PSV Take First Round, Win 1-0

By Our Correspondent
for Arsenal New Today

Published: February 21, 2007

Arsenal’s hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League were dented as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat against PSV Eindhoven.
Edison Mendez struck after an hour to leave Arsenal needing a win in the return leg at Emirates Stadium in a fortnight.

The Gunners controlled the first half and carved out all the game’s best chances, but they were frustrated by their spirited opponents as they failed to grab an away goal.

Tomas Rosicky dashed into the left side of the PSV box after a one-two with Thierry Henry and angled a low strike across Heurelho Gomes, but the goalkeeper stretched out a hand to half-stop the shot and Carlos Salcido cleared the danger.

Philippe Senderos also crashed a header wide from a Cesc Fabregas corner, before Rosicky bent an audacious effort just past the right-hand post from 20 yards out.

The way PSV started the game with numbers behind the ball and defence uppermost in their minds.

PSV’s main attacking outlet was Arouna Kone and he proved a handful at times for Arsenal’s defence, but he lacked support and the home side were restricted to shots from distance.

The best of these came from Philip Cocu on the half hour mark, but the power on his strike from 30 yards failed to unduly trouble Jens Lehmann.

Henry had looked in the mood to deliver throughout the first half without ever really getting into the action, but he sprang to life after 43 minutes as he swivelled on the edge of the area and drew a fine save out of Gomes.

Moments later Gomes was scrambling again as Henry curled a stunning shot from 25 yards out, but there was not quite enough dip on the ball and it flew inches over.

PSV played much more positively as the second half got underway and Kone was presented with a fabulous opportunity when he was wrongly adjudged to be onside from Mendez’s free-kick, but the Ivory Coast international dragged his volley well wide.

Arsenal lost all their rhythm and made several sloppy mistakes to aid the Dutch side’s cause, and Mendez seized the moment to fire PSV ahead after 61 minutes. He exchanged passes with Kone 25 yards from goal and then rifled a low shot past Lehmann and into the bottom left corner.

The Gunners almost responded immediately as Fabregas combined with Rosicky and crashed a ferocious shot towards the roof of the net, but he was denied by a flying save from Gomes.

Julio Baptista was brought on for the ineffectual Alexander Hleb, while Sun Xiang became the first Chinese player to compete in the Champions League when he replaced the injured Manuel de Costa for PSV.

As the clock ticked down Arsenal tried to pick a hole in the PSV defence, but there was no way through their organised back-line or the inspired Gomes, who had to be alert to keep out Baptista’s bouncing free-kick.

PSV even had a chance to double their lead late on when Kone broke forward and released Mendez, but his strike was well blocked.

Source: www.skysports.com