Sport 20-09-2001 Weakened Arsenal Squeeze Past Schalke who: Arsenal what: Need penalty to beat Schalke 3-2 in Champions League Group C where: Highbury, LONDON when: Last night snippet: Arsene Wenger praised striker Thierry Henry last night after the 24-year-old`s "two goals, the second from the penalty spot, helped Arsenal to a 3-2 victory which kick-started their Champions League campaign," reports BBC Online. After Henry put the Gunners 2-1 up a minute after half time, "the crowd called for lightning to strike twice. Up went the chant: `Five-one, we want to win 5-1`" in reference to England`s thrashing of Germany last month, notes the Independent`s Glenn Moore. But it was not be so easy, explains David Lacey in the Guardian. "In the early stages Arsenal dominated territorially but that did not mean much as long as their centres and final passes lacked the quality needed to disturb seriously Schalke`s masked Polish captain, Thomas Waldoch, who was protecting a broken nose, and his fellow defenders." Swede Freddie Ljungberg opened Arsenal`s account on 33 minutes with "a long shot which Oliver Reck would have saved easily had it not taken a sharp deflection off Waldoch to send the goalkeeper the wrong way," continues Lacey. The second came just four minutes later, when "Giovanni van Bronckhorst exchanged passes with Wiltord before laying the ball in to Henry whose shot beat Reck inside the left-hand post." Van Hoogdalem pulled a goal back for the visitors before, just after half time, Patrick Vieira broke into the opposition area and, in the words of the Times, "left a leg close enough to Reck as the goalkeeper dived at his feet." Henry stepped up to despatch the penalty, which handed the Gunners all three points, but not before Mpenza threatened to spoil the party with a headed goal on the hour. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!