Sport 25-10-2001 Arsenal Follow United Into Elite Phase who: Arsenal what: Grab late third goal to guarantee place in second group stage of Champions` League where: Highbury, LONDON when: Last night snippet: "Arsenal followed Manchester United into the second round of the Champions` League last night with a late, late show straight out of the Old Trafford handbook," reports The Independent`s Glenn Moore after Thierry Henry gave his side the two-goal cushion they needed against Real Mallorca at Highbury. Pires scored the first for Arsenal in the 61st minute and Bergkamp headed in just two minutes later. But in the 75th minute they conceded a goal to Mallorca courtesy of Alvaro Novo. "Then, three minutes into added time," continues Moore, "Thierry Henry struck with a goal which, combined with Schalke`s 2-0 defeat in Athens last night, ensured Arsenal would progress." Afterwards, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger contradicted Sir Alex Ferguson`s claim that Ruud van Nistelrooy is Europe`s top striker, reports The Evening Standard. "I don`t agree with Ferguson," said Wenger. "They are two great strikers but Thierry is top, top class. I would not swap him for anybody and I want to keep this whole squad together." "The goal pushed Henry into second place in the Champions League scoring charts, one behind Giovane Elber, of Bayern Munich, who has six," says Times statistician Oliver Holt. "Arsenal may not be able to win group C after the victory by Panathinaikos against Schalke in Athens, but with Henry in this kind of form they will not fear anyone in the second phase." [... more]

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