UEFA Champions League: Arsenal v Braga – Half Time Report
Arsenal were looking to kick off their Champions League campaign for the season with a home game against
Braga on the opening day of fixtures. However things weren't looking all that bright for Arsenal as six of the club’s players were out due to injures. Apart from the long term injuries, the players who added their names to the injured
list for the game were: Theo Walcott, Robin Van Persie, Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen. Those four players joined Nickolas Bendtner and Aaron Ramsey on the treatment table for tonight’s game.
Despite the mounting injuries list, almost every expert believed that Arsenal would end the night on top. This was due to the fact that the team was currently performing better than their opponents and had far more experience in the competition. Arsenal
were also riding high on the back of an impressive win over Bolton this past weekend and were going into the game with their confidence on a high.
The match kicked off in predictable fashion with Arsenal dominating the play from the very first minute. To make things worse for
Braga, Arsenal were handed a penalty on the eight minute mark. Marouane Chamakh was brought down in the box by Felipe, the
Braga keeper, and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Cesc Fabregas, the Arsenal captain, took the resulting penalty and made no mistake as he stroked it into the net with ease.
After the opening goal, Arsenal just started to dominate the game even more. Twenty minutes later, Arsenal struck again. This time around however it was the Russian Assassin, Andrei Arshavin, who was on target. Fabregas slipped the winger a delicate
pass inside the area and the Russian slotted the ball past Felipe with a low and hard shot.
Four minutes later Arsenal were at it again. It was Chamakah who got his debut Champions League goal with Arsenal. The player exchanged a delightful one two with Jack Wilshere before slotting the ball clinically into the back of the net.
Arsenal were starting to play some party football as they were making passes that people generally only saw in practice matches and exhibition games.
However Arsenal couldn't produce a fourth as the half ended with the home team going into the break looking the happier of the two teams.
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