Sevilla topple Arsenal to advance

Sevilla FC joined Arsenal FC in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after becoming the first team this season to defeat the English club.

Late penalty
Eduardo fired the Gunners in front early on but that was as good as it got for the visitors who not only lost their unbeaten record but the Group H leadership as well. Seydou Keita and Luis Fabiano overturned the Croatian's opener with first-half goals, and Frédéric Kanouté completed the scoring with a last-minute penalty. Sevilla will now win the section if they match Arsenal's result on Matchday 6, when the UEFA Cup holders travel to SK Slavia Praha and their rivals entertain FC Steaua Bucureşti.

Bendtner strength
Arsenal's breakthrough goal stemmed from a mixture of strength, skill and unusually lax Sevilla defending. Nicklas Bendtner found metres of free space on the right wing and had time to loft the ball across towards Eduardo, who chested the ball down, held off Daniel Alves and then slotted past Andrés Palop. At that stage Arsène Wenger's game plan was working like clockwork. Identifying Sevilla’s main threat as their trademark surging runs down either touchline, Arsenal crowded these channels. So effective was the application of Wenger's template that it took a reciprocal error to turn the match.

Midfield strike
When a long clearance reached Philippe Senderos in the 24th minute he sliced his kick and from Jesús Navas's probing cross Gilberto’s clearance fell sweetly for Keita to run on and crash a left foot shot into the top of the net. It was his debut UEFA Champions League goal, and the first Arsenal had conceded in the section, but reflected his status as Sevilla's most impressive player of the season. The already buzzing atmosphere hit new peaks and the Ramón Sanchéz-Pizjuán crowd roared approval as Sevilla surged forward.

Flowing confidence
A Gilberto mistake put Luis Fabiano clear in on Arsenal’s goal but he dallied and failed. It only delayed his moment. On 34 minutes Navas won a free-kick which Daniel Alves put squarely in Fabiano’s path and the Brazilian headed in his 18th goal of the season. Bendtner stemmed the tide ten minutes before the break with a terrific piece of penalty-box work which foxed Palop and Christian Poulsen but left Cesc Fabregas's shot being cleared for a corner.

Fabregas off
Barely had the second half got under way when it was clear Fabregas was limping. With so much experience already missing from Wenger's side even the arrival of Tomáš Rosický for the Spaniard was scant consolation. Sevilla bombarded the Arsenal area and between the 58th and 64th minutes Luis Fabiano had two volleys and one header at goal. Then when Senderos leaned into Daniel Alves's cross referee Eric Braamhaar pointed to the penalty spot for handball only to then consult his assistant, reconsider and award a drop-ball to restart play.

Entrancing match
With both sides fully committed to the victory, it was Sevilla who clinched it when Kolo Touré brought Kanouté down as full time approached and the striker scored coolly from the spot. The only negative for Sevilla was the bookings for Keita and Adriano which rule them out of the final fixture.