Bendtner's goal surprises and relieves

UEFA CHAM[PIONS LEAGUE Arsenal 1 Dynamo Kiev 0: ARSENAL HAVE clinched their place in the knock-out stages of the Champions League, but the victory was as much a relief as a joy.

Dynamo Kiev, in effect, required a victory last night to maintain their hopes of advancing and it was not entirely improbable that they would do so until a goal from substitute Nicklas Bendtner three minutes from time.

The Dane was released on the break by Cesc Fabregas's long free-kick and shot home at the near post. Soon after, Olexandr Aliyev was shown a red card for pushing the referee as Kiev tried to take a quick free-kick.

This was far from being a show of authority by Arsenal, but they can console themselves with the knowledge that it is an improvement on recent proceedings, on and off the pitch.

There may have been some upheaval lately, but the box office figures would suggest the drama is not all that gripping. Quite a few seats were unoccupied. While the match carried significance for the Arsenal team in its invitation to complete their work in this phase of the tournament, there was a characterless tone to much of the first half.

That was satisfactory to the Ukrainian team, who were largely unruffled. Arsenal, however, do suffer from a disruption at present that is unconnected with William Gallas's outburst and his replacement by Fabregas as captain. When a club are as exotic as Arsenal it seems in bad taste to dwell on anything so mundane as injuries, but Arsene Wenger is without nine players at the moment.

Not even those limitations, however, could discourage him from springing a surprise. The teenage forward Carlos Vela started in the Champions League for the first time, preferred to the more experienced Bendtner. Despite the introduction of the Mexican, there was no great freshness to the contest prior to the interval.

When Gallas threatened to galvanise the game he did so by accident, losing concentration and control of the ball after 38 minutes so that Ismael Bangoura could come racing in from the left for an effort that clipped the near post.

Nonetheless, it looked as if Arsenal could come by a goal. Gallas had been offside when he touched the ball home in the 45th minute, but there might even have been a less melodramatic source of a breakthrough.

In truth, Robin van Persie also has a role in the garish tale, as a presumed target of Gallas's criticisms, but he was a model of industriousness here. His 40th-minute free-kick, flighted with pace and accuracy, was put over the bar by the knee of Mikael Silvestre. The Dutchman was a constant cause of worry to the visitors at set-pieces.

While Arsenal had none of the rhythm and freedom that distinguishes them at their best, they performed to a reasonable standard. Vela, a regular scorer in his first few outings with Mexico, was unlikely to experience stage fright and he had linked cleverly with the Welshman Aaron Ramsay, who drove against goalkeeper Stanislav Bogush in the eighth minute.

Arsenal, all the same, had difficulty in sustaining pressure. The visitors, somewhat unlucky not to beat Wenger's team when they drew 1-1 in Kiev, must have believed they were quietly making good progress. Without taking the initiative, there had been signs that they might pose a danger on the break.

The match developed urgency and speed. Following a Fabregas free-kick in the 49th minute, Van Persie had two attempts, the first blocked and the next hit Gallas.

Nonetheless, the visitors had judged that this was the time for enterprise. They went forward in greater numbers and with a deeper conviction. There was a hint of peril in the way Bangoura made room for himself, although his finish raced wide.

Arsenal, too, would have noted the power in an Aliyev's shot that cannoned off the chest of Manuel Almunia before being gathered by the goalkeeper at the second attempt.

Short as Arsenal were of alternatives, Wenger had to try to alter the nature of the match and introduced Bendtner in place of Ramsey. Arsenal had steadily declined as Kiev detected possibilities.

The visitors might well have gone in front after 77 minutes, but Artem Milevskiy blasted his effort against Almunia.

A share of the points had begun to look attractive to Arsenal. The bounty they eventually enjoyed must have come as a surprise as much as a pleasure.

• Guardian Service

ARSENAL: Almunia, Djourou, Gallas, Silvestre, Clichy, Denilson, Fabregas, Song Billong, Ramsey (Bendtner 68), Vela (Wilshere 77), Van Persie. Subs not used: Fabianski, Gibbs, Hoyte, Merida, Simpson. Booked: Van Persie, Bendtner.

DYNAMO KIEV: Bogush, Betao, Diakhate, Asatiani, El Kaddouri, Eremenko, Vukojevic, Ghioane, Aliev, Milevskiy, Bangoura. Subs not used: Shovkovskiy, Dopilka, Sablic, Correa, Shatskikh, Cernat, Yarmolenko. Booked: Milevskiy, Asatiani, Aliev.

Referee: Alain Hamer(Luxembourg).