Arsenal:
             Lehmann
  Eboue Toure Gallas (Song 90) Hoyte
Hleb (Walcott 84) Gilberto Cesc Rosicky
   Henry   van Persie (Ljungberg 73)

It was an interesting line-up. Robin van Persie was preferred to Emmanuel Adebayor, and it soon became apparent that the reason was that the second striker was to play a deeper wider role, making it more like the (now) usual European 4-5-1 than the 4-4-2 we expect when 2 strikers start.

He was pretty effective there, too. In the second minute he put in a decent cross which was turned out for a corner, and a minute later when we attacked again it was van Persie coming forward down the inside left who hit a nice low shot that forced the keeper to drop to his right hand post and turn it round for another corner. Gilberto got his head to the deep corner and the ball looped back beyond the left post wher Cesc managed to head it back into the crowded box and Kolo Toure poked the ball into the net. But the linesman had his flag up and it turned out he was right, just: the ball had gone out before Cesc had got to it.

A minute later, Rosicky got into the box on the right and hit a low shot beyond the far post. And a few minutes later it was Tomas again, this time providing the keeper with an easy save from a 25 yard effort.

We dominated this early period, but the problem with the formation was that while it gave us plenty of crossing opportunites, no-one (often literally) was getting into the box to get on the end of them.

Porto had a few moments of their own though, which you wouldn't believe if you watched the ITV highlights later on. From what they showed the first half was all Arsenal. We may have had more shots and crosses but there was a long spell in the middle of the half when things started to look a bit dodgy. Porto played a long period of keep-ball and we just couldn't get it off them. Seriously dangerous moments were few though. Former Tottenham man Postiga did a bit of juggling on the touchline but lost the throw in (to his disgust at the lino), but then Emmanuel Eboue's throw to Lehmann put him in a spot and he only just managed to clear it. Then we gave the ball away in midfield and were lucky to see Anderson hit his through ball too strong for Postiga, who'd beaten the offside trap.

A Porto corner went out to Quaresma just outside the corner of the box, he tried to curl it in into the top corner but didn't get any curl on it.

Then Hoyte and Gallas got into a bit of a mess under pressure on the left, eventually conceding a corner. It was played low to the near post, flicked on, and cleared off the line at the near post by Cesc Fabregas.

We broke a few times, but again crosses from Robin and then Henry found no-one in the box. Porto had more attacks, Gonzalez won a corner off of Hoyte and Lehmann came out a long way for it only to get only half a hand on it and touch it onto a Porto player who skewed his volley only for it to fall to Alves - but his overhead effort missed and we were able to clear.

Up the other end, 3 more crosses with no-one in the box. Then Eboue hit a brilliant cross after a good spell of possession and there were red shirts a little bit closer in.

Van Persie had a great chance to put us ahead just after the half hour. Henry had done brilliantly, drifting wide left into space to drag defenders with him as others joined to support. Then he played a nice square ball for van Persie who had lots of space on the right of the box. He took 2 touches taking the ball forward into the box but the second took it onto his less strong right foot, and he blasted the shot over the bar.

Alexander Hleb won a free kick on the right wing (Costa getting himself stupidly booked for kicking the ball away). Van Persie swung it in and the ball was cleared to Cesc whose good firm shot was always rising just a tad too much.

Rosicky did brilliantly to win a corner down by the goal line on the right (the ball came off his own legs last). Van Persie swung it in and the ball was cleared. As everyone came out, Hoyte picked it up and spotted van Persie in space on the right. Hoyte's pass found him and again Robin burst into the box. This time, on his left foot, he hit a low shot which forced the keeper into a good near post save.

Then on 37 minutes Eboue took the ball up the right wing on the break and, rather than bothering to try to beat his man, he hit the cross around his marker Beckham-style. The perfect cross, it just cleared Henry's marker in the box, finding the Arsenal skipper's head. Henry didn't try to put any power into the header but instead cushioned it towards the far post, leaving the keeper stranded for 1-0.

While Porto hadn't created too much in the way of clear chances, they'd had their good moments in the first half and clearly knew how to pass the ball about. So I can't say I felt supremely confident as the second half started. A couple of minutes later though it was all over. Gallas broker through a tackle or two bringing the ball in abd forward from the left, and squared for Henry in the D who slipped it on to Hleb making a run into space on the right. His shot went through a defender's legs and inside the far post for 2-0. And from then on we really were as much in control as the highlights suggested, even if we didn't manage to add to the tally.

Henry went on a brilliant run down the left wing, past his marker to the goal line, but his cut-back was interecepted just before it could reach van Persie in the box. Porto's right back was having a torrid time against Henry. Cesc won a corner when he wanted a free kick (no harm in trying, but it wasn't one). Van Persie found Rosicky in the box on the near side but he sliced his shot.

Porto had a useless shot from distance. Then we had a nice attack which ended with Henry being tackled, and he spent a while after that bent over feeling his foot which was a bit worrying but he seemed to be able to run it off.

Rosicky got booked for what looked like a terrific and legal tackle, the free kick was easily headed clear by Toure.

20 minutes to go now, Van Persie broke forward up the middle with Cesc clear to his left, but he delayed the pass too long (probably looking for a shooting chance himself) and when he did push the ball wide he over-did it. Cesc did really well to chase the ball and keep it in play, then ran to the penalty area and tried (and failed) to win a penalty by running into a defender.

Freddie came on for van Persie. Then put Henry through down the side whose chip to the far post nearly made it to Rosicky (now we were getting into the box). Arsenal were starting to show off a bit, but in that unurgent way they do when they're happy with the scoreline.

Henry got deep on the left again, skinned the right back again, and cut the ball back for Cesc who'd made a great run into the box, ghosting past a defender and hitting a first-time shot which went straight at the keeper.

With 9 minutes to go Lehmann was at last forced into a meaningful save, from Quaresma after a good cross from their left. Jens dropped the ball but turned and was able to fall on the ball before it got to the line.

Eboue went down injured, it looked like cramp from the way the Porto keeper was helping him but Gary Lewin called for a stretcher straight away so it was a bit worrying. Eboue was back on his feet before long though, at which point Theo Walcott was brought on for Hleb.

Then as injury time started Gallas pulled up with his hamstring problem and Alexandre Song came straight on.

Walcott broke forward up the right with Henry alongside him. Henry stopped his supporting run, like he just wanted to watch Theo. Unfortunately this meant there was no-one to pull the defenders away from Walcott so it made things harder for the lad. He had to check back and passed to Henry. Henry slotted the ball into the box expecting Theo to make the run, but it was asking a bit much even of Theo. Then Henry seemed to give Walcott a disappointed look, which was a bit rich given that Henry himself had made things harder by not making a diversionary run.

CSKA Moscow beat Hamburg in the other game, leaving us ahead of the Russians at the top of the group by 2 points, after 2 matches (see Champs League page.