Backup goalkeeper Andres Palop defied Arsenal with four top quality saves as Spanish titlist Valencia gained a 0-0 tie at Highbury in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The tie means that Arsenal has four points from two games -- the same as Ajax Amsterdam -- and Valencia two from two. Ajax edged AS Roma 2-1 in the other Group B game.
Understudy to one of soccer's best goalkeepers, the injured Santiago Canizares, Palop kept out Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp in a meeting of the English and Spanish champions.
PHOTO: AP
When he was finally beaten with a minute to go, defender Carlos Marchena cleared off the line from Sylvain Wiltord.
Valencia played for the last 19 minutes with 10 men after midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo was shown the red card by Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen for elbowing Arsenal defender Pascal Cygan off the ball.
``It was a complicated match but I'm very satisfied with the point when you consider the adversity we've faced,'' said Valencia coach Rafael Benitez.
Wenger defended his decision to field Patrick Vieira even though the influentual French midfielder had been doubtful with a leg injury.
``Patrick was insistent on playing and felt good,'' he said. ``Medically, he got the green light and I decided to give him a test on the pitch. I took the gamble to take him off if he didn't feel good in the warm-up but he felt good so that's all you can want.
``It's strange that he injured his leg on the other side but in exactly the same place and in the same muscle. Maybe he was over-protecting his leg.''
Ljungberg said he was disappointed Arsenal wasted its chances.
``We gave a good fight. I`m disappointed we didn`t win but we will have to try and win in Valencia instead,'' the Swede said.
In Tuesday's other games, Inter Milan took another big step towards the quarterfinal of the Champions League with a 3-2 beating German side Bayer Leverkusen. Barcelona, the only team with a perfect record, was forced to stand still by the weather.
Barca's game against Newcastle was postponed until today because heavy rain made its Nou Camp surface unplayable. After nine wins in a row, including two in the qualifying round, Louis van Gaal's team has to wait 24 hours to try and tie AC Milan's record of 10.
Luigi Di Biagio scored twice in the first half as Inter outplayed last season's runner up for most of the game at San Siro. Although Boris Zivkovic replied for the Germans, Inter got a third after Argentine striker Hernan Crespo caused an own-goal for Inter 10 minutes from time. Francoaldo Franca netted a last minute second for Leverkusen.
The result means that Hector Cuper's team, having overwhelmed Newcastle 4-1 at St. James Park two weeks ago, has a maximum six points from two games as the teams go into the mid-winter break. They return Feb. 18.
In last night's games, nine-time winner Real Madrid hopes to bounce back from a 1-0 loss at five-time champion AC Milan with a home victory over newly crowned Russian titlist Lokomotiv Moscow.
The other Group C game, Borussia Dortmund, a 2-1 winner at Lokomotiv, was to host Milan, which had its confidence further boosted by going top of the Italian league by beating Roma on Sunday.
Italian champion Juventus was to host FC Basel and Manchester United, a 3-1 away winner over the Swiss two weeks ago, also is buoyed by a 2-0 victory over Arsenal.
ESPN at 1pm: Champions League: Manchester United vs. Deportivo La Coruna
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