Arsenal vs Sparta Prague

29th August 2007 - UEFA Champions League 3rd Rd 2nd Leg - Emirates Stadium

My stomach is rumbling as I sit on the train writing this. My intention was to get some food at home prior to leaving for the station but this plan failed due to my inability to leave the office on time. Instead, after a fight with the vending machine on the station platform, I settled for a warm bottle of water instead. I'll be having a Guinness soon, that's as good as a meal anyway me thinks.

If you believe what you read in the news you would think that there's no need to play the match tonight. That at 2-0 it’s a done. Game over, we should play our reserve team. True, we probably won the tie in the first leg, but it's a massive game. The rewards are huge and failure would have an unbelievable negative impact on our season. Football is a funny old game and anything is possible. Let’s start strongly and when we are sure of qualifying, we can always rest players then. A first half goal would be good too, rather than waiting until 80+minutes.

Anyway, tonight I’m going for pre-match at The Famous Cock pub outside Highbury and Islington tube to meet a mate before the match. It's usually rammed on match days but luckily it’s not too bad tonight. It’s about 10 minutes walk but to the ground and we get there just as the players are coming out onto the pitch.

The first thing that I notice is that there are hardly any away fans. In fact there are only about 100 in total. There are a few empty seats around club level too but the attendance is still over 58,000 which are still not bad for August when attendances are always lower.

Arsenal start the match brightly and it's not long before we take the lead. After some good movement and passing around the Sparta area a cross from Theo goes to Rosicky who slots the ball into the net with a low shot to the goalkeeper’s right. With a 3-0 aggregate score line, this goal pretty much ends the match as a contest and effectively kill of any chance of Rosicky boyhood club reaching the champions league knockout stages after only 7minutes.

With no real threat from a poor Sparta side, Arsenal take control and are able to pass it around easily without even getting out of second gear.

In the second half Sparta are more physical, as they were in the first leg, and a few yellows are branded. When West Ham reject Tomas Repka is carded the chants of “we’ve got Cesc Fabregas” are directed towards him by the Arsenal faithful in reference to the injury he sustained in the first leg caused by Cesc’s tackle.

The game is pretty much over but the atmosphere is surprisingly one of the best at Emirates and the longest ever “We’re the Northbank….” vs “We’re the Clock End….” contest takes place for around 10 minutes – excellent!

It wouldn’t be a home match without a late goal or two and with 80 minutes on the clock, Cesc scores a screamer. A powerful shot from inside the box which the goalie can do nothing about. Cushdy, 2 nil.

I am ashamed to say that with 8 minutes remaining of the match I left the ground. Karma bit me on the arse though as I missed the third goal, Eduardo’s first goal at the Emirates Stadium. Serves me right I suppose.

It ended up 3-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate (actually the same score as last time we played them in 2000). The main thing is that we are in the Champions League group stage. Bring on the Draw (Thursday at 5pm).