FC Twente without chance in Emirates

Thursday 28 August 2008

After the first leg those supporting FC Twente thought that their team and Arsenal were at least equal - despite the 2-0 defeat - but yesterday in London there was an ocean of quality between the two teams: 4-0.

Of course Twente were without strikers Blaise Nkufo and Marco Arnoutovic and the departed defender Luke Wilkshire, but even with these players available Twente could not have prevented a battering by Arsene Wenger's youngsters.

Not one FC Twente player reached the required level with left back Heubach illustrating the Dutch dismay best against the speedy Theo Walcott; the decision of Steve McClaren to pair Twente's slowest to Arsenal's fastest was of course a terrible one.

Twente were completely overrun and it can be called a miracle that it was only 1-0 at half time.

After the break Twente could put just as little against Arsenal's might and it was shortly into the second half that Gallas doubled the score for the Londoners.

In the remaining 40 minutes Arsenal took it's foot of the gas but still added two more goals to illustrate just what the difference in quality - and budgets - really is.

No Steve McClaren could alter that.

Twente now move on to the first round of the UEFA Cup whereas for Arsenal the tournament only starts now.