Emmanuel Adebayor scored a brilliant second-half equalizer to help Arsenal draw 1-1 with Villareal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg. In the game played at El Madrigal, Adebayor hit the net in the 66th minute to cancel out Marcos Senna's early goal for the hosts,. Villareal had a great start and the Spaniards posed their first threat as early as the fourth minute, when Joseba Llorente's shot was cleared off the line by Gael Clichy. Manuel Pellegrini's men took their early lead when Senna fired a long-range effort that went well past Manuel Almunia. Arsenal reorganized themselves and tried to push for an equalizer, and on 17 minutes Samir Nasri's effort from Cesc Fabregas' pass was turned away by Diego Lopez. The resulting corner saw Lopez once again produce a brilliant save to keep William Gallas' header out. In the 28th minute, Arsenal were unlucky to lose Almunia to injury. Lukas Fabianski took his place. The Polish keeper was called into action two minutes later, as he did well to save another Senna staggering shot.
Senna and co Things were not going fine for Arsenal as Gallas picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Johan Djourou right before the interval. The Gunners looked like a different side in the second half, and in the 63rd minute, Adebayor headed just wide after a lovely chip from Fabregas. The Togolese made up for his saved effort moments later after meeting Fabregas' deft cross with a bycicle kick past Lopez. Arsenal kept piling the pressure and both Nasri and Walcott saw their shots whistle off the Villareal bar and post. The result could have gone either way in the game's final minutes, but neither side could score a deadly winner for the game to end in a 1-1 draw. Watch Senna's strike Watch Adebayor's leveller
