Sport 23-11-2000 Arsenal vs Moscow who: Arsenal what: Lose 4-1 to Spartak Moscow where: MOSCOW when: Yesterday snippet: "Arsene Wenger branded his defence `stupid` after a devastating Champions League defeat left their season hanging by a thread," reports The Mirror. "Arsenal were torn apart by Spartak in freezing conditions in Moscow to leave their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals in grave danger." "The stodginess of recent displays had gone," says Kevin McCarra in The Times, "with significant enterprise in attack, but fragility in defence had taken its place as a key defect." As a result, despite a goal from Silvinho within 80 seconds, Arsenal ended the night with a 4-1 defeat. Both stalwart Tony Adams, only recently returned to fitness, and Martin Keown gave out-of-form performances at the back. "As well as Silvinho, there were two other Brazilians on the score-sheet," says The Independent`s Steve Tongue. "Antonio Marcão scored twice to overturn his countryman`s goal and then Luis Robson kept the noisy home crowd in a state of rapture with a fourth near the end. Sadly, that goal and the third, by the playmaker Igor Titov, involved mistakes by Tony Adams". Quite simply, says The Sun`s Brian Woolnough, "Arsenal`s defence turned to ice". [... more]

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