Wenger's battlers never tire of winning

Last season Arsenal began their European adventure with a 3-0 home defeat by Inter Milan. That set the tone for their opening games and meant Arsenal had to win their final three matches to be sure of going through to the knockout stage.

"I think the trauma of that opening defeat last season was still with us last night," said the Arsenal coach. "That defeat put us in a difficult position so we knew how important it was to beat PSV this time."

The fact that a game of indifferent quality was decided by an own-goal was somehow appropriate.

Arsenal had more and better chances but, in the end, were thankful that the muscular Brazilian defender Alex got his boot to a crisp low cross from Thierry Henry and deflected it into his own net four minutes before the interval.

Until that moment, Arsenal's two best chances had fallen to Henry - the first a swerving free-kick that Edwin Zoetebier punched into the air, and the second a vicious 25-yard drive that the PSV goalkeeper saved at full stretch.

In the second half Guus Hiddink, the wily PSV manager who steered South Korea to the World Cup semifinals, switched the emphasis from a containing game to an attacking one.

Gilberto Silva was by far Arsenal's most effective player as they tried to come to terms with the Dutch offensive. The Brazilian cruises around midfield picking up the bits and pieces and this he did diligently, frequently disrupting the flow of PSV's game.

He also got his head to a Dennis Bergkamp free-kick, steering the ball to the back post where Patrick Vieira just failed to supply the finishing touch. That was Arsenal's only worthwhile chance of the second half.

Wenger believes that the dip in form after the interval can be traced to the international call-ups last week. Some of his players, such as England's Ashley Cole and France's Henry, Vieira and Robert Pires, played their fourth game in 11 days last night.

He avoided the temptation to replace them - Edu for Jose Antonio Reyes was his only substitution - because he knew he needed the experienced men to hold the ball and take the sting out of the PSV revival.

As it was, the visitors got just one good chance in the 77th minute when substitute striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, mysteriously unmarked in the penalty area, hit a shot from close range that Pascal Cygan managed to divert away for a corner.

"I think we controlled the game in the second half and the fact that Arsenal were frustrated and nervous says something about the way we played," said Hiddink. "We were well organised defensively and there are not many teams that could frustrate Arsenal to the extent that we did.

"That's why it was so disappointing to concede just before half time."

This was no classic performance by Arsenal but, as Porto demonstrated last season, you don't need classic performances every match to win the Champions League.