arsenal end away-day misery published: wednesday 25 september 2002, 23.59cet
psv eindhoven 0-4 arsenal fc thierry henry scores twice as arsenal win in the netherlands.
psv eindhoven 0-4 arsenal fc gilberto needed just 20.07 seconds, a uefa champions league record, to put arsenal fc ahead against psv eindhoven at the philips stadium and on their way to a 4-0 group a victory that signalled the london club's first success on their travels in europe since february 2001.
henry completes rout psv pressed after the early strike, but second-half goals from fredrik ljungberg and two from thierry henry made sure of the points on an ultimately comfortable night for the premiership champions.
gilberto joy looking for their first away win in the champions league in nine attempts, arsenal got off to an astonishing start when gilberto tapped in from close range. ljungberg won the ball in midfield and played henry in down the left. the french international broke into the box then squared the ball back for the on-rushing brazilian to score.
kezman miss psv were clearly knocked out of their stride by the early strike but soon regained their composure and should have drawn level just four minutes later. dennis rommedahl skipped past ashley cole on the right and crossed for the unmarked mateja kezman, who headed wide with the goal at his mercy from just two metres.
keown out the yugoslavian international went into the match leading the dutch league's scoring charts with seven goals from five matches, and he was a constant source of danger to an arsenal defence deprived of martin keown on ten minutes with a hamstring problem. pascal cygan came on for the english international and made a number of timely interventions as the dutch side continued to press for the equaliser.
seaman saves on 24 minutes, it was david seaman whom arsenal had to thank for preserving their lead. johann vogel's pass through the centre split the arsenal defence and sent kezman clear on goal, but the england goalkeeper was quickly off his line to block the shot. eight minutes before the break, kezman was again guilty of wasting a glorious chance, sending a glancing header wide from kasper bøgelund's low cross after beating sol campbell to the ball.
ljungberg strikes psv enjoyed the greater possession after the interval but it was arsenal who looked the more dangerous through the pace of sylvain wiltord and henry on the break. ronald waterreus twice had to be alert in the early stages, saving first from wiltord with one hand then blocking henry's shot at the near post on the hour as arsenal pressed for a second which finally came on 66 minutes. lauren chipped the ball over the top for ljungberg who shot low past the psv keeper from five metres to make sure of the points.
henry doubles up arsenal then took control and henry completed the rout with a pair of well-taken late strikes as the highbury club moved to the top of group a with maximum points from two games.
