April 27, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1427

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VILLARREAL (Spain), April 26: Jens Lehmann saved a last-ditch penalty from Argentinian playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme as Arsenal rode their luck all the way to the final of the Champions League final on Tuesday.

A second leg of almost unbearable tension appeared destined for extra-time when Villarreal substitute Jose Mari was fouled by Gael Clichy in the Gunners box with less than two minutes left.

But the Spaniards' star player struck his spot-kick at an eminently savable height and the German goalkeeper was able to dive to his left and push it away, securing a 0-0 draw that sent Arsenal into the final, 1-0 on aggregate.

History will record that a tenth consecutive clean sheet allowed Arsenal to reach their place in the first European Cup final in the club's history, against AC Milan or Barcelona in Paris on May 17.

But it was a cruel, cruel night for Villarreal, who dominated their visitors for the entire 90 minutes and, for the extraordinary profligacy of Guillermo Franco and Diego Forlan in front of goal, would have been sure of extra-time, at least, long before Riquelme's miss.

After spending virtually the whole first half camped in Arsenal territory, Villarreal's sustained pressure began to take on a really menacing edge in the final minutes of the half, when Javi Venta began to push forward down the right.

Clichy, who was forced into action when Mathieu Flamini hobbled off in the eighth minute, struggled to cope with the wingback's aggressive runs and Juan Pablo Sorin was only inches away from connecting with his first dangerous cross, thumped low and hard across the Arsenal goalmouth.

Lehmann was fortunate that a second, which bounced akwardly in front of him and rebounded off his upper arm, did not fall to a Villarreal player.

But Arsenal's biggest let-off came three minutes after the restart. Venta's delivery from deep was tailored to perfection for Guillermo Franco but the striker directed a free header from the six-yard line wide of Lehmann's left-hand post.

The Villarreal forward was off target again six minutes later, albeit from a much harder headed chance from yet another Venta delivery.

A full hour had elapsed before Arsenal managed an attempt on goal, although Gilberto Silva's header from Thierry Henry's corner trundled tamely towards Mariano Barbosa in the Villarreal goal.

The respite was brief however and Arsenal enjoyed another huge escape in the 65th minute when Franco's battling resulted in the ball falling to an unmarked Diego Forlan just inside the area.

With only Lehmann to beat, the Uruguayan sidefooted his shot a yard wide of the target.

By the fourth minute of the match, Lehmann had broken Edwin van der Sar's record of 658 consecutive minutes of Champions League action without letting in a goal.

It was not until stoppage time at the end of the first half however that the German number one had a serious stop to make, diving low to his right to hold a fiercely struck free-kick from Riquelme in stoppage time at the end of the half.

Up until then, the Argentinian had enjoyed plenty of time on the ball without ever really making it count from the deep positions that Arsenal were happy to see him retreat to.

Villarreal's strikers fared little better.

Franco blasted two good early shooting opportunities high and wide and Forlan might have made more of Sorin's deftly clipped pass over the Arsenal back four in the sixth minute, the pace of Kolo Toure averting the danger.

Riquelme offered a hint of what he can do in the 18th minute, when his angled pass found Marcos Senna on the edge of the six-yard box, but the midfielder's lay-off was met by an insipid shot from Sorin straight at Lehmann.

Little did the home supporters know then just how unhappily the evening was to end for their hero.—AFP