Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal full time report
Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Arsenal 1
Arsenal missed a chance to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, as their former forward Eduardo gave Shahktar Donetsk victory in the Ukraine.
Croatian international Eduardo slotted home the winner in first half stoppage time after Darijo Srna had punished sloppy defending from Gael Clichy.
Earlier, Theo Walcott raced clear to give Arsenal the lead, before Gunners midfielder Craig Eastmond – under pressure from Dmytro Chygrynskiy – headed a Jadson free kick into his own net on his first Champions League start for the equaliser.
Jadson hit a post for Shakhtar in the first half, while Sebastien Squillaci should have done better with a free header for the visitors.
The defeat is hardly a fatal blow to the Gunners’ Champions League hopes, but it means that Shakhtar now draw level on points with the Gunners at the top of the group.
Shakhtar were seeking to make up for their woeful display against Arsenal in North London two weeks ago when they lost 5-1, and would have been buoyed by Arsène Wenger’s decision to make seven changes from the Gunners side that beat West Ham at the weekend, including giving a first Champions League start to young midfielder Eastmond.
However, it was Wenger’s side who were quickest into their stride, and Samir Nasri struck the outside of the post with an effort from distance. Shakhtar failed to heed the warning though, and it wasn’t long before the visitors were ahead.
Jack Wilshere – in his own half – prodded a ball forward into space, and that was all the invitation that Walcott needed, as the electric forward burst away from marker Oleksiy Gai before calmly slipping a right footed effort into the bottom corner from around 20 yards. It was a goal that was breathtaking in its simplicity, and reminiscent of many of those that a former wearer of Walcott’s Arsenal No. 14 shirt – a certain Thierry Henry – used to score for the club.
Shakhtar looked to hit back, and Jadson saw an effort blocked by Johan Djourou before heading against a post seconds later, and then watched on as Chygrynskiy’s effort was well saved by Lukasz Fabianski. A goal was coming though.
Again Jadson and Chygrynskiy were involved, and the Brazilian’s free kick from the left looked for the big Ukrainian defender, who got a touch to the ball before seeing it strike Eastmond and hit the back of the net. Despite Chygrinskiy’s wild celebrations, it was the Arsenal man’s own goal.
The hosts were well on top, and the lively Jadson could only sidefoot straight at Fabianski when he’d wriggled through, before a former Arsenal forward bit the hand that used to feed him right on half time.
Clichy should have done a lot better when attempting to clear down the left flank, but the full back lost out to Srna all too easily, and the Shakhtar skipper had far too much time to pick out Eduardo loitering in the box, from where the Brazilian-born Croatian international sidefooted an effort into the corner of the net. The Arsenal fans cheered their former favourite’s goal when he scored Shakhtar’s consolation at the Emirates two weeks ago, but they weren’t cheering now.
They almost were early in the second period though, but Wilshere was off target after he’d capitalised on defensive hesitation on the edge of the penalty area – the youngster should have done better – before Walcott’s weak effort was saved by Pyatov. With the search for an equaliser gathering momentum, Wenger replaced Eastmond with Carlos Vela.
Shakhtar sensed that they needed a third, and Jadson was appealing for a penalty when he went down in the vicinity of Squillaci, who was soon up at the other end failing to direct a completely free header past Pyatov when he looked certain to score.
Walcott seemed to be carrying the Arsenal fight, and saw several efforts comfortably saved by Pyatov, before Vela drove straight at the keeper, but the Gunners threat petered out, and Shakhtar got their revenge for their Emirates nightmare.
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