Arsenal 3-0 AC Milan - Match Report

Arsenal produced a valiant performance to beat AC Milan 3-0 but the result was not enough to see them through to the quarter finals of the Champions League as they went out 4-3 on aggregate. First half goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and a Robin Van Persie penalty looked to have set the home side on the way to a remarkable comeback but it was not to be as the Italian champions held on to progress to the next round of the comnpetition. Arsenal got off to the perfect start when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's superb delivery from a corner was met by the unmarked Koscielny who headed the ball into the back of Christian Abbiati's goal after just seven minutes. And shortly afterwards Van Persie got on the end of a Theo Walcott through ball but the Dutchman saw his shot from the angle saved by the foot of Abbiati. Then, when the ball was given away carelessly by Urby Emanuelson to Van Perise on the edge of Milan's area Arsenal looked to have the better of the Italians at the back but the striker's pass to Rosicky was poor and the chance went to waste. Van Perise had another chance after 18 minutes but Abbiati did brilliantly to turn his bending shot from the edge of the area round the post when the ball looked destined for the top corner. But things soon got even better for the Gunners when Rosicky slotted in superbly after some tricky work from Walcott after 26 minutes. As the Arsenal winger squared the ball into the box it was only poked away by Thiago Silva and when the ball fell to Rosicky the Czech did superbly in placing the ball into the corner of Abbiati's goal. While chances became scarce following Arsenal's second the home side remained the stronger of the two teams with Walcott looking a particular threat against Milan's left-back Djamel Mesbah. Just before half-time Arsenal were in dreamland when Mesbah brought down Oxlade-Chamberlain who had burst into the Italians' penalty area. Van Persie made no mistake with the spot-kick dispatching the penalty into the top corner leaving Abbiati with no chance. The home side were let off the hook though on the brink of half-time when Stephan El Shaarawy looked certain to score but the young Italian put his shot wide of Wojciech Szczesny's post. Half-time The second half began fairly quietly in comparison to the first but it was Milan who created the first decent chance when Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost got on the end of a through ball but Szczesny got there first as he charged out of his goal and took the ball away from the feet of the Swede. Alex Song was booked for an innocuous challenge on Ibrahimovic but Emanuelson's effort from the resulting free-kick was sent comfortably over the bar. Then at the other end Gervinho's deflected shot was saved by the feet of Abbiati but when the ball fell to Van Persie the Dutchman looked destined to score but as he tried to dink the ball over the keeper the Italian got his hand to it and smothered the effort. It was to prove a crucial miss as the home side struggled to create any more chances. In fact in the latter stages of the second half it was Milan who looked the more likely to score. Szczesny's poor pass into midfield was intercepted by Ibrahimovic just after the hour mark but the Swede sent his shot wide of the post. Imbrahimovic was involved again with 15 minutes left to play when his stinging shot was palmed away by Szczesny. When the ball was played back into the Arsenal box Antionio Nocerino could only place his tame efort straight at the Arsenal stopper when he had the whole goal to aim at. The last ten minutes of the match were a frustrating period for Arsenal who, depsite only needing a goal to take the tie to extra time, looked weary and struggled to create any chances. It's a credit to Arsene Wenger's men that they will come away from this game feeling disappointed having seemingly turned the tie on its head with a superb first-half display. And while Milan were as poor as the Gunners were in Italy the London side can take great pride in an excellent result that was unfortunately just shy of the mark. Referee: Damir Skomina Arsenal (4-3-3): Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Gibbs, Rosicky, Song, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Chamakh, 75), Walcott (Park, 84), Gervinho, Van Persie. AC Milan (4-3-3): Abbiati, Abate, Mexes, Thiago Silva, Mesbah (Bonera, 89), Van Bommel, Emanuelson, Nocerino, El Shaarawy (Aquilani, 70), Robinho, Ibrahimovic.