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Today's paper. Last Updated: 05/30/2012

Arsenal, Chelsea Enjoy Cup Wins

LONDON -- Defending champion Arsenal and Chelsea both advanced to lift some of the gloom for English teams in European play, while clubs from Italy and Spain completed a near perfect week for their countries with victories Thursday in the Cup Winners Cup.


Ian Wright, celebrating his 31st birthday, scored in his club-record 11th consecutive game as Arsenal gained a place in the quarterfinals after struggling to a 2-2 draw with Danish club Brondby.


Arsenal advanced on a 4-3 aggregate, but only after Brondby was denied an appeal for a penalty in injury time after a strong second-half performance.


Wright, playing his first game in 11 days after suffering a groin injury, converted a penalty in the 25th minute for his 16th goal of the season. Ian Selley also netted for Arsenal.


Chelsea advanced on the away goals rule after Scottish striker John Spencer capped one of the most spectacular solo runs of the year with the deciding goal in a 1-1 draw at Austria Vienna. The teams played to a scoreless tie in the first leg in London two weeks ago.


With two defenders trailing in his wake, Spencer ran 80 meters with the ball after a Vienna shot off a corner kick was blocked by a wall of Chelsea players, then drew goalkeeper Franz Wohlfahrt away from the net to slot home the crucial away goal in the 40th minute.


The triumphs for Chelsea and Arsenal were the first bright moments in a dour week for English clubs. Newcastle and Aston Villa were knocked out of the UEFA Cup on Tuesday, and Manchester United was blown away 4-0 by Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.


In contrast, Spain's teams were 5-for-5 this week, capped by Spanish league leader Zaragoza's 2-1 victory Thursday over Czech team Tatran Presov. Argentine Juan Eduardo Esnaider and Oscar Luis Celada scored for Zaragoza, which advanced on a 6-1 aggregate at Valencia.


Sampdoria kept Italy's flag flying, despite losing 3-2 at Grasshoppers Zurich. The Genoa-based team had won the first leg handily and advanced on a 5-3 aggregate.


In other second round Cup Winners Cup games, three goals from Swedish forward Henryk Larsson helped Feyenoord Rotterdam to a 4-3 victory at Werder Bremen of Germany. The Dutch team advanced on a 5-3 aggregate.


Before the match, police detained about 500 drunken Dutch fans who vandalized a train and clashed with police after arriving in Bremen.


They were sent home after the match. There were no major incidents at the stadium.




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