HT: Arsenal 2-0 Porto

Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner made up for his glaring misses at the weekend by firing his side ahead in their Champions League last 16 clash against Porto.

Bendtner, highlighted for being wasteful against Burnley on Saturday, tapped home twice after being set up by Andrey Arshavin on both occasions at the Emirates Stadium.

It meant the hosts were on course to make history and come back after a opening leg deficit in a European tie for the first time since 1978.

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott was on the bench for the Champions League last 16 clash against Porto at the Emirates Stadium as Arsene Wenger's side looked to overturn their first leg deficit.

Trailing 2-1 from their trip to Portugal, Arsenal had five changes from the side that defeated Burnley at the weekend, a victory in which Walcott scored in.

Cesc Fabregas was ruled out through a hamstring injury, while Denilson, Mikael Silvestre and Emmanuel Eboue were on the bench with Walcott.

It meant Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, Alex Song, Andrey Arshavin and Sol Campbell were drafted in by Wenger.

Bendtner was criticised for missing four straightforward opportunities at the weekend but he made up for his wastefulness by opening the scoring in the 10th minute.

The move was started with a long ball from Manuel Almunia that Arshavin managed to win in the air, directing it towards Samir Nasri, despite Rolando towering over him.

Nasri put the ball in the area Rolando had left open, with Arshavin racing through on goal. The Russian and Porto defender Fucile crashed into goalkeeper Helton and the ball broke for Bendtner to tap home.

It was the Denmark striker's sixth of the season and meant if the scores remained level, Campbell's header at Estadio do Dragao would count double.

However, it is not in the nature of Wenger's side to defend a lead, with Diaby trying his luck from long range after a corner had been cleared but going just over.

Bendtner's second, in the 25th minute, again came after Arshavin's industry from an improbable situation.

He collected a poor clearance from Fucile but still had plenty of work to do but managed to wriggled back past the Porto full-back as well as Nuno Coelho and Ruben Micael before rifling his cross for Bendtner to tap home.

Arshavin should have added another in the 34th minute when Nasri got to the byline and pulled the ball back through Rolando's legs, but his team-mate smashed over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Gael Clichy was fortunate to escape a yellow card for a handball on the touchline, with referee Frank de Bleeckere allowing play to continue as Porto striker Hulk was in a promising position - but the Brazilian wasted the opportunity and looped a cross at Almunia.

Bendtner went in search of a hat-trick and curled an effort towards the bottom corner that Helton parried, then Diaby had a header saved from the resulting corner.