Arsenal's Top 5 games in the Champions League

Laurent Koscielny heads Arsenal’s second goal during the Champions League Round of 16 second leg match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal at Allianz Arena. Arsenal won 0-2.

In the past few years, Arsenal and the Champions League have always gone hand in hand as the North London club have qualified for the Champions League for 16 straight years. What’s more; they have even qualified for the knockout stages of the competition for 13 consecutive seasons.

Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 2006. But a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Barcelona meant that they would still have to wait to get their hands on the trophy. But the competition has seen Arsenal triumph on a number of occasions, sometimes with resounding wins. And so, we bring to you Arsenal’s top five matches in the Champions League.

5. Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague (2007 – Group stage)

What better way to start the list than with Arsenal’s biggest win in Europe?

Before the game, Arsene Wenger quoted in the press, “Sometimes the games that look easy at the start turn out to be the hardest.” Looking back at that night, either Wenger seriously overestimated Arsenal’s opponents or he was just giving the typical Wenger quote that the press loves to feed on. The game will also be remembered for the time (mad) Jens Lehmann threatened Wenger to pick him for the starting eleven and not keep him on the bench. When the team sheets came out, Almunia started.

The match itself was played in front of a stadium with quite a few empty seats. Those who never made it might have broken a thing or two as Arsenal romped home thanks to a Cesc Fabregas and a young Theo Walcott scoring two goals each. Alexander Hleb and Nicklas Bendtner also got on the score sheet as Prague had no answer to the beautiful link up play between Fabregas, Hleb and Walcott.

Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague by djimcle

4. Inter Milan 1-5 Arsenal (2003 – Group stage)

In a game where Arsenal needed a win to ensure that they reached the knockout stages, they were without their midfield general Patrick Vieira. Martin Keown was missing as well. And Inter Milan were coming off a 6-0 win in their previous game. It was all Inter Milan in the opening stages of the game. But just as things were looking bleak, Cole set up Thierry Henry and Arsenal led 0-1 at the San Siro.

Although Inter struck back to make it 1-1 at half time, Ljungberg restored the lead within 3 minutes in the second half after Henry set him up. The two sides traded blow after blow until the 85th minute when Arsenal landed not one, not two but three knockout blows – one form Henry who charged down the field and got the better of Zanetti before firing in, a second from Edu who got at the end of an Henry cross and a third from Pires who received the ball from Henry’s substitute Jeremy Aliadiere.

At that point in time, it was Arsenal’s biggest ever Champions League win. And what made it all the more special was that it was away at the San Siro.

3. Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal (2006 – Round of 16)

This was labelled as one of the greatest match ups that season – Madrid’s Galacticos vs the Arsenal squad who had comfortably topped the group without losing a game. And what a team of Galcaticos it was – Casillas between the posts, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Guti, Zinedine Zidane, Robinho and Ronaldo! Arsenal too had most of the Invincibles members in their squad like Lehmann, Toure, Ljungberg, Gilberto, Reyes and Henry along woth Flamini and Fabregas. It was nothing other than a clash of titans.

And the Gunners were playing just like they used to in the Invincibles days two seasons ago as they started the game the better of the two teams. It was an even contest with both teams going all out to score, trying to capitalize on the opposition’s mistakes. And then it happened!

In the 47th minute, Thierry Henry gathered the ball near the halfway line, went past Ronaldo, slid in past three Madrid defenders before brilliantly slotting it into the far corner of the goal. It was one of the best solo efforts in the history of the Champions League! And in spite of Madrid throwing Raul on, they could not stop Arsenal from becoming the first English club to grab a win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

2. AC Milan 0-2 Arsenal (2008 – Round of 16)

This was a game that 90% of the football fans predicted Arsenal to lose. (I maybe wrong but where are you going to find proof, hmm?). To put things into perspective, Arsenal were playing the defending champions at the San Siro managed by Carlo Ancelotti, where AC Milan had won their previous four games in the Champions League. And Milan had never lost to an English opponent in 11 previous meetings at the San Siro.

Milan’s starting line up had the likes of Maldini, Nesta, Ambrosinim Pirlo, Gattuso, Kaka and Inzaghi – Champions League veterans! Arsenal started with Abou Diaby on the left flank and Emmanuel Eboue on the right, with Flamini and Fabregas in midfield behind Hleb and Adebayor. Also, Arsenal had not won their previous four matches. Who would you have picked to win on paper?

Not until the end of the first half did Arsenal seriously start to threaten Milan, who until then were favourites to win the game. Fabregas hit the bar, Hleb was fouled at the edge of the box but the decision wasn’t given and Adebayor missed open chances. The game was relentless in the second half as well with both teams creating chances. And then, Fabregas scored probably his best goal in an Arsenal shirt!

He got the best of Gattuso in midfield with a sudden burst of pace and then let fly a shot that skimmed the pitch and nestled in the back of the net. The San Siro was stunned as the Arsenal players chased Fabregas who ran up to Wenger by the touchline and received a warm embrace. And before Milan could recover, Adebayor finished things off from a low Walcott cross in stoppage time.

AC Milan 0-2 Arsenal FC (Agg: 0-2) 4/3/2008… by phj4nh_pr0_9x

1. Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona (2011 – Round of 16)

One of the most awaited football matches that year – the beautiful football derby! And no other game comes close to giving the fans their money’s worth. It was always going to be a midfield battle as the two teams that thrived on possession came face to face at the Emirates. Barcelona had Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets, with Villa and Messi in front of them. Arsenal had Fabregas, Wilshere and Song with Nasri, Walcott and van Persie up front.

Arsenal didn’t have a good start as David Villa scored in the 26^th minute. Barcelona looked like they were likely to take the lead into the second leg as the resolute Arsenal defence didn’t give Messi much of a chance on goal. And with 12 minutes to go, Clichy lobbed a ball over the Barcelona defence for Robin van Persie to score from the tightest of angles and tie the game at 1-1.

Arsenal finished things off with a beautifully constructed goal that started with a few one touch passes in the Arsenal half. Wilshere absorbed the pressure and immediately changed the direction of attack to Fabregas who released Nasri on the right. Suddenly, Barcelona were caught out. As players in red and white rushed to assist him, Nasri saw one body running towards the centre from the left and put it into his path.

The rest is history as Arshavin took a shot at the first opportunity that curled around defender Abidal and past a stranded Valdes, causing the Emirates to erupt as the Russian wheeled away in celebration!