By Myles Palmer

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ANOTHER NIGHT of late goals in the Champions League.

Dennis Bergkamp scoring the winner against FC Thun in 92 minutes, another Dutchman, Wesley Sneijder, blasted a 20- yard equaliser for Ajax in Prague, and Miccoli of Benfica headed a vital late winner against Lille.

So two Dutchmen scored priceless goals while a third, Ronald Koeman, got his first Champions League win as Benfica boss and they go top of Group D.

BERGKAMP can be the Plan B that Arsene says he does not want.

He can be a 20-minute centre forward.

Since 1995 he has been a Rolls Royce playmaker-goalscorer, but at 36 he can be, among other things, a 20-minute centre forward.

He is big, foxy, experienced and, occasionally, a master of argy-bargy.

Arsenal's winner came via Route 1 as Sol Campbell launched a 50 yard ball downfield in injury time.

Bergkamp had come on for Fabregas in 73

His deft touch killed the long ball neatly, but Hodzic was reaching the ball first when Bergkamp's foot caught his foot, causing him to collapse with both knees on the ground.

DB10 then nicked the ball back from under the Bosnian's legs and stood up and slotted his shot into the corner.

Like all strikers who have major careers, Bergkamp has had to suffer about 7,000 unpunished kicks, trips, nudges, elbows and shirt-pulls, but he is judicious in choosing the right moment for a foul that you might just get away with if you don't do it too often.

He did it against Lyon at Highbury in early 2001.

Against Lyon he was running towards the penalty area when Brazilian centreback Edmilson got on the wrong side of him, so that Edmilson was on the left, the ball was in the middle, and Dennis was nearer the goal than Edmilson was and I was there and wondering : Can Dennis get a shot in before the guy tackles him?

And at that exact moment Dennis nudged Edmilson off the ball and drilled home a shot and the goal was allowed for 1-0.

It takes great skill to do that and maintain your stride, your balance, well enough to score.

Edmilson, suitably aggrieved, equalised with a thunderous header in injury time for 1-1.

FOR ME, MATCHDAY 1 told us something new.

I'm not saying that that Bergkamp is a blunt instrument because he is 36. But I am saying that he can give Arsenal something different at the end of a game if they are struggling for a goal.

He's big, he's strong, he's foxy, he's very experienced, and this is his last hurrah, his last season, a swansong season where every kick counts for him.

Dennis Bergkamp looks up for any game and any role.

THE GAME KICKED OFF with Sol Campbell partnering Toure and Hleb on the bench.

I would have started Hleb, not Pires.

Van Persie was sent off for dangerous play in 45.

The incident came after a bad pass from Ljungberg on the halfway line.

Freddie launched a pass that wasn't long enough or high enough to give the striker a chance of running onto it. And it was telegraphed so defender Orman went for it and van Persie had to follow the flight of the bad pass by looking over his shoulder and stretching up with his right boot, which connected with the ball at the same moment as Orman's head connected with the other side of the ball - and his studs ripped open the defender's forehead.

Polish referee Gilewski, 32, gave van Persie a straight red for a challenge that was over-enthusiastic but not malicious.

Orman had seven stitches.

After 51, the ten men scored the first goal.

Pires took a corner on the right and Gilberto produced his best-ever jump and his best-ever header, glancing it fast across into the far side of the net.

A COLOSSALLY UNSTOPPABLE POWER HEADER, one I didn't think he could make.

Imagine my shock at seeing Arsenal score with a header from a corner. Maybe they have been practicing.

Within seconds, it seemed, the score was 1-1.

In 53, Toure didn't get enough distance on a defensive header, Lauren was ball-watching, leaving Ferreira unmarked in eight yards of space, while Almunia was positioned on his near post for a volley that Ferreira could not make because the dropping ball was too close to his body.

So Ferreira let the ball bounce and hooked his shot up and over the scrambling keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Could Lehmann have got to that ball ?I don't think so.

It was a fluke goal, but it was definitely a shot, not a cross, as Arsene rather churlishly suggested.

It was an ambitious shot, an enterprising shot, and a lucky shot, but it was what Ferreira was trying to do.

VILLAREAL keeper Sebastian Viera did look short in their 0-0 against Manchester United. Viera is a runt.

While I had sympathy with Rooney in Belfast, he was wholly stupid in Spain last night.

Ref Kim Milton Nielsen let him off with one foul, gave him a yellow for a milder challenge moments later, and Rooney sarcastically clapped KMN in his face, a kamikaze moment of misdirected anger.

Superbrat players need discipline.

Who can give it to them? How?

We don't know how good Benfica are , but when they play Manchester United and Villareal, we should find out.

September 15th 2005.

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