Gunners ease to victory

Arsenal moved a significant step closer to the lucrative group stages of the Champions League with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Steve McClaren's FC Twente in Arnhem.

The Gunners had been pressed onto the back foot for most of the opening hour by the Dutch side, who played with the panache which ironically England had lacked under the stewardship of McClaren.

But second-half goals from William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor gave Arsene Wenger's side a comfortable victory and plenty of confidence to take into their Premier League campaign.

Arsenal - who have played in the Champions League proper for more than a decade - slowly began to find their rhythm, but were unable to break down Twente.

The Dutch looked dangerous on the counter-attack with some slick passing moves.

After 18 minutes, Eljero Elia almost got on the end of a pass into the left side of the Arsenal area, but keeper Manuel Almunia slid out to make a brave block.

Arsenal snatched a crucial away goal in the 63rd minute, after Emmanuel Eboue was adjudged to have been fouled on the right - much to the disbelief of McClaren.

Robin Van Persie's free-kick floated through to the six-yard box, where Gallas bundled the ball in to the net.

To their credit, Twente continued to press, and Marko Arnautovic pushed his shot wide from an acute angle after being put in on the left side of the penalty area.

The victory - and surely a place in the Champions League group stages - when Theo Walcott dashed into the right side of the Twente area before finding Adebayor, who rolled his shot under Boschker.