from knee surgery last season.

With so much talent idling on the substitutes’ bench the first half was never going to be anything other than disappointing for the Gunners.

Francis Jeffers, given a rare start, might have changed all that had he accepted two chances exquisitely provided by first Thierry Henry’s chip into the area and then Pires’ immaculate through ball.

Jeffers, despite a good leap, made no kind of threatening header with the first and then ran the second too close to goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus who came quickly from the line and confront the striker on the edge of the box, their collision sending the ball spiralling over the bar.

But then came the two quick bookings which wrecked Toure’s night.

The fouls he committed on winger Rommedahl were certainly not in retaliation for some of the rough treatment the Dutch side had been handing out – especially to Pires who seemed to be a deliberate target for the rugged attentions of Mark van Bommel, Johann Vogel and Andre Ooijer.

Toure’s blemishes were due to the make-up of a natural attacking player – he has scored twice already in the Premiership this season – being deployed out of position on the left of the back four.

The challenges he made were desperate affairs, typical of a striker.

And it is the kind of problem Wenger is going to have to expect if he keeps mixing and matching his line-ups.

New goalkeeper Rami Shaaban, who may be in action again against Tottenham on Saturday if David Seaman is still nursing a sore groin muscle, impressed with two smart saves from PSV’s talented Yugoslav striker Mateja Kezman and winger Arjen Robben.

He was also firm and brave under fire in the closing minutes when PSV threw everything forward, including their own keeper, in trying to rescue their UEFA Cup ambition.

It was all to no avail as the Gunners held on with stout defensive work and midfield possession with Patrick Vieira again a captain marvel – making it a good night despite the fact it was the first without a goal for them since their 1-0 Champions League defeat by Juventus in Turin in March.