Arsenal:
         Lehmann
Toure Campbell Cygan  Cole
Ljungberg  Vieira Gilberto Pires
Henry Bergkamp (Kanu 75)

I missed the first 10 minutes thanks to the usual pre-European match crush getting into the Clock End. My own fault I guess. I wouldn't mind so much if I were one of those who got there later than normal because of UEFA's in-stadium drinking restrictions, but I always get there the same time. Personally, I'd prefer it if they stopped selling beer in the ground at all matches, just to make it so that all matches were the same. Someone, please remind me to get there really early next time!

Anyway, fortunately I was just in time for the opener. We were pressing but lost the ball on the right wing. Fantastic play from Henry, charging over from the penalty area to rob the ball off the toe of a defender level with the edge of the box. The ball went off towards the touchline and Henry kept going to just about manage to keep it in. He waited till the right moment as the Russians watched him cagily, then spotted Pires sneaking up towards the box unmarked. Thierry squared it perfectly, allowing Bob to sneak through the huge space between defenders and pick the ball up just inside the box, touch it on, and slot it past the keeper for 1-0. Nice finish, nice start.

Even once they'd gone a goal down and looked like they'd need to score, Lokomotiv weren't all that adventurous, and Arsenal dominated possession and position but with Lokomotiv defending in numbers. Wary that we couldn't afford to let them break at us too often, Arsenal didn't push forward as wholeheartedly as they might have done. So the domination didn't create the clear chances like against Fulham, for example.

Thierry had the next really good chance after about 30mins. Gilberto lobbed the ball towards the box from near the centre-circle, Dennis rose to glance a header on towards Henry just inside the box on the left. He took a defender out by cutting back onto his right foot, making space for a low shot which missed the far post by a yard or so. Dennis was all on his own on the other side of the box by the time Henry shot, but it was a decent chance and fair enough to go for it himself. No-one's going to call Henry selfish, but he was in a bit of a "showboating" mood.

Moments later, Dennis slipped a cute ball forward inside the Loko fullback, and Toure powered past him to get onto it before blasting a low cross across the face of goal. The keeper pushed it out and it came straight to Freddie in the middle of the box, but it came at him very fast and a little high, and he couldn't get over the ball so it looped up high over the bar.

Then Freddie angled a ball into the box from the D, for Dennis to run onto (returning an oft-paid compliment) but Deniis was barged over just outside the box. Henry took the free kick which he curled towards the bottom left hand corner, forcing a good diving save. It came out to Vieira on the left of goal, a bit of a narrow angle but a slightly easier chance than the one which had fallen to Freddie. But as with Freddie, Paddy couldn't keep the ball down.

Cygan misjudged a long high ball into our box a few minutes later, but Campbell charged over to deal with it, barging the striker off the ball with a classic shoulder-to-shoulder.

The South African international Letcetho on their left had looked a bit dangerous coming forward. One time he brought the ball across the pitch and Henry chased the whole width of the field to win the ball back. But shortly after, just near the end of the first half, he lunged stupidly into Freddie for the second time and was shown a second yellow card.

5 minutes into the second half Toure hit a rocket from outside the box which the keeper did well to tip out for a corner. The corner came out to Pires on the left and his chip into the box towards Cygan was nodded on by a defender and came to Toure again inside the box on the right. This time he showed a rare lack of composure and made a right hash of the shot as he leant back and whacked it well over the bar.

They brought on Winston Parks at half time (Costa Rican international who came off the bench to score the late winner against Dynamo last time). He maybe should have brought them level after 10 minutes when Cygan sold Cole short in defence and Ashley slipped trying to keep Parks away from the ball. Parks took the ball too far forward ending up shoot from a narrow angle which allowed Lehmann to make the near post save.

But generally the pattern stayed the same as the first half. Pires curled a snap shot just wide, then Freddie forced a low diving save from outside the box. Vieira (who dominated midfield more and more as the game went on) spotted Cole unmarked on the left and stole the ball to slip it wide, and Ashley whipped in a lovely cross for Dennis who jumped gracefully but glanced it wide ("rose like a salmon, finished like a tart" they said on the radio, a tad harshly I thought).

Halfway through the second half, after a spell of Arsenal trying (and not coming far from) to pass through the massed ranks of defenders, Vieira lost the ball on the edge of the box then chased back to win it again 10 yards further upfield. He passed to Dennis who flicked it to Henry on the edge of the box. With back to goal, he spotted Freddie starting a run beyond him, as Bergkamp's ball came towards him, and hooked it back over his shoulder and inot the box. Freddie got there just ahead of the keeper and poked it home for 2-0.

2 more assists for Henry. The Clock End started singing "we've got the best player in the world" which was fun, and it was nice to see Arsene Wenger acknowledge the "one Arsene Wenger" chants with a wave from the touchline. Good feelings all round.

This seemed to wakle Lokomotiv up a bit. And if it didn't then the news from Kiev minutes later, that Inter had gone ahead, probably did. It meant that Lokomotiv needed a draw. Although Arsenal continued to dominate, Lokomotiv staretd trying a bit more. But their best chances came when on the few occasions Arsenal appeared to be trying to give them a goal. Someone was given acres of space to shoot from outside the box but hit it straight at Lehmann, and then we eventually managed to clear after a bit of a scramble in our box. It gace us the chance to exploit our pace on the break as well though. Freddie got clear up the left but massively underhit his chip towards Thierry on the far side of the box.

15 minutes to go and they hit a good free kick which went 2 foot wide. Then Kanu came on for Dennis. Arsenal started to play around a bit. With Lokomotv trying to break forward, a cute backheel from Cole took out 2 of their players and nearly set up a break for us. Henry was trying juggles and flicks at every opportunity.

Up the other end and Lehmann was forced into another save, but then, after several attempts, Henry finally managing in dribbling through half the Lokomtiv team at once, making his way from the centre circle to the edge of the box. But he delayed his shot a little and a defender managed to get back to block.

Sloppy play in midfield gave them another chance which Parks wasted after beating Cygan. Then in a rare role-reversal, Sol got out-muscled by Parks and it was Cygan who came charging over to block.