Arsenal have beaten Villarreal CF 3-0 in their Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd-leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening. Theo Walcott scored the opening goal, with Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie sealing the win early in the second-half to seal a 4-1 aggregate win and a place in the semi-finals against Manchester United.
The aggregate scores were level at 1-1 after the first-leg at the El Madrigal, with Arsenal carrying the advantage with their away-goal, as both teams looked to seal a place in the Champions League Semi-Finals.
Arsenal have major injury concerns for the game, with keeper Manuel Almunia out injured, while defender Bacary Sagna was ruled-out with a virus.
William Gallas, Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy were also sidelined, with Gunners youngster Kieran Gibbs starting the match.
The match was end-to-end during the early stages of the first-half, with the visitors causing early problems for the Villarreal defence.
It was in the 10th minute that Theo Walcott, who had an excellent first-half, broke the deadlock, with Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabragas supplying the ball and Walcott chipping the ball over the onrushing Rodriguez Diego Lopez from the inside the penalty box and into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 1-0 and give Arsenal the advantage.
Arsenal continued to press for a second goal, but shots from Robin Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor were saved by Villarreal keeper Lopez, while the ball was cleared from the line to keep the score at 1-0.
Shots from former Arsenal star Robert Pires and Diego Godin were saved by Lukasz Fabianski in the Arsenal goal, but the home-side were in control.
Godin headed over the crossbar from deep inside the penalty-area in the last minute of the first-half to give Arsene Wengers side a late scare, but the game went into half-time 1-0 to Arsenal.
The second-half saw increased pressure from the home-side and Emmanuel Adebayor scored Arsenal’s second-goal in the 60th minute after a superb break from The Gunners, which saw Robin Van Persie pass the ball to Adebayor on the left of the penalty-area, with the Togolese forward striking the ball with the outside of his right-foot across Lopez from the corner of the six-yard box to make it 2-0 on the night.
Cesc Fabregas was fouled in the penalty-area by Diego Godin, prompting the referee to point to the spot.
The referee booked Sebastian Eguren, who saw his second-yellow card of the match and was sent-off the pitch.
Two late subtstitutes, Nicklas Bendtner and Abou Diaby, almost combined late on to score the Gunners' fourth goal, but Diaby’s shot went wide of the Villarreal goal and the match finished 3-0 to Arsenal on the night, and 4-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal now face a Semi-Final encounter against Manchester United, with a meeting against either Chelsea or Barcelona in the Final in Rome in May.
Arsenal v Villarreal CF Champions League Quarter Final 2nd-leg Full Teamsheets:
Arsenal Team: Fabianski, Eboue, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Walcott (Denilson 77), Song Billong, Fabregas, Nasri, Adebayor (Bendtner 83), Van Persie (Diaby 77).
Arsenal Substitutes Not Used: Vela, Bendtner, Eduardo, Mannone, Diaby, Ramsey, Denilson.
Arsenal Goals: Walcott 10, Adebayor 60, Van Persie 69 (penalty).
Bookings: Silvestre, Gibbs.
Villarreal CF Team: Lopez, Godin, Gonzalo, Capdevila, Angel Lopez, Bruno, Eguren, Matias Ariel Fernandez Fernandez, Cani, Rossi, Pires.
Villarreal CF Substitutes Not Used: Llorente, Viera, Kahveci, Ripolles, Ibagaza, Fuentes, Venta.
Bookings: Eguren, Cani, Godin.
Sent Off: Eguren.
Aggregate (4-1)
