Arsenal:
                Lehmann
   Eboue Toure Campbell Flamini (Clichy 8)
Hleb Gilberto Cesc Ljungberg Reyes (Pires 69)
                 Henry

In the second minute Jose Antonio Reyes sent a raking long ball diagonally forward from the left wing. Henry was called back wrongly for offside, but he'd failed to bring the high ball down anyway. Soon after, Alex Hleb was hacked down in the middle of the pitch. Then there was some great battling by the Belarussian to win and keep the ball on the right despite close attention from Forlan. But when he passed to Emmanuel Eboue on the touchline, the Ivorian gave it away softly with a very loose pass.

That was about it for Arsenal attacking play for the first half (and much of the second). It wasn't the end of the loose passing though.

After 6 minutes, Lehmann had set a new record of 11 hours plus without conceding a goal in the Champs League. The last goal he let in was against Bayern Munich, in Munich back in February of last year. Both goals concede this season, in the first 2 group stage games against Ajax and against Thun, came while Lehmann was suspended and replaced by Manuel Almunia. The previous record was held by Edwin van der Sar, while playing for Ajax.

Within a minute of setting the record, Lehmann came out of his goal a bit unnecessarily when Forlan was bearing down on goal, since Kolo Toure was covering the run. Kolot managed to put it out for a corner which was badly wasted: Riquelme playing it infield to Senna but staying offside so the flag went up when Senna played it back to him.

After just 8 minutes, Gael Clichy had to come on at left back as Mathieu Flamini had picked up a hamstring injury. So Gael's return to the first team squad for the first time since he injured himself playing for France U21s against England back in November proved to be very timely indeed. He started with a terrific forward run, coming in from the left wing and into the box... but the goal got away from him and the keeper Barbarosa managed to clear despite Clichy chasing him down well.

On 13 Franco (the sub striker from the first leg, played from the start this time) was let through by hesitation from Toure - a decent half chance for the naturalised Mexican but he shot well over from the edge of the box.

Then Franco did well up the right and won a corner off of Clichy. Arrubarrenna got his head to the corner but it looped to the goal-line (to the right of goal) and Lehmann did well to catch it to make sure that the Villarreal man on the line didn't manage to nod it back into the danger area.

The home side were pressing well, hemming us in, and when Arsenal got the ball we were giving it away far too softly. Arsenal looked nervous and it didn't change.

On 17 Riquelme got deep on the left and squared towards goal despite the close attentions of 2 defenders. It came to Senna on the 6 yard line with back to goal and he laid it off to Sorin for a shot. Lehmann was unsighted with the ball coming through 2 defenders and Senna, but fortunately the shot wasn't powerful and was directed straight at the keeper.

Then we did have a couple of moments. Good play from Hleb put Henry through on the left, but a (very close) offside was given against him. And on 22 minutes Reyes won a free kick on the left wing which he lofted beyond the far post towards Eboue who managed to head it back across goal. It fell to Henry's head and he tried to cushion it to the penalty spot where I think Gilberto was on hand, but the box was corwded and Henry's header weak, and it fell easy for a defender to clear.

On the half hour Fabregas was penalised for a nothingy challenge on Riquelme, who chipped the free kick into the box only to see it bounce through to Lehmann with Sorin over-stretched as he launched himself to try to get a touch.

On 37, Forlan made space for himself on the left and crossed to the right to Javi Venta. He crossed it back through the box beyond Sorin's reach and it came to Forlan again. This time he played it short to Arrubarrenna inside the box on the near side, and he fell over after getting his feet tangled with Hleb's, looking in vain at the ref as he got up.

On 40, Clichy got caught out of position as Arsenal tried to defend a bit further up the pitch, and Javi Venta put in a great near post cross from their right. Franco got in front of Kolo (guilty of ball-watching) and stooped to head it goalwards. Lehmann made a point blank save which he may not have known much about beyond the fact that he'd made sure he was in the right place at the right time.

Freddie Ljungberg was working tirelessly helping the defence out, but finding it difficult to support Henry up front when we got hold of the ball. The fact that we still kept giving it away softly whenever we got the ball didn't help.

In first half injury time Riquelme took another free kick, in a very dangerous central position. They put a man by the penalty spot and in a rehearsed move Riquelme aimed his kick at that man's head, who ducked to let it through, only to turn and see that Lehmann had been in the right place again to catch.

So, nil-nil at half time and you couldn't help thinking that this would have been quite acceptable in Villarreal's game plan. We were lucky to still be on terms and very lucky too, that the ref didn't see Gilberto's little kick out at Franco. The pair of them had fallen, Franco landing on top of Gilberto then rolling off him, and from his position on the ground Gilberto aimed a kick at Franco as the striker started to get up again. A likely sending off if it had been spotted (Beckham vs Argentina style).

The start of the second half was delayed slightly by a fan who'd got onto the pitch dressed in a scouser wig and waving a Barcelona shirt with "HENRY 14" on the back. Yeah yeah, whatever.

The second half started even more worryingly than the first had ended. Senna hit a soft long-range shot and then a cross from their right saw Franco make a great leap above Toure but he headed just wide.

On 51 minutes came an Arsenal attack which I think for the first time saw Arsenal players in a more advanced position than Henry. Reyes got the ball close to the left corner flag but with 2 defenders on him and a marked lack of support, he only succeeded in giving away a goal-kick.

A great cross from Senna found Sol Campbell idling a bit butnot Franco, but his header went wide of the near post from 6 yards out - a very lucky escape. Moments later Javi Venta went on a superb run down their right but Gilberto was on hand to cut out his cross.

Riqeulme lobbed another free kick into thebox but Lehmann came to punch it away strongly. We tried to break through Cesc and Eboue but it broke down all too easily again. Still, Eboue did manage to keep harrying and win a corner. A few corners followed in quick succession as the Villarreal defence kept winning the headers, and on the 3rd or 4th Barbarosa did well to claim.

On 62 they made an attacking substitution, bringing Jose Mari on for Josico.

2 minutes later Forlan clipped a nice pass into the box for Franco who did well under challenge to jump and lay it back to the former Man Utd man. It was another decent chance, but another decent chance missed.

Arsenal started to come out a bit more, but were still giving the ball away loosely. The home side had the ball in the net on 67 after Sorin played a clever ball through to Franco - but Franco had let himself drift offside.

Then Robert Pires came on for Reyes, with Freddie switching to the left wing and Bobby playing more centrally and seeming to give us more possession than we'd had previously. Arsenal started to manage to keep the ball a bit better.

Henry won a free kick deep on the right and Cesc swung it through the box, missing everyone (including Sol who looked like he was being held back as he tried to get to it) and going out for a goal kick.

On 71 Pena got away with blocking Freddie's forward run after terrific footwork from Cesc to make space for himself and slot it forward. Moments later Freddie was involved in defence. A great turn from Franco on their left was followed by a cross-field ball to Jose Mari, but the strikers first touch was poor taking him wide right, and Freddie got across well to cover and eventually clear.

Javi Venta was threatening a lot up the right. He got forward again and hit a dangerous cross into the box which Campbell did well to clear ahead of Franco.

But we were looking more and more composed on the ball as the game went on. Not composed exactly, but less uncomposed than before. Alvarez made a decent tackle on Henry but followed through with a kick that got us a free kick. Henry hit it straight at the wall, the bal lcame back to him and he was well tackled from behind as he was about to pull the trigger a second time.

On 85 we got forward in a 3 on 3 situation after a great run by Eboue down the touchline on the right, but the Ivorian gave it away again. Villarreal were looking a bit more frantic themselves though, when we were giving it to them. Franco fell over hopefully in the box on 86. On 87 the ball fell to Forlan on the egde of the box and Toure had to make a superb lunge to block hi shot at close range.

Then with 2 minutes of normal time left the Spnish sides antics finally, after nearly 2 whole matches, paid off. The tiniest of contacts between Clichy and Jose Mari saw the striker fall Platoon-style in the box. It was never a penalty but, to be fair, you can hadly blame the striker for lookign for it when he felt a touch, and Clichy had been a little carless in letting himself brush against the big girl's blouse.

Riquelme, Villarreal's superstar and talisman, stepped up looking distinctly unhappy. Not as unhappy as he was after he'd place it to Lehmann's left and seen the big German dive the right way to make a superb stop. Not only that, but our defenders followed in well to make sure that the rebound was cleared safely.

I think everyone knew that that would be their last chance. The home side's heads were down and Riquelme's in particular had disppeared beneath his collar. Arsenal, finally, remembered how to keep the ball. In the 3 minutes of injury time the closest anyone came to a goal was when, finally, Henry was put clean through in the inside right channel. He got deep and one-on-one, but Barbarosa came towards him and made a decent block.

A couple of minutes later, the whistle went and Arsenal had become the first London club ever to reach the European Cup final. We'll all be watching tonight's game with extra interest now. Barcelona have to be favourites, and perhaps most of us would prefer that too - not only would it be more of a spectacle, but I think a lot of us fancy our chances more against them. Of course, they're a class side. But as seen in their games against Benfica, their tricks don't always carry a goal threat. If it comes to grinding things out, and stopping Arsenal from playing their normal relaxed game, I actually fancy Milan's chances more. Whoever it is, May 17th is going to be one hell of a night.

But not, let's hope, as much of a hellish night as last night was. Great to have won, but exhausting and excruciating to have to watch!