Teams Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Adams, Winterburn, Selley, Schwarz, Jensen, Campbell, Hartson, Wright Subs: Merson (Campbell 74), Hillier (Jensen 85), Keown, McGoldrick, Bartram
Milan: Rossi, Tassotti, Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini, Desailly, Albertini, Donadoni, Massaro, Savicevic, Simone Subs: Di Canio (Savicevic 89), Galli, Boban, Eranio, Ielpo
Bookings: Simone (AC Milan)
Att : 38041 Referee : M van der Ende (Netherlands)
I quite enjoyed the match last night. It was an interesting rather than exciting game. It has to be said there wasn't a great deal in the way of goalmouth incident, but Arsenal showed some encouraging signs of a return to some sort of form. Adams' return gave the defence a much more confident look, and Merson's display (after coming on to an ovation) for the last 15 minutes also gave cause for renewed hope.
Fears that it would prove very difficult for Arsenal to come out of the match with anything seemed justified early on. Milan had most of the early play, keeping possession in that seemingly easy manner the top Italian teams have. However they also seemed content to contain Arsenal and never committed many men forward so that there were only a couple of occasions in the 1st half when the home goal was under dire threat.
Quite early on Simone cut in from the left, and jinked away from a couple of challenges on the edge of the box before curling a shot only a foot or two wide of the far post. Then, after a free kick had been awarded just to the left of the Arsenal area for a barely perceptible shirt-pull by Dixon, Savicevic lost his marker Schwarz and met the free kick at the far post, only to scoop his shot over the bar from about 5 yards.
However gradually the Gunners began to get into it. Hartson headed a Schwarz corner just wide, Selley had a slightly deflected shot from the edge of the area which bounced awkwardly just in front of Rossi and Campbell miskicked a shot when the ball fell to him following another corner.
Then about 15 minutes from half time came the highlight of the game which sparked Arsenal into their best spell of the match. Jensen made a good tackle to dispossess one of the Milan forwards near the left hand touchline deep in his own half. He then did well to feed Wright, still out near the line about 20 yards inside the Arsenal half. Wrighty set off on a thrilling run, first swerving past two opponents before crossing the half way line and carrying the ball right to the edge of the Milan area. With Hartson in support he chose to cut inside Costacurta and fire in a stinging right foot drive which was unfortunately straight at the well positioned Rossi who could only parry the ball.
Following this Arsenal dominated the rest of the half and produced a number of nice moves, mostly down the right which could have brought some reward. Some good passing between Dixon and Wright released Selley, but his cross from the right was slightly overhit and passed over Hartson's head. Hartson then did well when chasing a ball down the right to turn and cut in past his marker just to the right of the area. He then stabbed a pass towards the far post where Tassotti cleared in a bit of a panic just past the post for a corner, though in fact Wright hadn't anticipated the pass.
Late in the half Schwarz came close with a twice taken free kick from the edge of the area. His first viciously struck attempt was parried by Rossi, but the ref booked Simone for encroaching and ordered the kick to be retaken. Schwarz hit the second attempt equally well but it deflected off the top of the wall for a corner. Milan could also have scored just before half time. A ball looped up of an Italian and looked to be going out for a goal kick but held up on the line and was chased down by Savicevic. He pulled it back across goal but just too far in front of any of his colleagues, and in the end Bouldy coolly turned it on inside the area for Winterburn to clear.
The second half continued in a similar vein with Arsenal having more possession but Milan looking a bit more dangerous on the break. Early on a Campbell flick along the edge of the area fell to Dixon steaming in at speed but his terrific shot from 20 yards just cleared the bar with the keeper beaten. Selley also had a couple of reasonable openings. First, unmarked about 12 yards out he glanced a header wide of the far post from a Dixon cross. Then, following a corner Hartson touched the ball back to Campbell right on the byline and he cut it back to Selley who could only miskick from about 10 yards out.
Adams also missed a half-chance with a slightly mistimed header from a corner, but in the meantime Milan missed what was probably the best chance of the match. Savicevic's angled pass from the right beat the Arsenal offside trap to leave both Massaro and Simone free in the left side of the box. It was the latter who took the pass, but with only Seaman to beat lifted his shot from an angle over the bar.
Later Seaman distinguished himself with a couple of good saves. First he plucked out an Albertini free kick from about 25 yards which was arrowing towards the top corner, and then he did even better to hold on to a Savicevic snap shot from the edge of the area following a quick Milan break.
At the other end Arsenal were still managing to come close on occasion, mostly through Wright. Campbell did well to dispossess Baresi as the Milan captain dwelt on the ball, and fed Wright who dribbled into the area on the left before striking a rising shot from an angle which I think Rossi just got fingertips to, though it would have just cleared the bar anyway. Wright also had another good run down the left before crossing in along the six yard line. Baresi just got a foot to the ball to divert it over the bar with Hartson waiting unmarked behind him.
Merson replaced Campbell with about 15 minutes left to great roars of approval. For a man who hasn't played top flight football since November he looked in remarkably good nick. He played one glorious crossfield pass with the outside of his foot, but unfortunately it was Winterburn who was the man in space on the left so the attack soon chugged to a halt. There was also one dribble in the area which almost came off, but all round his touch looked quite good.
Overall a quite encouraging performance from Arsenal. With Bould and Adams reunited at the back the defence looked sounder and the fullbacks, Dixon in particular, were given the confidence to get forward quite a lot. The midfield was still functional rather than inspirational but none of them did too badly. Wrighty looked happier than of late and was quite sharp, though with Arsenal playing closer to 4-3-3 he was tending to drift wide to the left so was sometimes not in the position to do the damage. Hartson did well on a few occasions but with the Dutch ref blowing up for the merest hint of physical contact, Baresi was able to draw him into giving away a lot of free kicks. Hopefully he will have learnt from the experience of playing against the old master.
Report by Derek Brownjohn