*Gunners punish PSG*
Arsenal overcame Paris Saint Germain 2-1 in their first game in the
Emirates Cup.
Goals in each half from Mathieu Flamini and Nicklas Bendtner were
enough to give Arsene Wenger's side the victory over the French
giants.
Summer signing Bakari Sagna was handed a home debut at right-back,
while Kolo Toure was handed the captain's armband in the absence of
Gilberto Silva.
PSG were the first to threaten when Peguy Luyindula teed up
Pierre-Alain Frau inside the box, but the midfielder failed to hit
the target.
The French side continued to call the tune early on and Luyindula
should have done better on 19 minutes when he dragged his shot wide
from 12 yards.
Robin van Persie won a free-kick for himself on the edge of the box
on 25 minutes when he hauled down after a powerful run, but the
Dutchman blazed his resulting shot wildly over the crossbar.
Pauleta wasted a good opening for PSG on 28 minutes when he played
a neat one-two with Frau to get a sight of goal only to fire his
shot wide.
The Portuguese striker went close to scoring on 35 minutes with an
attempted chip which Manuel Almunia tipped over the crossbar at
full stretch.
Arsenal broke the deadlock right on the stroke of half-time when
Bendtner chested down Gael Clichy's cross into the path of Flamini
who expertedly slotted his shot in off the post.
Bendtner missed a great chance to double Arsenal's lead on 64
minutes when he broke the PSG offside trap to latch onto Clichy's
through ball, but the Dane knocked his shot wide of the
target.
Youngster Bendtner did get his name on the scoresheet four minutes
later when the big striker beat Mickael Landreau to Denilson's
corner and the ball dropped to him to slot the ball into the empty
net.
PSG tried to hit back and Almunia had to be alert to push Pauleta's
volley round the post on 70 minutes.
Two minutes later Almunia was called into the action again when he
just about managed to bat away Jerome Rothen's swerving shot.
PSG deservedly pulled a goal back ten minutes from time when
Luyindula cleverly flicked home Frau's cross at the near
post.
Bendtner missed the chance to restore Arsenal's two-goal cushion on
84 minutes when he saw his weak penalty saved by Landreau after
Alexander Hleb was felled inside the box.
