Arsenal's 10 Greatest Moments In the Champions League

rn rn rn Arsenal have made their share of impacts and memories on the Champions League. Here are their top ten moments within the competition. rn rnrn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rnArsenal's history in the Champions League is long and illustrious, with a bevy of iconic moments sprinkled throughout. They have been a regular fixture in the competition, with the team qualifying for the group stages for 16 consecutive seasons under manager Arsene Wenger. The club also boasts the impressive record of having qualified for the knockout stages of the competition for 15 consecutive seasons, and have the potential to make it 16 consecutive seasons this year.rnrn Related: Arsene Wenger's 10 Best Signings Ever rnrnMany players have featured in the competition over the years for Arsenal, from the likes of Dennis Bergkamp to the club's greatest player of all time in Thierry Henry. The Frenchman holds the distinct title of being Arsenal's leading goalscorer in the Champions League, racking up an impressive 42 goals for the club during his tenure. He also holds the club's record for most appearances in the competition, after having featured 89 times for Arsenal in Europe.rnrnThere are so many special instances to look back on and of course, many more to come. There have been emphatic, history making victories, game changing red cards, and top drawer goals that will have left you in utter awe and amazement. From the Gunners becoming the first team from London to feature in a Champions League Final in 2006, to Aaron Ramsey's goal of the year against Galatasaray in 2014, here are ten of Arsenal's most poignant moments in Champions League history.rnrnWe'll start the countdown at number ten and work our way down.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 10" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]10. Arsenal's 2-0 Win Over Borussia Dortmund[/h]rnrnArsenal put together one of the greatest displays of attacking football in recent memory in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund last year.[recentposts align="right" thiscategory="no"]rnrnEverything about their performance was on point, from the fluidity of their passing to their sharpness in front of goal. Arsenal managed to get off to a quick start with Yaya Sanogo scoring his first professional goal for the club in the second minute of the game to put the Gunners ahead.rnrnThe strike calmed a lot of nerves, as Arsenal would qualify for the round of 16 with a win on the night. Alexis Sanchez made it two-nil to the Arsenal in the second half, as the threat of a Dortmund comeback quickly began to fade. Alexis' goal sent the home fans into a delirium, as it secured yet another season of Arsenal being in the knockout stage of the competition.rnrnThe win is an important moment in Arsenal's Champions League history given that they managed to beat the previous year's finalists so resoundingly. It was a result that all Arsenal fans look back on fondly, and one where they can be proud of the way the team fought tooth and nail for the win.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 9" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]9. Arsenal's 5-1 Win Over Inter Milan[/h]rnrnIt was Inter Milan's biggest defeat ever across all competitions at the San Siro, and it was inflicted by Arsenal.[related-category]rnrnThe Gunners hit the Nerazzurri for five in their second encounter in the group stage of the 2002-2003 Champions League season. Thierry Henry was undoubtedly the star of the game, with the Frenchman scoring a one-touch strike on a pass back from Ashley Cole.rnrnFreddie Ljunberg added a second on a pass from Henry, before Henry himself scored the game winner to secure the win for the Gunners. It was a great response considering the damage Inter inflicted on Arsenal just two months earlier, when they recorded a resounding 3-0 victory over them at Highbury in the first installment of the campaign.rnrnTo top of the win, the Arsenal away fans serenaded the team with an altered version of "One-nil to the Arsenal" by singing "five-one in the San Siro" at full time.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 8" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]8. Cesc Fabregas' Yellow Card vs Barcelona[/h]rnrnFor Cesc Fabregas, his 2010 reunion with Barcelona during the first leg of their round of 16 clash at the Emirates was probably a mixed bag of emotions.rnrnOn one hand Fabregas managed to take advantage of a penalty awarded to Arsenal, by slotting home past Victor Valdes. His converted spot kick was crucial in equalizing the game, and sending them into the second leg with a draw rather than a loss.[fsdaily]rnrnBut perhaps the most interesting moment of the game came when the referee penalized Fabregas with a yellow card for a foul, which meant that the Arsenal skipper would miss the return leg at the Nou Camp having accumulated four yellows over the course of the competition.rnrnYou could see what it meant to Fabregas, who immediately sank to the ground with his hands covering his mouth in shock. The opportunity to play in the stadium he grew up in against the team he was first educated by went up in flames with the brandishing of that yellow card.rnrnIt was a poignant moment in the game and a poignant moment in Arsenal's Champions League history, as we never got to see Fabregas take on Barcelona at the Nou Camp after that. It would have been something to behold, given the history between the two.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 7" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]7. Arsenal's 2-0 Win Over Bayern Munich[/h]rnrnArsenal had beaten Bayern Munich prior to their victory over them in October of this year, but their most recent win was a more special one in their Champions League history.rnrnNo one (including myself) really expected Arsenal to win considering the fact that they recorded two straight losses in the competition, prior to their first encounter against the Bavarians. I guess the logic that Arsenal could in no way beat Bayern if they couldn't get past Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos just made sense at the time. During the game, all that logic was thrown out the window.rnrnIn what was a virtuoso performance, Arsenal scored two goals through Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil to seal an emphatic win over a team that is expected to go all the way. It is also worth mentioning that Arsenal managed to get the shutout over a team that scores an abundance of goals. The atmosphere created by the home fans topped off one of Arsenal's best nights playing in the Champions League.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 6" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]6. Aaron Ramsey's Stunning Volley vs Galatasaray[/h]rnrnSome say it still needs explaining, and I can concur with that.rnrnIt is truly a mystery as to how Aaron Ramsey scored that goal against Galatasaray in the group stage of Arsenal's 2013-2014 Champions League campaign. A headed clearance from one of Galatasaray's defenders saw the ball bounce back to Ramsey, who hit the ball on the half volley from some 30-yards out. Have another look:rnrn rnrnAs a viewer you had realized the absurdity of the goal just by looking at the faces of his teammates, who had looks of admiration and disbelief on their faces due to what they had just seen.rnrnRamsey's wonder strike propelled Arsenal to a 4-1 victory over the Turkish side, and thus helping them qualify for a 16th straight round of 16 berth. The strike was also named goal of the year. It definitely deserves a place on this list.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 5" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]5. Robin Van Persie's Red Card vs Barcelona[/h]rnrnIt was the defining moment of the match, the one that changed the course of the game in the worst possible way that one could expect.[recentposts align="right" thiscategory="no"]rnrnAlready on a yellow for a previous offense, Robin Van Persie was given his marching orders by Swiss referee Massimo Busacca for shooting at the net after the whistle was blown. Van Persie claimed he couldn't hear the whistle due to the loud noise made by the 90,000+ fans in the Camp Nou.rnrnUp until that point, the game was tied and Arsenal still had a chance to win the game, but playing with 10 men against the most talented team in the world proved too much to cope with. Barcelona scored two more goals through Xavi and Pedro to seal the win and knock out Arsenal from the competition.rnrnAt the end of the match, Arsene Wenger called the sending off "a joke" and that the referee "killed the game". Indeed, Mr. Wenger. Indeed.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 4" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]4. Arsenal Make History At The San Siro[/h]rnrnJust as they did against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, Arsenal made history yet again, but this time, it was against AC Milan at the San Siro in 2007.rnrnNo English team had ever beaten the Serie A giants at their ground in the Champions League, so Arsenal decided to bring that to an end. Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas scored for the Gunners to claim a 2-0 victory and send the title holders crashing out of the competition in the round of 16.rnrnIt was a sound defensive performance from a notoriously shaky defense, and an impressive one given the fact that Arsenal managed to nullify the offensive threat posed by the likes of Kaka and Alexandre Pato. It was one of the greatest displays of football that Arsenal has ever played away from home in the Champions League.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 3" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]3. Arshavin's Rocket Against Barcelona[/h]rnrnIt was a highly anticipated game, but not a highly anticipated result. Arsenal were going up against the best team in the world at the time in Barcelona, in the first leg of their round of 16 clash. Here's another look at it:rnrn rnrnThe score was 1-1 when "it" happened. Arsenal managed to catch Barcelona on a the counter attack, which started off with a sweet layoff from Cesc Fabregas to Samir Nasri who was waiting on the right wing. Nasri cut inside and passed it to the onrushing Arshavin, who rocketed his shot into the top right corner of Victor Valdes' net.rnrnI can still remember Martin Tyler losing his mind over Arshavin's game winning goal. He even called it a "Barcelona goal, from Arsenal". A truly iconic moment in Champions League history that will not soon be forgotten, even if the man who scored it has long since left the club.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 2" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]2. Arsenal's 2-0 Win Over Real At The Bernabeu[/h]rnrnOn a cold, February night at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2006, Arsenal accomplished an impressive feat that no other English team had been successful in trying to do.[recentposts align="right" thiscategory="no"]rnrnArsenal beat Real Madrid by one goal to nil to send 80,000 fans into a stunned silence. The lone goal came from none other than Thierry Henry, who left the uber-talented likes of Ronaldo and Guti in his dust with his masterful solo effort.rnrnThat storied win gave Arsenal a crucial advantage in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Of course, we all know what happened as a result. It propelled Arsenal to a home victory in the second leg and eventually led to their first ever Champions League Final appearance later that year.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Number 1" slider="true"]rnrn rn rn rn View image | gettyimages.com rn rn[h size="34px"]1. Arsenal's Trip To The 2006 Champions League Final[/h]rnrnIt is undoubtedly Arsenal finest achievement in the Champions League ever.rnrnAfter defeating Villarreal by the slimmest of margins in the semifinal, Arsenal went through to face arguably the best and most talented team at the time - Barcelona. It was uncharted territory for the the club, but they certainly did not play like a team that didn't have the experience.[recentposts align="right" thiscategory="no"]rnrnThe match featured some of the most iconic players to ever don the red and white, from Freddie Ljungberg playing on the wing to Thierry Henry being deployed as the lone striker up top. The game was not without its drama, as Arsenal saw goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off early in the first half for a foul on Samuel Eto'o just outside the box.rnrnThat was a game changer, given that Arsenal had to play the better part of 80 minutes with ten men, and backup keeper Manuel Almunia in net. Despite the deficit, Arsenal were the ones to hit first, after Sol Campbell hit a powerful header past Victor Valdes in the 37th minute. However the man disadvantage became too much for Arsenal as Eto'o and Juliano Belletti scored just four minutes apart to seal the win for the Catalans.rnrnEven though it ended in defeat, it was still a moment in Arsenal's history that fans will look back on fondly, and will hope Arsenal can get back to again in the near future.rnrn rn rn rn

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