Arsenal:
                 Almunia
         Lauren Toure Campbell Cole
Hleb (Cygan 90) Cesc Flamini Pires (Clichy 88)
       Reyes (Quincy 80) Ljungberg

Ajax had been in possession from the kick-off, for just over a minute, when right back Emanuelson gave the ball away badly. Looked to me like he was trying a Ronaldinho, looking forward in an affected way as he slipped the ball square infield from their left touchline. Flamini was onto it like a flash, powering forward to rob the intended recipient before passing to Reyes. Jose took the ball forward and spotted Freddie's run on his left. Freddie stayed onside but drifted away from the defender into space on the left of the D, perfectly placed to nip into the box to receive Jose's through ball. Then with only the keeper ahead of him Vonk, he waited for the keeper to commit himself before calmly dinking over Vonk leaving the defender who was rushing back to the goalline with no chance of hooking it out. Beautiful.

Not bad for a man who'd been written off by Alan Hansen as past-it, in his Telegraph column the other day. "Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires are at the end of their careers", says Match of the Day's supermarionette.

Freddie Ljungberg is 28.

Up the other end, Boukhari tried a speculative long range hook which landed on the roof of the net but was covered by Almunia.

Ajax's biggest threat looked to be Babel, although even he mostly was restricted to long-range efforts by the excellent performance of the Aresnal defence. On 5 minutes a terrific long ball out to their right wing found Babel, beating our offside trap. He cut inside to the edge of the box but Cole got over to make a fantastic tackle.

On 10 they had a free kick on their left wing which swung into the box forcing Almunia to come into action for the first time. It wasn't that hard a take as he came out to catch but it was good to see that he saw the threat quickly and snuffed it out confidently.

Babel received the ball on their right again and this time beat Cole when he cut inside. He brought the ball quite central before unleashing a powerful drive which had Almunia beat but which sailed a yard or two outside the far top corner.

Pienaar played the ball into our box on our right for Boukhari and Almunia looked to be in 2 minds as to whether to come for it. But Campbell showed no such hesitation and made a fine covering tackle. The corner swung out and took a little deflection which prevented the Ajax man it found from controlling his header.

Ajax had been on top since going behind, but now after 20 minutes or so Arsenal started to impose themselves. Emanuelson tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick but Hleb did well to get a foot round him and force it off the left back for a corner. The corner, taken from our right, went right across the box and out for an Ajax throw on the far side near the corner flag, but we got the advantage back when they took a foul throw. It came infield to the edge of the box and Grygera was booked fouling Reyes in the D as he tried to find space for a shot.

Then Pires played a nice ball inside their right back for Cole to run onto, but the defender did just enough to prevent Cole getting control of it abnd the ball ran out for a goal kick.

Ajax's spirit wasn't dampened though, and in midfield their passing was superb. It was in and around our penalty area that they showed less invention and the Arsenal defence was giving nothing away. Toure made a fantastic interception, at a stretch, to thwart a defence-splitting through ball, and then Pires made an excellent tackle back when Cole got caught out of position as the home side broke.

On 27 Boukhari hit a long range shot which Almunia couldn't hold, but he did well to pounce on the ball before Charisteas got there.

Freddie was put through in the inside left channel, and had a shooting chance with his left foot which he didn't seem to fancy, instead trying and failing to draw a foul from the defender coming in on him from behind.

Babel tried another shot from distance which hit a defender on the arm, going out for a corner.

In injury time at the end of the first half, Boukhari was put through after lslightly lazy play from Campbell had given the ball away. But Sol and Pires came back to make it hard for him, and Almunia came out a couple of yards to block. Boukhari did well to slip the ball to his left where Pienaar was in loads of space, but he snatched at the shot sent it miles over the bar.

In the first minute of the second half Babel found lots of space on their right wing again, and hit a great shot which Almunia had to dive to his right to save. Then De Jong hit a low drive from that side of the D which flew a yard wide of the far post.

Toure and Charisteas clashed going for a high ball, with Toure leading with a low head. They both came out of it with head injuries, and Toure with a booking. But while Charisteas had to be substituted, Toure was able to complete the game with a big white head bandage.

Freddie was still doing well up front, and nearly got a second when the keeper just beat him to Pires' central through ball.

Rosenberg was put through on the right of our box but Campbell made a great challenge to get the ball back to Almunia. Toure went crazy amd looked quite a sight jumping up and down in his bandage, I wasn't sure if he was celebrating a great tackle or throwing a wobbler at Lauren for not tracking the Ajax man's run.

Still, most of their attacking was coming in the form of long-range shots. On 68 another one was blocked in our D and rebounded to Reyes a few yards inside our half. He tried to turn forward but there was a defender in front of him off whom the ball ricocheted to Fabregas. Reyes didn't miss a beat, he started forward inviting the through ball from Cesc which when it came was perfcet. Running into the box on the right with just the keeper to beat, Jose's touch was a bit strong and the ball looked to be running out, but fortunately the keeper came across to make a crazy and unnecessary challenge. He got booked for it, and Galasek got booked for complaining to the ref, and then Pires stepped up to take a cool penalty. He didn't hit it hard, and only just to the left of centre, but probably because he'd seen the keeper moving the other way.

The 2 goal lead only lasted a moment. Galasek's terrific long-range shot swerved outwards with Almunia diving to his left. The keeper probably wouldn't have kept it out, but the post did. The ball crashed off it and across the face of goal to where Rosenberg had made a hopeful run beyond Almunia's left hand post, and he made no mistake with the comfortable chance.

There were a few more half chances at either end, in particular a very cute little lob into our box for Lindenberg.. but he couldn't bring the ball down and was instantly crowded out by a gang of yellow shirts.

A slightly nervous finish then. it would have been so frustrating not to have come away with a win after being 2 goals up... a feeling we know only too well especially in Europe. But, especially following the West Ham game, one has to be massively pleased with this result, and with the performance of a very-much under strength Arsenal side. Our close call in the first match is looking better too, as Thun grabbed a 1-0 win over Sparta Prague. Sparta, our next opponents (in Prague on 18th October), haven't won a Champs League game for ages, and the group is looking wide open... for anyone who fancies second place behind Arsenal (see table)