Champions League: Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk full time report
Arsenal 5 Shakhtar Donetsk 1
Arsenal eased to a simple Champions League victory over a woeful Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium.
After a slow start, the Gunners took the lead when Alex Song bundled the ball over the line after a horrendous error from goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov from a corner, before Samir Nasri drove in the Gunners’ second before the break.
Cesc Fàbregas converted a penalty on the hour mark, while Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh completed the scoring for the hosts.
Former Arsenal striker Eduardo, given a warm reception by the Gunners’ faithful, struck a late consolation for Shakhtar.
The result confirms Arsenal’s total domination of Group H, with the Gunners having now hit 14 goals in three group stage matches.
To start with, there was a low-key atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium for the meeting of the top two sides in the group, and the match started in a similarly lethargic fashion, although Chamakh was close to connecting with Fàbregas’ floating cross.
The big Moroccan then just missed a Nasri centre, before two huge slices of luck helped gave Arsenal the lead.
Shakhtar goalkeeper Pyatov made a terrible hash of a Gunners corner – the first piece of luck – and after Johan Djourou had slid in on the goalkeeper, Song attempted a flashy flick into the net from underneath the crossbar, only to be tackled by Oleksandr Kucher and then see the ball rebound off him and cross the line – the Gunners’ second slice of fortune in a matter of seconds.
Pyatov’s mission to make amends started with a good save from a fierce Nasri volley, but the goal hadn’t really changed Shakhtar’s approach, and they were still prepared to sit back and allow their hosts to have the ball. After a brief attempt at a resurgence, the Gunners shattered them by adding a second before the break.
There didn’t look to be much danger as Song plodded along down the right flank, but awful Shakhtar defending allowed his cross to reach Nasri, before the Frenchman nicked the ball away from Kucher before crashing a left-footed effort past Pyatov to double his side’s lead.
Luiz Adriano hit a close range effort straight at Lukasz Fabianski right at the start of the second period, perhaps hinting at a hitherto absent attacking quality from Shakhtar, but it wasn’t long before the ball was back at the other end, and Shakhtar were back shooting themselves in the foot.
Quite what was going through Adriano’s mind when he dragged down Djourou in the penalty area from Nasri’s free kick only he knows, and Fàbregas wasted no time in punishing the Brazilian by driving the spot kick high into the net for the third.
He was replaced by Denilson shortly afterwards, while Shakhtar replaced the hapless Adriano with former Arsenal forward Eduardo – who received a warm welcome back to the Emirates from the home fans, who were soon be on their feet again twice inside three minutes.
First, Chamakh’s clever flick found Wilshere, who swapped passes with Tomáš Rosický before running on and clipping a left-footed effort past Pyatov for only his second Arsenal goal. Moments later, Chamakh found himself clean through from Nasri’s pass, and amid some quite abysmal defending, the Moroccan had time to stop, check to see if he was onside and then nudge an almost apologetic effort past a static Pyatov.
It was all too easy for the Gunners, but then came Eduardo’s moment, as the Croatian international raced in to meet Jadson’s cross and place a cool left-footed half volley into the corner of the net, amid generous Arsenal defending. The home crowd cheered and applauded their former favourite, who had given his side a consolation strike that they scarcely deserved on a night that Arsenal truly dominated.
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