Arsenal:
           Lehmann
    Eboue Toure Djourou Clichy
Hleb Cesc Gilberto Flamini Ljungberg
    Adebayor (van Persie 78)

For the last 10 to 15 minutes the game descended into one which both teams were clearly happy to draw. But that was hardly the story of the game overall. Frankly, we were poor. Perhaps we could have changed gear if we needed to, but there's no guarantee.

As against Bolton 10 days ago, Arsenal lined up with a defensive 5 man midfield, Matthieu Flamini chosen ahead of more attacking options. And once again it seemed only to prove the point that this Arsenal team needs to play to its strength, and its strength is going forward.

Having said all that, the first incident of note, after 4 minutes, involved Flamini getting forward. Coming into the box on the left he received a pass from Cesc Fabregas and carried it forward. But he pushed the ball forward a little too much, and was unable to reach it for the cut-back until the ball was almost out of play, meaning that he was stretching too much and couldn't get either power or direction on it.

A minute later Porto got a free kick on their right which was looped to the far side of the 6 yard box. Jens Lehmann came for it but didn't quite get there through a crowd of bodies, and the Porto man headed it over the bar. To be fair, Lehmann had at least got close enough to make the header tricky.

Our "more solid" midfield was giving the ball away plenty. A weak ball towards Lehmann, as the defence played itself into trouble on the right, nearly allowed a striker in. But Gilberto got there just in time. Then we gave the ball away again, a shot from Meireiles flying well wide. Again it was the stand-in skipper who saved things, Gilberto's closing down making Meireiles rush the long-range shot.

Too often it was Flamini playing the key ball forward, and getting it wrong.

Up front they had some lively players, Quaresma in particular. On 26 minutes he worked his way into a threatening position outside the box to the left of centre, only to try a ridiculous trick to get his cross/shot in. Ridiculous because it was so unnecessary, seeing as Arsenal had left him so much space. It ended up floating towards the far corner and Lehmann was able to reach up and grab it.

Emmanuel Eboue then made a great tackle on Quaresma in our box. The ball went out for a corner, then another, creating a couple of half chances as the ball pinged in and out of our box. Eventually we cleared, but they kept the pressure on and soon after a goalbound shot was blocked only by the back of the unwitting Kolo Toure's legs.

In Hamburg, CSKA had taken the lead early on but now Hamburg had equalised.

Quaresma got lucky when he broke the corner flag kicking it in frustration after letting the ball go for our goal kick. I dare say the ref would have booked him if it hadn't been clear that his frustration was with himself rather than an official.

Just after the half hour and at last we put a little pressure on them. Flamini played a one-two with Cesc then hit a shot from outside the box which was deflected for our first corner. 4 minutes later we won a free kick 35 yards out which Toure tried to score from. He hit it well wide and without much power. It was as if we were trying to send a message to the opposition, "don't worry we're not really trying to beat you". They were having none of it, not for the moment anyway.

Assuncao hit a long-range shot which looked to have Lehmann in a bit of trouble but the curve which took it away from the keeper took it past the post too.

Just before the end of the first half we had our first really nice move, Cesc and Alexander Hleb combining well to get past the defence on a crowded right wing, before Hleb's cross was cut out for another Arsenal corner.

3 minutes after the break came our first big let-off. They got forward to our goal line on their right and cut the ball back through the box to Quaresma just to the left of the D, and his low early shot came out off the foot of Lehmann's right hand post.

Flamini won a free kick, being tripped as he burst through midfield, and Cesc chipped it over the wall into the arms of the keeper. "What are you doing hitting the post? Look, we're not trying!".

Again we gave the ball away in midfield. A dangerous cross came in from their right and Toure just managed to stretch and get a touch on it. But the ball was still coming towards Lisandro on the far side of the box and Lehmann had to be quick to get to it first.

Then on 57 minutes Quaresma beat Djourou easily outside the box, making space for a shot (from right of centre this time) which hit Lehmann's right hand post in exactly the same spot as the previous one.

Soon after, CSKA went ahead again. And Hamburg had had a man sent off, but it turned out that the man (a former Tottenham player Thimothee something) had already been substituted, so they weren't actually down to 10 men!

Robin van Persie came on for Emmanuel Adebayor, who really doesn't look like he can do the lone striker thing too well, especially if we're not playing with an attacking midfield that'll get forward to support him.

Anyway, with 15 minutes to go the game really started to go flat, both teams just passing it around in their own half then giving it to the other side for a while. And with 5 minutes to go Hamburg equalised again then scored a winner making all this academic.

I wish I could say it was dull rather than nerve-wracking. Arsene Wenger says that "In the knockout stages we will play with more freedom". Let's hope so.