Tuesday, 09 Mar 2010 23:59
Nicklas Bendtner scores hat-trick as Arsenal beat FC Porto 5-0 for 6-2 aggregate victory in Champions League last-16 tie
By Matthew Champion
Five-star Arsenal produced a virtuoso performance against a disappointing FC Porto to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League as much-maligned striker Nicklas Bendtner struck a hat-trick.
The Danish forward, who could have scored a double hat-trick against Burnley at the weekend, scored twice in the first half before rounding off the win with a late penalty.
In between Samir Nasri scored a sublime individual goal while substitute Emmanuel Eboue completed a sweeping counter-attack orchestrated by Andrei Arshavin to make it four.
The Gunners, looking to overturn a 2-1 loss in the first leg, never looked in danger of going out of the competition as their Portuguese opponents struggled for fluency and rarely tested Manuel Almunia.
The deadlock was broken within ten minutes when the influential Arshavin broke in the box only to collide with Porto goalkeeper Helton; the ball falling to Bendtner for an easy finish.
Within 25 minutes it was two as Arshavin made space on the left and squared it for an unmarked Bendtner to poke it into an empty net.
Porto grew in confidence after the restart but French midfielder Nasri, effectively deputising for the injured Cesc Fabregas, took the tie by the scruff of the neck when he cut in the right flank before beating a succession of Porto defenders and firing past Helton from a tight angle.
Eboue, on for the disappointing Tomas Rosicky, added a flourish to the scoreline when he raced on to Arhsavin's through-ball, while a foul on the Ivorian in the box allowed Bendtner to grab his hat-trick from the penalty spot and send Arsenal through to the last eight in style.