Keeper Volkan disarms Gunners

ISTANBUL - After three dismal results, Fenerbahçe can finally claim not to be the pushover side of the Champions League’s Group G, after holding Arsenal to a goalless draw Wednesday night. �

Fenerbahçe looked far from just playing in the shadows of the team that made it to the quarterfinals last year, especially after it had been kicked out of the park in a 5-2 routing at home at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium two weeks ago.         �

However, Wednesday night’s encounter seemed like the game when Fenerbahçe bounced back. Although it looked inactive with the ball, hardly ever breaching the opposition’s half, the Istanbul side was sharp on defense.

Arsenal, without its main striking force of Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott, had many decent chances but were always denied by Volkan Demirel. The Turkish national goalkeeper was on top form and looked invincible when confronting attempts by Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Niklas Bendtner.

Coach Luis Aragones praised his players’ defensive performance.

“In the 5-2 game we found more goal chances than Arsenal, but could not score,” recalled Aragones. “But tonight, we played well defensively, but were not getting on offense fast.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger complained about Fener’s unwillingness to go on offense.�

"Fenerbahce were very defensive, they spent their time in their own half," Wenger told reporters. "They were well organized and defended well in the final third. Maybe they were a bit cautious because they conceded five against us in the first game. We created the chances in the first half, three or four clear-cut ones but we couldn't score. In the second half we dropped physically."

Arsenal was hoping to secure an early place in the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Gunners now have to take the last two games more seriously.

The Londoners remains top of the group, with two matches remaining, but Porto's victory in Kiev means things have suddenly got a lot tighter than they might have been.

The draw keeps Fenerbahçe’s slender chance of reaching the knockout round hanging by a thread. Aragones’ side will still need to take at least four points from the remaining two games, but the draw boosted Fener’s confidence, shattered in the first three games of the group.

“There are always possibilities in football, we never can say it is over,” said Aragoens. “We will try to turn the situation around.”

It was ironic that Fenerbahçe found a turn of form in London after it was here that it was knocked out of the tournament last year. Coached by Brazilian Zico last season, Fenerbahçe was eliminated by another London team, Chelsea, in the quarterfinals.

Fenerbahçe’s next game in the Champions League will be the home game against Porto two weeks from now.