Arsenal hit by PSV sucker punch

EINDHOVEN - ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has warned PSV Eindhoven that they will not get away with a negative approach again.

PSV take a 1-0 lead to the Emirates Stadium on March 7, thanks to Edison Mendez's stunning second-half strike on Tuesday.

For long spells at the Philips Stadium , Ronald Koeman's side played as though they were the away team.

They strung 10 men behind the ball and relied on Arouna Kone to lead their occasional counter-attacks.

'I said before the game that Koeman would be defensive and I was not wrong,' said Wenger, after Arsenal's first Champions League defeat on Dutch soil.

'He started to play the game for a 0-0 draw and it was important for us to score the first goal. But only one of the teams was trying to play tonight.'

The Frenchman had already criticised Koeman, for employing negative tactics, when Arsenal drew twice with his Ajax side in the 2002-03 season.

He said: 'Now, we are in a tricky situation because we have to score twice without conceding in the return leg.

'But, from what I have seen tonight, I believe we'll achieve that.'

Arsenal have come from behind at home on 12 occasions this season. PSV have scored only three goals on their travels in two seasons of European football.

On Tuesday, the Gunners dominated possession in the first half.

But Wenger had little reason to celebrate Arsenal's 100th match in the Champions League and his 600th game in the charge. He admitted that his team should have won despite Mendez's sucker punch.

He said: 'Mistakes were made long before their goal. We had more than enough chances in the first half to kill the tie, but could not do it.'

Koeman countered: 'I do not see the way we played as something negative.

'We had many injuries and did what we could. We proved that, with good organisation, we can still win the game.

'I am very proud of my team and we got a deserved result, especially looking at the second half.

'As the match went on, we put more pressure on them and were more compact during the later stages.'

PSV were without their top scorer, Jefferson Farfan, because of a swollen left foot.

And Arsenal's slick passing quickly silenced the home crowd, reported The Guardian.

Their fluidity stemmed largely from Tomas Rosicky on the left, and PSV had great difficulty handling his link-up play with Francesc Fabregas.

The Czech combined neatly with Thierry Henry after 13 minutes. Only a strong hand from PSV goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, and a clearance off the line by Carlos Salcido, prevented Arsenal from taking the lead.

Gomes was again alert when Henry spun and volleyed after 42 minutes. On the stroke of half-time, one of the French striker's trademark curling efforts sailed narrowly wide.

Arsenal lost the attacking impetus in the second half.

'What happened in the second half is difficult to say,' Wenger said, appearing as bemused as everyone else.

'We lost our rhythm and we created barely anything. We could have been punished more on the counter.

'Maybe some players have played too many games lately, and others have not played enough.'

Arsenal's earlier misses were duly punished.

Shortly after the hour, Kone fed Mendez, who drilled a low shot beyond Jens Lehmann.

It was harsh on Arsenal but it was self-inflicted. Gilberto Silva had neglected his holding midfield position, and Lehmann should have done better.

Fabregas came closest to an equaliser, taking Rosicky's 70th-minute pass before letting fly. But Gomes clawed his shot over with a marvellous leap.

There will be little time for the Gunners to recover before they face Chelsea in Sunday's League Cup final. After that comes the FA Cup fifth-round replay at Blackburn.

'PSV and Blackburn are two different teams, and they will have no influence on the League Cup,' said Wenger.

'But we are disappointed because we did not have the game we wanted tonight.'

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE