Arsenal booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev.
Late Bendtner strike books last 16 place as Aliev sees red
Arsenal eased their off-field problems as they booked a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a late 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The Gunners have endured a week to forget following the debate surrounding defender William Gallas and a comprehensive Premier League defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
But with midfield star Cesc Fabregas having been promoted to captain in place of Gallas, who has been stripped of the armband following recent public criticism of team-mates, Arsene Wenger's side progressed from Group G.
The first half ended in stalemate but Gallas had been fortunate not to see his stock sink even lower in North London when robbed in possession by Ismael Bangoura, who went on to hit the Arsenal post.
Gallas, though, almost went from zero to hero on the stroke of the interval as he netted after Dynamo had failed to clear a corner, only to be denied by an offside flag.
After the interval, fortune was again against Gallas - who returned to Wenger's first XI after being axed for the weekend trip to Eastlands - as an effort from Robin van Persie, which was set to break the deadlock, struck the former Chelsea defender and deflected away.
Wenger introduced 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, who became the Gunners' youngest player in European football in the process and the move breathed life into Arsenal.
The Gunners ended their recent troubles as Wilshere's fellow substitute Nicklas Bendtner fired an 87th minute winner, before Dynamo had Olexandr Aliev dismissed for a second booking.
Bright
It was a bright start by the young Gunners, whose bench had an average age of just 19 such were the current injury problems for Wenger with some nine players unavailable.
Mexican Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey combined down the right to set up the attack-minded Welshman for a near-post effort which was turned behind by goalkeeper Stanislav Bogush.
After 17 minutes, Van Persie sent over a teasing free-kick which looked to be dropping for Gallas in the six-yard box, only for Bogush to make a timely punch clear.
The Dutch forward continued to press high on the Dynamo back line, as did the busy Vela, yet without any real impact in the final third.
At the other end, some good link-up play from the visitors found Aliev in space, and his shot on the turn was held by Manuel Almunia.
Arsenal then created another opening when Vela's low ball across the six-yard box was missed by the defence and fell to Ramsey at the far post, but his snap shot under pressure flew high into the stands.
A slip by Gallas almost proved costly when he let Bangoura in down the left, but fortunately for the former captain, the Guinea striker's shot struck the upright.
In stoppage time, Gallas flicked the ball into the net from a downward header after a corner, but celebrations were cut short by the assistant's flag for offside.
Danger
The defender was then in the thick of the action in front of goal again at the start of the second half, this time deflecting a shot from Van Persie clear when any sort of touch the other way would have steered the ball in.
Dynamo, though, continued to look dangerous on the break and Bangoura saw his low shot flash across goal from the edge of the penalty area.
Vela was now the main outlet for Arsenal as the Mexican teenager continued to make progress down the left.
With 21 minutes left, Wenger replaced the hard-working Ramsey as big Danish striker Bendtner, sporting pink boots, was sent on to freshen up the attack.
Wenger again looked to the future when 16-year-old k Wilshere was given another taste of first-team action with 14 minutes to go, replacing Vela, to become Arsenal's youngest European debutant.
A stunning reaction save from Almunia kept Arsenal in it when he raced out to block Artem Milevskiy's snap shot at the far post.
Van Persie drilled a low centre across the six-yard box which was just too far ahead of Bendtner.
The Dane, though, arrived on cue with just three minutes left to latch onto a quickly-taken, long pass from Fabregas to hold off the defender and fire Arsenal into the last 16 of Europe's elite club competition.
Kiev's frustration was compounded when Aliyev was show a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct after appearing to barge into referee Alain Hamer at a free-kick.
| Arsenal |
Team Statistics |
Dinamo Kiev |
| 1 |
Goals |
0 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 5 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 5 |
Shots off Target |
4 |
| 3 |
Blocked Shots |
1 |
| 7 |
Corners |
2 |
| 16 |
Fouls |
17 |
| 7 |
Offsides |
6 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
1 |
| 84.6 |
Passing Success |
73.4 |
| 24 |
Tackles |
15 |
| 79.2 |
Tackles Success |
66.7 |
| 67.4 |
Possession |
32.6 |
| 46.8 |
Territorial Advantage |
53.2 |
|
