Arsenal ride their luck to safe passage

Uefa Champions League: Slavia Prague 0, Arsenal 0Seldom can success have felt so flat. Arsenal garnered the point to guarantee their passage to the next stage of this competition. In doing so they extended their unbeaten sequence to 26 matches in all competitions, and victory at Sevilla on November 27th will hand them top place in Group H.

But how agonisingly tedious was this match. It took 86 minutes for the Gunners to contrive their first shot on target, a header from substitute Emmanuel Adebayor.

Slavia's intentions were signalled by their choice of song to precede kick-off. After a 7-0 reverse at the Emirates Stadium they surely hoped Chumbawumba's Tubthumping, with its repetitive "I get knocked down but I get up again" chorus, would be appropriate.

This was a different proposition for Arsene Wenger's men, and not only because of the biting cold and baying crowd in this little stadium. His decision to rest Cesc Fabregas, Alexander Hleb, Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Flamini and Adebayor at a time when Kolo Toure and Tomas Rosicky were unavailable through injury, diminished the team's potency.

Wenger persevered with a lone striker. The Arsenal manager had stated after the 2-2 draw against Manchester United that Adebayor had been isolated, but last night he replicated the formation. This time Gilberto and Denilson were the twin holding midfielders, screening the defence from what was a pretty passive Slavia attack. Ahead of them were Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby and Eduardo, none of whom made an impression on their opponents.

Arsenal's staccato first-half toils were numbing for any neutral observer apart, perhaps, from Mark Hughes. The Blackburn Rovers manager will face a similar shadow Arsenal side in the League Cup quarter-final at Ewood Park next month and his viewing of their inability to impose themselves on a team shorn of the Czech league's leading scorer, Stanislav Vlcek, no doubt encouraged him.

Fireworks crackled over the pitch from the Arsenal fans' end, prompting an announcement in English informing supporters "the use of pyrotechnics is strictly forbidden". It became clear over the players seemed to think the rule applied to their own endeavours.

The first chance of the game arose from a Slavia corner, taken by the former Liverpool forward Vladimir Smicer. It swung in as far as the midfielder Mickael Tavares, who headed over.

Arsenal continued to play as though they did not recognise each other, the next chance also falling to the hosts. Sleet had left the surface slippery and, under pressure, the captain William Gallas skidded, allowing Zdenek Senkerik a clear run on goal. Fortunately for the Gunners, who were in search of a club-record sixth successive European win, his shot was too close to goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Again Slavia pushed forward, Daniel Pudil producing a floated cross after his left-wing run left Lassana Diarra stranded. Senkerik headed over an effort that would not have counted after a linesman raised his flag.

Wenger persisted with the same side after the break and was fortunate they were not faced with calamity shortly after the interval. Matej Krajcik strode forward while Arsenal's back four backed off. His through ball was well weighted, cutting out both centre-halves. But just as Senkerik was about to pick up the ball on the penalty spot Diarra seemed to clip his heels. The France international gasped with relief when the referee waved away Slavia's pleas for a penalty.

Diarra was soon in hot water when his heavy challenge on Michal Svek earned him a booking. Slavia continued to engineer a few laboured chances. One, a set-piece after Denilson's foul on Svec, saw Senkerik head into the goalkeeper's arms.

Still Arsenal looked vulnerable. With their defence holding a high line and flatfooted, substitute David Kalivoda lofted the ball forward. Senkerik burst clear of Gallas, but Almunia rescued his side by advancing from his line and parrying the driven shot with both hands.

Then Denilson tripped Milan Ivana on the edge of the box but the free-kick went the way of everything else in this match - anywhere but goal.

SLAVIA PRAGUE:Vorel, Tavares, Hubacek, Drizd'al, Brabec, Smicer (Kalivoda 64), Svec, Pudil (Jablonsky 89), Suchy, Krajcik, Senkerik (Ivana 77). Subs not used: Vaniak, Gaucho, Sourek, Belaid. Booked: Tavares, Svec, Krajcik, Pudil.

ARSENAL:Almunia, Diarra, Gallas, Song Billong, Clichy, Walcott, Silva, Denilson, Diaby, Eduardo (Eboue 81), Bendtner (Adebayor 77). Subs not used: Lehmann, Sagna, Flamini, Traore, Justin Hoyte. Booked: Diarra, Denilson.

Referee:Bertrand Layec (France).