Arsenalrecorded their best away victory in Europe for five years as they
placed one impressive-sized foot in the knockout stages on a goal-crazy
night in Turkey. [>
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Not
since that truly unforgettable evening at the San Siro in 2003, when a
Thierry Henry-inspired side fired five past Inter Milan have the
Gunners been this rampant on their travels. [>
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Arsenal
took a stranglehold of this match and on Group G, with manager Arsene
Wenger believing three points from their remaining three matches should
be enough to reach the next stage. [>
Two
goals inside 70 first-half seconds, from Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo
Walcott, as Cesc Fabregas sliced Fenerbahce apart, made the difference. [>
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Abou
Diaby’s third in the 21st minute, after the Turks had pulled one back,
meant four goals had been scored in 11 crazy minutes, while Alex Song’s
47th-minute goal rubber-stamped an amazing victory. [>
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Still Arsenal were not happy, claiming a fifth goal in the closing seconds. [>
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The
Gunners, minus injured regulars Kolo Toure, William Gallas and Bacary
Sagna, opted for a solid line-up, with Adebayor as a lone striker. [>
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Wenger
called up Diaby for his first start of the season, and just his second
in all following a thigh injury, to play just behind Adebayor. [>
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On the flanks, Walcott and Samir Nasri looked to attack at every opportunity. [>
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Fenerbahce
were without English-born Turkish international striker Colin
Kazim-Richards, who scored in the 2-1 Champions league success against
Chelsea here last season, after he hurt his shoulder in league action. [>
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Arsenal faced a wall of noise and high-pitched whistles in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. [>
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Manuel
Almunia, captaining them for the first time, was soon in action. Gokhan
Gonul found time and space to deliver a dangerous low cross, which Ugur
Boral latched on to. Boral turned and shot from six yards, but
Almunia’s reflexes and his blocking save were superb. [>
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Adebayor sent a drive over the bar, but soon Arsenal were in wonderland and two goals ahead. [>
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Fabregas split the defence with a killer pass from the centre-circle, which Adebayor collected. [>
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Walcott
was offside but Adebayor skirted round his team-mate and finished with
aplomb, sliding in his seventh goal of the season. Soon it was two as
once again a sublime pass from Fabregas sent Walcott clear. Pace took
him past Volkan Demirel, and Walcott kept his cool to slot in from an
awkward angle. [>
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It
should have been three as Diaby skinned Edu on the right and crossed
low for Nasri. His shot from seven yards was goal-bound before keeper
Demirel pulled off a great stop. [>
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But Fenerbahce smelled a lifeline when they pulled a goal back after 19 minutes after they won a free-kick on the left. [>
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Roberto
Carlos’s kick was met by Guiza’s far-post volley that hit centre-back
Mikael Silvestre, who was making his European debut for Arsenal, and
left Almunia stranded. [>
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Arsenal
scored a third just two minutes later, though. Diaby picked up a long
ball down the left, held off Edu and Claudio Maldonado and fired low
into the far corner. [>
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However, Diaby was booked for his celebrations. [>
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Guiza
then sprinted clear down the right, six minutes from the break but
fortunately for the Gunners his low drive whistled just inches past the
far post. Almunia denied friend and former Spanish team-mate Guiza when
he dived at the striker’s feet after 42 minutes. [>
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Arsenal
suffered what looked like another hefty injury blow just after the
restart when Nasri hobbled off for treatment after Lugano fell heavily
on his ankle. [>
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Lugano
was booked and Nasri was calling for aid, looking in agony. Arsene
Wenger was off his feet, his face a real picture of concern. But
seconds later 10-man Arsenal rammed home their fourth goal of an
auspicious away-day success. [>
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From Fabregas’s free-kick for the foul on Nasri, the ball fell kindly for Song, who lashed in a beauty. [>
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Nasri returned to the fray and Arsenal continued to look full of goals. [>
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Guiza reduced the arrears when a lofted pass beat Song and Silvestre, and he scored over Almunia. [>
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Ramsey claimed his first goal for the Gunners with a long-range shot that went in off a post. [>