Arsenal take two-goal advantage away in Prague
Fabregas was key to Arsenal's win in Prague
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Wednesday, 15, Aug 2007 10:17
Arsenal will take a two-goal lead into the second leg of their Champions League qualifying tie with Sparta Prague after late strikes from Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb.
The Gunners were on the back-foot for large periods of the game but asserted themselves in the closing 20 minutes.
Six minutes into the game Jan Rezek struck the post after Pavel Horvath beat Gael Clichy and put in a dangerous cross which evaded the Gunners defence.
Rezek met the cross with a spectacular volley which had Jens Lehman well beaten but bounced agonisingly off the post for the home side.
Arsenal were restricted to long-range efforts from Fabregas and Robin van Persie in the first half as the home side held the territorial advantage.
Sparta had the visitors rattled with some rough tactics but the north London side came out for the second half with renewed resolve.
Van Persie tested Tomas Postulka with a sharp chance but the Sparta goalkeeper was up to the challenge.
After 71 minutes Arsenal finally broke the deadlock thanks to a jinking run from Clichy.
The Frenchman went past two players before laying the ball off to Fabregas on the edge of the area who smashed the ball home.
This appeared to galvanise the home side who felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Martin Abraham fell under Fabregas' challenge in the box.
However the Gunners made sure of the victory in the final minute with Hleb applying the finish following a trademark counter attack from the English side.