Source: PA
Wenger delighted by Fabianski display
Arsene Wenger hailed "faultless" stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski after he helped Arsenal beat 10-man Partizan Belgrade 3-1 in Serbia to maintain a 100% start in Champions League Group H.
After surviving a power failure which forced the team to change in the dark and an intense atmosphere during the opening exchanges, the Gunners went ahead on 15 minutes through Andrey Arshavin.
However, after wasting several more chances, the visitors were made to pay when Brazil-born striker Cleo levelled from the penalty spot after a handball by Denilson. Partizan then had Marko Jovanovic sent off for hauling down Marouane Chamakh on 55 minutes, but Arshavin missed his penalty. However, Moroccan striker Chamakh and Sebastien Squillaci gave Arsenal a two-goal cushion heading into the closing minutes.
It could, though, have been a tense finish but for the intervention of Fabianski - deputising for the injured Manuel Almunia - as the Poland international first saved a penalty from Cleo and then capped a confident display with another acrobatic stop from Ivica Iliev in stoppage time.
Wenger has long championed Fabianski's cause, despite a number of blunders, and felt the display proved his faith justified.
"Fabianski had a good game, we have seen the player who we see in training. He had a faultless game," said the Arsenal boss. "I know it is in him. He got it out in the game and hopefully that will give him the belief and confidence he needs."
