Gunners battle to Sparta win

Hleb: Eye to eye with Repka

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Arsenal closed in on a place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 2-0 victory away to Sparta Prague in the first leg of their qualifier.

The Gunners were frustrated by the home side's physical approach in the first half and it was Sparta who came closest to breaking the deadlock when Jan Rezek struck the post.

But Arsenal raised their game after the break and were rewarded when Cesc Fabregas coolly tucked away his shot in the 72nd minute after being released through the centre by Gael Clichy.

Sparta poured forward in the closing stages but were hit on the counter-attack as Alexander Hleb raced onto Bakari Sagna's pass to score with the last kick of the match and put Arsenal into a position of dominance.

Sparta had started brightly, with Jiri Kladrubsky sending over a dangerous cross from the left into the Arsenal area, and on nine minutes, the home side almost snatched the lead.

Pavel Horvath looped the ball over towards the far post, Rezek arrived late and sent a low shot back across goal. Lehmann threw out a foot and managed to deflect the ball onto the post and it bounced clear.

At the other end, Fabregas tried his luck from 20 yards and goalkeeper Tomas Postulka made a decent reaction save.

A foul on full-back Sagna gave the visitors a free-kick 22 yards out to the right. Robin van Persie struck his effort well enough, but it was straight at the Sparta keeper.

Lubos Husek weaved his way into the right side of the Arsenal area, but could not produce a finish and smashed the ball wide.

Lehmann was then out bravely to block at the feet of Rezek at the edge of his penalty area, with Clichy making the clearance from the loose ball.

Arsenal got forwards more towards the end of the first half, but again looked vulnerable on the counter attack as Sparta's beanpole striker Dosek flashed a header wide in the closing moments.

The home side again looked sharp following the restart, as Arsenal were forced to defend deep within their own half.

On 52 minutes, there was a moment of alarm when Lehmann almost lost control of a back-pass, before quickly regaining composure.

Van Persie then struck a low shot across goal which Postulka parried following good work by former Sparta midfielder Tomas Rosicky down the left.

Seemingly out of nothing, Arsenal snatched a crucial away goal on 72 minutes.

Clichy picked up the ball 25 yards out, skipped past two defenders before slipping a square pass to Fabregas - who made no mistake from just inside the box.

Arsenal then had to soak up plenty of pressure as the hosts looked to get back on level terms, Lehmann touching an angled drive from Marek Kulic behind.

The veteran German then produced another good save to keep out a header from Dosek.

Arsenal held out, though, and gave themselves a two-goal cushion when Hleb scored seconds from the end following an impressive run by Sagna down the left after Lehmann's quick throw.