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.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.