auxerre hang on for highbury high published: tuesday 22 october 2002, 23.00cet
arsenal fc 1-2 aj auxerre goals from olivier kapo and khalilou fadiga down group a leaders arsenal.
aj auxerre hung on for an impressive 2-1 victory in their uefa champions league group a meeting with arsenal fc at highbury. came out fighting having been two goals down at half-time, arsenal came out fighting after the break. they pulled a goal back through nwankwo kanu, but it was to prove insufficient. the damage of a poor first 45 minutes had already been done.
wet pitch the first half certainly went all auxerre's way. with the wet pitch making arsenal's rapid passing game a difficult proposition, the visitors looked to strike on the break. they were nearly rewarded as early as the fifth minute.
early chance after mwurawari had been denied by david seaman when put through, the ball looped to yann lachuer. with the goal gaping, lachuer struck his volley too early, however, and it went over.
kapo scores but guy roux’s side did not have to wait long for the lead, going ahead through a spectacular strike from kapo on eight minutes. from what looked an innocuous position on the right flank, he cut inside and brushed past patrick vieira, before curling a powerfully struck left-footed shot past seaman.
kanu impressive the home side looked visibly shaken by conceding their first uefa champions league goal of the season, and immediately attempted to reply. kanu was showing some impressive touches, and he went close with two half-chances.
henry subdued thierry henry was strangely subdued, however, and arsenal struggled for rhythm. just as they looked set to force their way back into proceedings, auxerre struck again.
element of fortune if there was an element of good fortune in the way jean-alain boumsong's surging run from the back resulted in the ball bouncing to fadiga, the senegal midfield player's finish was all about talent as he gently flicked the ball past the advancing seaman.
insurmountable wall a frustrated arsenal did their best to pull something back before half-time, but boumsong and philippe mexes proved an insurmountable wall for wenger's charges.
kanu reply that wall was penetrated on 53 minutes. henry made a surging run down the right flank, and, with the auxerre defence back-pedalling, he picked out kanu who tapped the ball into the net from three metres.
poured forward in waves it was exactly the response wenger wanted from his players and they poured forward in waves. this left spaces at the back, and auxerre should have put the game beyond arsenal on the hour mark.
magnificent save in an excellent position, mwurawari initially hesitated in the box, and after a one-two with tainio, was denied at the second attempt by a magnificent seaman save.
pires returns wenger threw on what he hoped would prove his trump card, in the fit-again robert pires. the french international was superb for the final 20 minutes, but even his inspired promptings could not unlock auxerre for a vital equaliser.
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