Champions League - Arsenal 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2

They are not called 'Lucky Arsenal' for nothing.

2-0 down and falling apart at Highbury - staging its first Champions League game for nine years - the London club had two pieces of good fortune which broke apart Shakhtar's resistance.

First Patrick Vieira led a breakout from defence and tried to run onto his own through pass but he was blocked by Shakhtar's captain and defensive leader Serhiiy Popov in the 44th minute. Popov had been booked in the 9th minute for a foul on the French midfielder and he was sent off.

Cue defensive panic in the 47th minute for the Ukraine side as Sylvain Wiltord was dragged down in the penalty area as he tried to reach a cross for a penalty.

Thierry Henry wasted the penalty as Shakhtar's star performer on the night - goalkeeper Yurii Virt - saved the weak shot but Wiltord ran in and clipped the rebound into the net.

The Ukraine team dragged themselves off the pitch but Arsenal were now bouncing and set to cash in on their good fortune after a nightmare first half.

The Premiership side dominated the first half hour but Ukrainian international Oleg Luzhny gave away a free kick in the 25th minute with a needless foul as he dragged down an opponent who was turning. Luzhny was playing his 60th game in Europe and was the most experienced man in either side but he is prone to make mistakes and is not in good form.

Bakharev slapped in a 25 metre free kick which was deflected off Robert Pires and low into the net past David Seaman.

Pires was lazy and disinterested throughout the match and was replaced in the 35th minute by Wiltord which gave Arsenal more direction. Their approach play was good but the crossing was very poor and failed to be accurate enough to create chances against a packed defence.

If Arsenal were shocked to concede then the 29th minute saw Shakhtar split apart their defence with ease.

Lovely one touch appraoch play was Tsubarov flick the ball through to Vorobyev on the left of the penalty area and he slid the ball wide of Seaman for 2-0.

Arsenal had earlier wasted good chances.

Henry hit a 24th minute free kick off the cross bar with Virt saving well from Kanu who sent in a volley from a narrow angle in the 5th minute.

Virt saved well at the feet of Ljungberg and Pires in the 15th minute but the second half was a complete Arsenal take over.

Kanu weaved and beat three defenders in the 50th minute before sending a shot well wide. Seconds later Wiltord forced a save from Virt with a low drive and then Henry jumped and side footed a cross at the near post wide of the far post with a back heel.

Wiltord was starting to provide the crosses that Arsenal needed and Henry came close to side footing in on 54 minutes.

Shakhtar were tiring after their first half efforts and they stopped playing and tried to defend a narrow lead which was never going to work. Virt's handling also fell apart and he was dropping the ball in and around the goal allowing the Arsenal forwards to have second chances when there were none.

Virt punched out a 71st minute corner which he could have caught and Lee Dixon was allowed to crash in a shot under the bar which Virt jumped and saved very well.

Virt saved from inside the goal and possibly behind the line in the 73rd minute again from Dixon after a cross from Henry has skipped across the penalty area to the defender.

Silvinho crossed and it hit Martin Keown in the 85th minute which looped into the net without the defender knowing much about it.

It was now just a case of waiting for the winner to come from Arsenal who had sixteen corner kicks in the second half

Keown was on hand after scoring 6 goals in 382 appearances for Arsenal before tonight to stroke in a Kanu cross from the right hand side and grag his second of a predictable night after the red card for Popov.