Vermaelen admits may consider leaving Arsenal

Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal Central defender Thomas Vermaelen is mulling the prospect of leaving Arsenal in January to boost his chances of playing for Belgium in the World Cup finals.

Vermaelen has struggled to regain his place in the Arsenal side after returning from a back problem and appears to have slipped down the pecking order for his country, who have qualified for their first World Cup since 2002.

He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's last three matches and also failed to start in Belgium's decisive win over Croatia on Friday even with Vincent Kompany out injured.

"Yes, I have to think about that when it's necessary," Vermaelen was quoted in British newspapers about his future at the north London club.

"Of course, never playing will not be the ideal situation for me to go to the World Cup, that's for sure."

Vermaelen, who joined Arsenal from Ajax Amsterdam in 2009, was club captain last year and has made nearly 100 appearances for the club but manager Arsene Wenger has stuck with the combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny since Vermaelen returned to fitness.

"People ask me if I am concerned, but I don't panic," Vermaelen, who has spoken to Wenger about his situation, said.

"It's just a matter of injuries or suspensions to play again. Those things can happen in a split second and change my situation. That can happen tomorrow or next weekend.

"In that case, we will speak differently in January. I have to be ready for that. This situation is brand new for me."

Brazil made to work hard for win by troubled Zambia

Brazil's national soccer team players Brazil took nearly an hour to break through before finally winning 2-0 against a Zambia side who were hampered by chaotic preparations for the friendly in Beijing on Tuesday.

Oscar opened the scoring with a looping deflected shot and central defender Dede headed the second in a seven-minute spell at the Bird's Nest stadium, the unlikely venue for the first-ever meeting between next year's World Cup hosts and the 2012 African champions.

Zambia were playing under 35-year-old interim coach Patrice Beaumelle who took over eight days ago after Herve Renard, who had picked the squad, resigned to take charge of struggling French Ligue 1 side Sochaux.

The Chipolopolo, who have failed to qualify for next year's World Cup, were also without three regulars following a bizarre tug-of-war with their club TP Mazembe in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Brazil's win was their fourth in a row as they bounced back from August's shock defeat in Switzerland.

Portugal's automatic qualification hopes suffer big blow

Portugal's hopes of securing automatic qualification for next year's World Cup suffered a major blow on Friday when a late blunder by goalkeeper Rui Patricio gifted Israel a 1-1 draw in their Group F qualifier.

The result is enough to guarantee Portugal a playoff spot but victory would have kept them a point behind leaders Russia before Tuesday's final round of matches.

It means Portugal have 18 points from nine games before hosting Luxembourg, while Russia have three points more before they travel to Azerbaijan. Russia have a vastly superior goal difference, meaning they will most likely qualify automatically whatever happens on Tuesday.

A first-half goal from Portugal centre back Ricardo Costa was cancelled by Eden Ben Basat's easy chip for the visitors in the 85th minute.

Spain see off Belarus to close on World Cup spot

Holders Spain moved to the brink of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals when captain Xavi and substitute Alvaro Negredo struck in a laboured 2-1 win at home to Belarus in Group I on Friday.

The victory in Palma de Mallorca puts Spain three points clear of France with one match to play and a point against lowly Georgia in Albacete on Tuesday will secure the world and European champions a berth at the tournament in Brazil.

Spain dominated possession against an ultra-defensive Belarus, who are bottom of the group, but struggled to create clear chances until Xavi broke the deadlock in the 61st minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the area that left goalkeeper Aleksandr Gutor rooted to the spot.

Centre back Sergio Ramos was the unlikely creator of Spain's second goal 12 minutes from time when he found himself on the right wing and clipped over a perfect cross for Negredo to send a superb diving header low into the corner.

Sergei Kornilenko pulled a goal back for Belarus in the 89th minute from one of their few forays forward but it was nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.

"We weren't effective enough with the final pass but in the end we got the win and it's a very important step towards the World Cup," Xavi said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Telecinco.

"Alvaro's goal gave us some breathing room and at the end the Belarus goal gave us a bit of a shock but it turned out fine," he added.

"It's tough when teams shut up shop at the back with all 10 players in their half."

Xavi was captaining the side in the absence of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who has fallen out of favour at his club Real Madrid and was replaced in the starting lineup by Xavi's Barcelona team mate Victor Valdes.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque also handed a debut to Michu but the Swansea City forward made little impact before being replaced by Negredo in the 57th minute.

With most of Spain's attacks foundering against a massed Belarus defence, Del Bosque brought off left back Nacho Monreal at halftime and replaced him with Andres Iniesta.

The switch gave the home side even more control and their latest success continued their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers at home.

France, who are assured of a playoff place, play their final qualifier at home to Finland on Tuesday.

Russia hit four to stay on course for World Cup

 Russia moved closer to qualifying for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 thumping of Luxembourg on Friday that kept Fabio Capello's side top of Group F with one round of matches to play.

Russia, who have 21 points from nine matches, have qualification in their own hands before they travel to Azerbaijan for their final group match on Tuesday. Second-placed Portugal, on 17 points, were entertaining Israel on Friday.

Alexander Samedov opened the scoring in the ninth minute, with Luxembourg defender Chris Philipps trying to stop the ball with his foot but directing it into the net and Viktor Fayzulin doubled the visitors' lead half an hour later.

Denis Glushakov ensured they went into the break with a comfortable lead with a goal on the stroke of halftime, while Alexander Kerzhakov made it four on 73 minutes after being set up by Dmitry Kombarov.

"We played a very good match, with good speed and good desire," Russian media quoted Capello as saying.

"The Luxembourg match is in the past. We got the result we needed, played good football.

"We won because we controlled the ball well, pressed our opponent and didn't let Luxembourg play their game."

Bottom-of-the-table Luxembourg posed little threat for dominant Russia whose early opener set the visitors on their way.

Luxembourg goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert got a hand to the second goal, which came after captain Roman Shirokov lofted a perfect pass to Fayzulin and he flicked it home with his left foot.

Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev blocked Daniel Da Mota's shot shortly before the break and his side put the match out of reach in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when the ball fell to midfielder Glushakov who pushed a shot past Joubert.

Kerzhakov's second-half goal was the icing on the cake and came shortly after Luxembourg had missed a tantalising chance when Stefano Bensi passed the ball across the goal only to watch in disappointment as none of his team mates could drive it home.

The match before a crowd of some 8,000 in Luxembourg was briefly interrupted around the 80th minute when a fan ran onto the field and dived into one of the goals before security guards escorted him off the pitch.

'Magical' Ibra secures playoff spot for Sweden

Captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck a late winner to give Sweden a 2-1 victory over Austria on Friday that secured second place in World Cup Group C qualifying.

The Paris St Germain striker latched on to Kim Kallstrom's long ball and slotted home with four minutes to go to make sure Sweden finished as runners-up to group winners Germany.

"It's magical," Ibrahimovic told Swedish TV after the game. "It's a fantastic feeling. We are a step closer to the World Cup."

Germany head the group with 25 points going into the final round of qualifiers on Tuesday. Sweden have 20 points and will go into the playoffs for a place in Brazil next year. Austria are third with 14 points.

Ibrahimovic's side had to dig deep to come from behind after the visitors took a 29th-minute lead.

Marko Arnautovic surged clear down the left and his cross was touched on by Marc Janko for Martin Harnik to thump the ball home.

Johan Elmander hit the post for Sweden before half-time but it was a different story after the break as Ibrahimovic began to exert a strong influence.

The home side levelled in the 56th minute, left back Martin Olsson meeting Ibrahimovic's deft chip with a diving header.

Sweden continued to threaten, Olsson firing a left-footed drive just over as they pressed for a winner.

The game looked to be heading for a draw until substitute Kallstrom set up Ibrahimovic.

"The whole team should have credit, not only me, because we came out totally different in the second half," Ibrahimovic told reporters.

He will miss the final game of the qualifying campaign, at home to Germany on Tuesday, after picking up a late yellow card

Dutch record breaker Van Persie hits treble in 8-1 win

A hat-trick from Robin van Persie earned the striker the status of the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer as they hammered Hungary 8-1 in their World Cup Group D qualifier on Friday.

Van Persie took his tally to 41 in 80 appearances, passing Patrick Kluivert's record on a night of clinical efficiency from the Dutch, who had already qualified for next year's finals in Brazil and racked up their eighth win of the campaign.

The Manchester United striker opened the scoring with a 15th minute header and equalled the national scoring record soon after as the Dutch dominated and went into the break 4-0 ahead.

Kevin Strootman and Jeremain Lens profited from defensive errors to increase the tally before halftime with Van Persie breaking the record with his third in the 52nd minute before being taken off to a standing ovation at the Amsterdam Arena.

There were also poignant sideline celebrations with Kluivert, now an assistant to Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. But a toe injury almost kept Van Persie from playing.

"It was a gamble but it worked out well," said the 30-year-old forward with some understatement.

A bizarre own goal from Szilard Devecseri in the 64th added to the Dutch total bfore late goals from freekicks by Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben rounded off a high tempo performance.

"We put the opponent under pressure for the full 90 minutes," said Van Gaal. "The effort and the willingness was enormous. It's a difficult process to squeeze right from the start and then to sustain it."

On Van Persie's record-breaking night, Van Gaal told reporters: "It's a great achievement, but ultimately is all about the way the team puts him in contention."

Hungary's goal came from a penalty converted by Balazs Dzsudzsak after a Jeffrey Bruma handball just after the break.

Netherlands have 25 points from nine games, with their final match against Turkey in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Turkey and Romania, who each have 16 points with one match remaining, are fighting it out for a playoff spot.

Italy's Aquilani denies Denmark in added time

Alberto Aquilani struck an injury-time equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw for Brazil-bound Italy and prevent Denmark climbing into second place in World Cup qualifying Group B on Friday.

Two almost identical far-post headers by Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner - playing in his first international since being suspended for six months following his arrest for drink-driving - looked to have secured victory against an Italy side that faded after Pablo Osvaldo's brilliant 28th-minute goal.

But Aquilani silenced the home fans when he diverted Osvaldo's weak shot from close range.

"It was a lucky goal - I was really good with my knee," a smiling Aquilani told reporters.

"They were unlucky on a couple of occasions, then I scored a goal that maybe we didn't deserve."

The draw means Denmark stay in third place on 13 points, level with second-placed Bulgaria and a point ahead of the Czech Republic and Armenia, who beat Bulgaria 2-1 earlier on Friday.

Bulgaria, who host the Czech Republic in the final round of qualifiers on Tuesday, have a superior goal difference to Denmark, who meet Malta. Italy have already qualified for the World Cup as group winners.

"I am very disappointed. They scored a goal right at the end," Denmark defender Andreas Bjelland said. "We have two shots that hit the post and (Gianluigi) Buffon makes a few good saves, but it was just not our day."

It was a superb goal that gave Italy the early lead. Southampton striker Osvaldo controlled Thiaggo Motta's long, flighted pass with a delicate first touch that took him past Daniel Agger before he curled home a finish.

It was a reward for a disciplined opening by a second-string Italy that featured goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in his 137th appearance, an Italian record.

Denmark were not deterred, however, and Bendtner levelled in first-half stoppage time when he rose above Federico Balzaretti to meet Michael Krohn-Dehli's inswinging cross.

The Arsenal striker thought he had won it for Denmark 11 minutes from time when he again beat Balzaretti to a Krohn-Dehli cross, steering in a well-placed header.

Germany secure World Cup spot with win over Ireland

Triple former champions Germany secured a place at next year's World Cup in Brazil with a game to spare in Group C qualifying after sweeping Ireland aside 3-0 on Friday.

Sami Khedira's deflected shot gave the hosts a 12th-minute lead and Andre Schuerrle made it 2-0 in the second half following a fine turn.

Mesut Ozil then made sure of victory with the third goal in stoppage time.

Despite having more than half a dozen injury absentees, Germany were always in control with midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger back in the side after a six-month break to earn his 99th cap.

Germany have 25 points from nine games and an unassailable lead at the top of the group before they face second-placed Sweden in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Van Persie becomes all-time top Dutch scorer after 8-1 win

A hat trick from Robin van Persie earned the striker the status as the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer as the already-through Dutch hammered Hungary 8-1 in their World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam on Friday.

Van Persie took his tally to 41 goals from 80 appearances, passing Patrick Kluivert's record on a night of clinical efficiency from the Dutch, who were already qualified for next year's finals in Brazil and racked up their eighth win of the campaign.

Van Persie opened the scoring with a 15th minute header and equalled the record soon after as the Dutch dominated and went into half-time 4-0 ahead.

Kevin Strootman and Jeremain Lens profited from defensive errors to also score before the break with Van Persie breaking the record with his third in the 52nd minute, before being taken off to an standing ovation from the Amsterdam Arena fans.

There were also poignant sideline celebrations with Kluivert, now an assistant to coach Louis van Gaal.

A bizarre own goal from Szilard Devecseri in the 64th minute added to the Dutch tally while late efforts from Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben rounded off the high tempo performance from the Dutch, who had been warned by Van Gaal they would be playing for places in Brazil.

Hungary's goal came from a penalty converted by Balazs Dzsudzsak after a handball from Jeffrey Bruma just after the break.

Netherlands have 25 points from their nine games, with their final match away to Turkey on Tuesday. Turkey and Romania, who both have 16 points with one match remaining, are fighting it out for a playoff spot.

Injury-hit Montenegro must show grit at Wembley - Dzudovic

 Montenegro will miss captain Mirko Vucinic and at least three other players through injury in their 2014 World Cup qualifier in England on Friday but can still pull off an upset, defender Miodrag Dzudovic has said.

Apart from Juventus striker Vucinic, goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic, centre back Marko Basa and midfielder Miodrag Pekovic have also been ruled out while central defender Dzudovic is doubtful with a back injury and a hamstring strain.

"It seems we always head into decisive matches decimated by injuries and this is just too much bad luck with the most important game of our careers around the corner," Dzudovic told reporters in the team's training camp on Monday.

"But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. There is no doubt our coach Branko Brnovic will find the right strategy to disguise our chinks and maximise our potential at Wembley."

England, who are also at home to Poland in their final game on Oct. 15, head a delicately balanced Group H with 16 points from eight games, one more than Ukraine and Montenegro and three ahead of the Poles.

The Montenegrins, a tiny Adriatic republic in the Balkans with a population of 625,000, have earned three creditable draws in as many competitive meetings with England.

They are at home to Moldova in their final game and Dzudovic acknowledged that avoiding defeat at Wembley would put Montenegro in a good position to snatch at least a playoff berth.

"Of course we are poised to go for a win against England if given the opportunity because we can't just roll over and throw away all the good work we have done in the qualifiers so far," he said.

"The most important thing will be to keep a clean sheet and I am sure our forwards will find a way through. With the right attitude and enough self-belief, we can finish in the top two and reach the playoffs."

The nine group winners qualify automatically for the 32-nation tournament in Brazil while the eight best runners-up enter the two-legged playoffs for Europe's remaining four berths.

Kompany out of Belgium's final World Cup qualifiers

 Belgium captain Vincent Kompany has been ruled out of the country's final two World Cup qualifiers due to a groin injury sustained at the weekend.

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots tweeted on Monday that the Manchester City defender would miss Friday's Group A fixture in Croatia and the visit of Wales four days later.

Kompany was substituted 34 minutes into City's 3-1 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday.

Wilmots later told a news conference he had sought to call up 18-year-old midfielder Adnan Januzaj as a replacement.

Januzaj, who scored twice on his first league start for Manchester United in a 2-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday, was born in Brussels to Kosovar-Albanian parents and was on the books of Anderlecht before his move to the English champions.

Wilmots said United had told the Belgian FA that Januzaj had not chosen any national side and would not be joining up with the Belgium squad.

"But I think that I have given a clear signal to Januzaj. It's now up to him," Wilmots said. "I wanted to integrate him into the group, without forcing him. I respect his choice and plan to talk to him and his entourage."

Wilmots also said striker Christian Benteke would definitely not be fit for the Croatia clash, but might return for the home game against Wales.

Benteke picked up a hip injury in Aston Villa's 1-0 victory at Norwich on Sept. 21. Villa initially said he would be out for at least four weeks.

Belgium top Group A with a five-point advantage over second-placed Croatia and a draw in Zagreb would mean they reach their first finals in 12 years.

Even if they lose to Croatia, Belgium would still ensure their ticket to Brazil in 2014 with victory in their last match against Wales.

England defender Cole to miss Montenegro qualifier

 England left back Ashley Cole will miss Friday's World Cup qualifier against Montenegro with a rib injury and will be replaced in the squad by Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs, the FA said on Monday.

Chelsea defender Cole, who was substituted in his side's 3-1 win at Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday, had a scan on the problem which his club manager Jose Mourinho said had been troubling him for some time.

The 32-year-old, who has won 105 international caps, will remain with his club for treatment, the FA said in a statement on its website (www.thefa.com).

England need to beat Montenegro at Wembley and Poland four days later to guarantee World Cup qualification.

Cole started England's last two World Cup Group H qualifiers, a 0-0 draw with Ukraine on Sept. 10 and a 4-0 win over Moldova four days earlier.

Coach Dunga sacked by Brazil's Internacional

Former Brazil coach Dunga has been sacked by Internacional after a fourth successive defeat in the Brazilian Championship, the club from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul said on Friday.

"Internacional have made changes in the professional team's technical staff (including) coach Dunga," they said in a statement on their website (www.internacional.com.ar).

"The Reds thank him for his services and congratulate him on winning the Gaucho championship," they added, referring to the state championship played in the first third of the season.

The club's Under-20s team coach Clemer was put in charge as caretaker for Sunday's match against Fluminense.

Dunga, whose team won 26 and lost nine of their 53 matches, was sacked when they were still in Rio de Janeiro where they lost 3-1 to lowly Vasco da Gama on Thursday.

Inter have slipped down the standings to 10th place with 34 points from 25 matches, 22 points behind runaway leaders Cruzeiro. Vasco's win lifted them one point above the relegation zone.

Dunga, who lost the Brazil job after his team were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, took charge at Inter at the beginning of the year.

It was the 49-year-old's first job as a club coach with the team where he started and ended his playing career as a midfielder.

Abel Braga, who steered Inter to the Libertadores Cup and Club World Cup titles in 2006, is being touted as favourite to take over. 

Inter Milan – AS Roma 05.10.2013

Inter Milan – AS Roma – Three big derbies will be played in the seventh round of Italian Serie A, and the first of them will take place on Saturday night when will meet currently fourth Inter and leading Roma, who has four points more. Additionally, the Romans were much more successful in their matches last season, considering that they won both times in the Cup and once in Serie A, while their championship match played at Olympico stadium is the only one that ended in a draw. Begins: 05.10.2013 – 20:45 CET

Inter Milan

Of course, this fact is now an additional motive for Inter player to finally win the Romans, especially as Roma is at the moment on the leading position in Serie A, with maximal result in six rounds. Inter is undefeated this season too in the league but has two draws, which is the reason why they have four points less than Roma, so even if they win on Saturday they would anyway stay behind the popular Wolves on the table. The return of the Black and Blues to the top of Italian football can be definitely linked to arrival of new coach Mazzari, who brought a new dimension to their game, significantly rejuvenating the team. So Inter in the last six rounds won Genoa and Fiorentina at home, and Catania and Sassuolo away, achieving an incredible goal difference of 14-1, while in the remaining two matches it played 1-1 with Juventus at home and with Cagliari away. That’s why Mazzari ahead of this match with Roma has no need to change anything in the first team. In this match will not play from before injured defenders Zanetti and Chivu and second goalkeeper Carrizo.

Probable lineups Inter: Handanovic – Campagnaro, Ranocchia, Juan – Jonathan, Guarin, Cambiasso, Taider, Nagatomo – Alvarez, Palacio

AS Roma

The Romans currently play their best football in recent years so it is not surprising that after six rounds are the only team in the league with the maximum result. In fact, they won so far Verona, Lazio and Bologna at home and Livorno, Parma and Sampdoria away, and what is particularly impressive is the goal difference of 17 scored and just one received goal. It only tells us that new coach Garcia really does a great job, just like all the reinforcements that came to the club last summer, and those are goalkeeper De Sanctis, defenders Maicon and Benati, midfielder Strootman and strikers Gervinho and Ljajic. Admittedly, the last one enters mainly as a substitute, given that young Florenzi who also play at this position plays greatly, while captain Totti is still the first violin of the team and who have recently extended the contract with Roma for two more years. Here we must mention standardly good parties of midfielders De Rossi and Pjanic, so coach Garcia has no much doubts about the selection of players for the first team. However, standard defender Maicon will miss this match and Torosidis will cover his position, while outside of the team are from before injured midfielder Bradley and striker Destro.

Probable lineups AS Roma: De Sanctis – Torosidis, Benatia, Leandro Castan, Torosidis – Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman – Gervinho, Totti, Florenzi

Inter Milan – AS Roma Pick

Both teams played greatly at the start of the Serie A, especially in the attack so it is quite logical to expect that their match be an extremely attractive and with a lot of goals.
link match live

Ozil lifts Arsenal, Barca edge Celtic in Champions League

Mesut Ozil orchestrated another fine Arsenal display with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over Napoli while a late Cesc Fabregas header secured Barcelona a 1-0 win at Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Borussia Dortmund's Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored twice in s 3-0 demolition of Olympique Marseille as did Chelsea's Brazilian Ramires to get their campaign up and running in a 4-0 win at Steaua Bucharest after a shock opening home defeat by Basel.

Atletico Madrid maintained their superb start to the season with their Turkey midfielder Arda Turan netting an 86th minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Porto.

There was also late drama in Amsterdam with Stefano Denswil heading Ajax ahead in the last minute, only for Mario Balotelli to level with a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time in a 1-1 draw.

Ozil has quickly impressed for Arsenal since his big-money move from Real Madrid and he opened his account for the London club with a sweet strike against Napoli after eight minutes. He then set up Oliver Giroud for a second soon after in a dominant Arsenal display that gave them a maximum six points in Group F.

Barca, who lost to Celtic at Parkhead in the group stage last season and on Tuesday were without injured World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, had to work hard for victory in Glasgow.

The task was made easier when Celtic captain Scott Brown was sent off just before the hour for hauling down Neymar and then appearing to catch the striker with his boot. Fabregas's header after 76 minutes made it two wins from two for Barca in Group H.

A stunning Julian Draxler strike just after the break gave Schalke 04 a 1-0 win at Basel while earlier Zenit St Petersburg were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Austria Vienna

Wenger praises Ozil's "amazing" first half performance

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described Mesut Ozil's first-half performance as "absolutely amazing" after the German scored his first goal for the club and inspired them to a commanding 2-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Ozil, who joined Arsenal for a club-record transfer fee of 42.5 million pounds ($68.86 million) from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day a month ago, opened the scoring after eight minutes and provided the final touch for Oliver Giroud to score the second seven minutes later.

He was also the creative heart of most of Arsenal's sublime play and his touch, vision and movement were virtually faultless.

Wenger, whose team have now won 10 successive matches including a penalty shootout victory over West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup last week, was delighted after his side brushed aside Napoli in the group match, saying the first-half performance was "the best we have played here for a long time".

He reserved special praise for Ozil on a night when Arsenal rekindled the class and confidence of their glory days under Wenger nearly a decade ago.

"He had an outstanding first half, he was absolutely amazing," Wenger said of the German international.

"He was fantastic and it was good he scored his first goal. When it goes on too long before you score, it's always on your mind, so he got rid of that.

"He had everything fans want to see from a great player: individual skill, team play, finishing, final ball," he told reporters.

"I loved him when he played for Real Madrid too, I must say; I thought he was great for Madrid and we are just lucky to have got him.

"He enjoys playing football, he enjoys playing with his partners. He has integrated very quickly with the team and it helps that he has come when we are doing well, it makes it easier. Of course he has given everyone at the club a lift and belief, and belief is a part of the success of football."

NEVER TROUBLED

Arsenal were never seriously troubled by a Napoli side missing the injured Gonzalo Higuain with the Argentine international striker out with a calf strain.

His absence from the match against the club that chased him in the off-season was not the only thing that went in Arsenal's favour, according to Wenger.

"It was a very enjoyable game tonight. We had great pace, belief and authority in our game, great finishing, great movement.

"The second half was a bit more cautious, and we tried not to make any mistakes rather than score, but in patches when we went forward you could see the third goal was there if we really pushed for it.

"We are in a good position at the top of the group but the two games against Borussia Dortmund will be very hard and could decide things."

Napoli coach Rafa Benitez, back in London after coaching in the city at Chelsea last season, admitted his side never recovered from conceding the two early goals.

"The first mistake we made led to their first goal and the second mistake led to their second goal so I didn't like the way we started. We needed to have more pace and more intensity, but at least we did improve in the second half."

Asked if Napoli were now in a battle for second place in Group F, he replied: "No, we have four games to play. It is not over yet."

Last-gasp Balotelli penalty rescues point for Milan

Mario Balotelli converted an injury-time penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw for AC Milan minutes after hosts Ajax Amsterdam looked to have snatched an unlikely win in their Champions League Group H tie on Tuesday.

It was a frenetic finish to a match of few chances as both sides battled stoically in midfield before defensive lapses led to two late goals.

Balotelli coolly converted with virtually the last kick of the match, following a controversial decision by Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson to penalise Mike van der Hoorn.

The substitute defender looked more the victim than the aggressor as he tangled with Balotelli in the area.

The penalty, four minutes into stoppage time, came after Ajax had taken the lead through central defender Stefano Denswil in the 90th minute.

He rose unchallenged to head home a Lasse Schone corner, one of just eight efforts on goal in a cagey encounter at the Amsterdam Arena.

Milan go second in Group H on four points, two behind leaders Barcelona who maintained their perfect start with a 1-0 win at Celtic.

Ajax are third having picked up their first point of the campaign after losing 4-0 to Barcelona on the opening matchday.

Milan did not have a single effort on goal in the first half as they sat back behind the ball and comfortably dealt with Ajax's efforts to break through their lines.

The Italians seemed content with a point despite the relative inexperience of their hosts.

Home goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was called into action for the first time to keep out Riccardo Montolivo's effort from a Kevin Constant cross in the 49th minute, which marked a change of attitude for the visitors.

Balotelli had been largely anonymous in the first half but sprung to life after the break and came close with a looping shot just after the hour mark that forced another brilliant save from Cillessen, who managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar.

Ajax, who tired noticeably in the second half after some furious pressing, had an initial piece of good fortune minutes later when Denswil handled in the area but it was not spotted by any of the officials.

Cillessen made another good stop five minutes from the end as Balotelli was allowed time to turn and shoot in the penalty area as the game suddenly burst into life.

Ajax had only their second effort of the half in the 89th minute, forcing Milan keeper Christian Abbiati to concede a corner from which Denswil scored to set up a dramatic finale.

Witsel sent off as Zenit held at home by Austria Vienna

Zenit St Petersburg, who had Belgian Axel Witsel sent off in the first half, and Austria Vienna did little to further their hopes of progressing from Champions League Group G after sharing a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.

Both teams have one point from two games and trail Atletico Madrid and Porto, who meet later in the day, by two points.

Brazil forward Hulk went close to scoring when his shot hit the post in the 12th minute but Zenit lost momentum when midfielder Witsel was sent off for a reckless tackle in the 44th.

The Russians brought on former Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin for Alexander Kerzhakov in the second half but it made little difference.

Vienna rarely looked like making the most of their numerical advantage although Marin Leovac had a goal disallowed in the 52nd minute after Daniel Royer collided with goalkeeper Yuri Lodygin.