This season we’ve been asked to write a regular page in the official Arsenal programme based on a classic match featuring the opponents for each game we play in. Programme editor Andy Exley has kindly given us permission to reproduce the match reports on our blog. We will also be including additional material that didn’t make the final edit of the programme. If you can’t get to The Emirates, the programme is available on iPad and iPod for a bargain 69 pence per issue.

For the Champions League qualifier, we were somewhat restricted with our options. Not having played Besiktas in a competitive game before this season we had to choose from one of three friendlies, and we opted for the game in 2003.

Location – Bad Waltersdorf Stadium, Austria

Referee – Fritz Stuchlik

Arsenal 1

Bergkamp 48

Besiktas 0

Arsenal and Besiktas have played very few times – the first leg played last week was the first competitive game between the clubs, and only the 4th in both clubs’ long histories.

This game was played in Austrian sunshine as a friendly warm up between the reigning Turkish League champions and English FA Cup holders, and formed an integral part of the Invincibles’ pre-season.

Just after the start a Dennis Bergkamp cross was met by Freddie Ljungberg and his goal-bound effort was partially saved with a block by Columbian goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba. The rebounded ball was flicked on by Edu for Ljungberg to try again, only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Ahmet Yildirim.

The only real Besiktas effort in the first-half was from Daniel Pancu who shot just wide after a short corner, forcing debutant Jens Lehman to cover his post by diving swiftly to his left. Following this exertion, Lehmann did not have a decent save to make in the goalless first half. He was replaced by Stuart Taylor during the break and flew home to Germany before re-joining the Arsenal squad for the rest of the pre-season training programme in England.

A shake-up in personnel occurred at half-time as ten players were substituted – six by Arsenal and four by Besiktas, and this had the desired effect as the move for the only goal of the game was begun by one of the new players. In the 48th minute Arsenal triallist Gael Clichy fed Ljungberg who went on a long run into the area. Once he had bamboozled the defence he rolled the ball incisively to Bergkamp who was able to knock it into the net past Cordoba from close range.

The Black Eagles then gradually came into the game and began to show their quality with a number of slick combinations which manifested themselves as chances. The best of these were at the back post when Ahmet Hassan came close with a header and when Taylor was forced to save from a free-kick shot low by Pancu.

Jeremie Aliadiere failed to convert two chances in this period, the first being a header and the second a shot which went wide. Near the endSinan Kaloglu appeared to have scored, but the officials disallowed the effort for offside, concluding what was a satisfactory Austrian training week for the Gunners.

Line-ups:

Arsenal: J Lehman (sub S Taylor half time), Lauren (sub: M Volz 66 mins), K Toure, S Campbell (sub: P Cygan half time), A Cole (sub: G Clichy half time), G Silva (sub: R Parlour half time), Edu (sub: G Van Bronkhurst half time), F Ljungberg (sub: J Halls 62 min), J Pennant, D Bergkamp (sub: J Thomas 70 min), F Jeffers (sub: J Aliadiere half time)

Besiktas: O Cordoba, Emre (sub: A Zago half time), R Guiaro, A Yildirim, O Koc (sub: K Dobra half time), H Tayfur (sub: U Aydin), D Pancu, F Giunti (sub: A Hassan), I Uzulmez (sub: S Tpopraktepe 59 min), T Metin (sub: Y Sergen half time, sub of sub: S Ozkan 64 min), A Dursun (sub: S Kaloglu half time)

Arsenal photographer Stuart MacFarlane was at the game and took a snap of the two teams.



Stuart’s flickr page is well worth a look. You can view it here: Stuart’s Flicker site.

Post-match comments:

Pre-tour, the Gunners boss was adamant talks were progressing well as far as re-signing players was concerned. “Despite what people say our best players are not for sale, definitely.” To prove this point Bergkamp, who stated his desire to finish his career at Arsenal, had signed a one-year deal just a week earlier.

Jens Lehmann admitted: “It is a big task to replace David Seaman. I think it is nearly impossible…He is the best goalkeeper to have come from England for many years. So I don’t know if I can be as good as him, but I’ll try my best.”

Arsene Wenger on Lehman: “Jens did not have much to do, but his distribution was good and overall he put in a good performance”.

Arsene Wenger also said: “Dennis looks very sharp and Patrick has been training for three weeks and is in good condition. Thierry has been on honeymoon and I suppose you work hard when you’re on honeymoon!”

The Daily Mirror also gave its verdict on Arsenal’s “new breed” of youngsters. Spot on!

Facts about linked to the match or players:

This was Arsenal’s third game in a week in Austria, drawing with Ritzing 2-2 and beating Austria Vienna 2-0.

This was Jens Lehman’s first game for the club after being signed from Borussia Dortmund to replace David Seaman who had moved to Manchester City. Goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuzwent the opposite route and ended up at Borussia Dortmund from Arsenal.

The first half saw the inaugural central defensive pairing of Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell, which was to work so well in the forthcoming season.

Arsenal were trialling left-back Gael Clichy, then only 17 and were to sign him from AS Cannes.

The French contingent of Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord and Thierry Henry were all missing from this trip after an extended break following the Confederations Cup.

The two teams had met previously in two end of season friendlies in Turkey in May 1966. Besiktas won the first game 2-0 and the second finished 0-0 – which proved to be Billy Wright’s last game as Arsenal’s manager.

We couldn’t find any match reports for either of the 1966 games but we did find a video of the first game on Youtube.

The rest of the season:

Besiktas had won the Turkish League in their Centenary year, being formed in 1903, however in the 2003-04 season they were to relinquish their title, finishing third.

In 2003-04 they failed to qualify from their Champions League group and were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Valencia.

Arsenal on the other hand went the whole Premier League season unbeaten leading to the Invincibles tag.

Unfortunately the team lost their grip of the FA Cup to Manchester United in the semi-final, and they also reached the same stage in the League Cup where they succumbed to Middlesbrough. In the Champions League the Gunners reached the quarter-final but were to go out at the hands of Chelsea.

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The books…