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UEFA Champions League: Bergkamp spares 10-man Arsenal's blushes [Thu Sep 15th, 2005]
London (Reuters) - Dennis Bergkamp spared 10-man Arsenal's blushes with a stoppage-time winner as they beat Swiss outsiders Thun 2-1 in their opening UEFA Champions League game in Group B.
Arsenal, without injured striker Thierry Henry, had Dutch forward Robin van Persie sent off just before half-time for a clumsy head-high challenge that left a cut on Austrian defender Alen Orman's forehead.
It did not prevent Brazilian midfielder Gilberto heading Arsenal in front in the 51st minute, but the lead lasted only two minutes before a looping shot from Swiss midfielder Nelson Ferreira caught keeper Manuel Almunia off his line.
The Swiss side, who were playing amateur football just nine years ago, looked to have earned a remarkable point before substitute Bergkamp steered home the winner from close range.
"It was important to win because we lost on Saturday," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports TV. "It would have been bad for the team's confidence not to win tonight."
Victory saved Arsenal from yet another poor start to a European campaign but the performance will not have convinced sceptics that goalkeeping errors and defensive lapses do not remain a problem at Highbury.
Bergkamp, in probably the Dutchman's final year with Arsenal at 36, prodded home after a goalmouth melee in the 91st minute to keep Arsene Wenger's side on course in a tricky group that also features Ajax Amsterdam and Sparta Prague.
The pulsating finale followed a predictably attacking start by Arsenal, who carved out three early scoring opportunities.
A curling shot from Robert Pires flew just wide, Van Persie's volley was parried by Eldin Jakupovic and defender Kolo Toure just failed to connect with a dangerous Pires free kick into the box.
The Swiss keeper was soon busy again, tipping over a fierce Toure shot from a teed up free kick, but his side kept their cool under pressure.
Packing the midfield with a 4-5-1 system they had used to knock out Malmo and Dynamo Kiev in qualifying, Thun succeeded in denying Arsenal space and time on the ball.
RED CARD
Francesc Fabregas and fellow Spaniard Jose Antonio Reyes both had chances before the real drama of the half came with Van Persie's dismissal.
Lifting his boot to try and catch a high ball, Van Persie clattered clumsily rather than maliciously into Orman and Polish referee Grzegorz Gilewski immediately flourished a straight red.
Arsenal kept up the pressure after the break and it paid off when Gilberto headed a Reyes corner back across the face of the goal and inside the far post.
But Arsenal fans had barely finished celebrating when Almunia was caught out by Ferreira's lob which went inside the top far corner.
Arsenal kept pushing forward but Fredrik Ljungberg failed to keep his flick on target when put clean through and Toure narrowly missed with a late header.
A highly embarrassing draw in Europe, after a stuttering Premier League start with two defeats in four games, was then on the cards before Bergkamp popped up to save the day.
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