Victor strikes to keep Everton on pole

Everton hardly needed to look far for inspiration as their spirited victory at Nuremberg put them top of Group A. Eighteen months ago, this lively arena had belonged to Merseyside and St George as goals from Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch gave England a 2-0 World Cup victory over Trinidad & Tobago.

And, after Bolton's defiant draw against Bayern Munich earlier Everton went one better against English football's greatest rivals thanks to Mikel Arteta's penalty seven minutes from time and Victor Anichebe's even later second.

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UEFA's efforts to prevent Everton fans sitting among the Germans in the easyCredit Stadium proved futile, and any inquiry might be focussed on the host club.

While 1,500 Everton fans who had booked their seats online had them cancelled when the tie was designated "high risk", Nuremburg were openly selling tickets from their club shop all day.

An estimated 5,000 Everton supporters — only 2,500 of them with tickets for the official section — had travelled to Germany, and many were scattered among a good-natured Nuremberg crowd.

They were almost able to celebrate a goal after 20 seconds when Mikel Arteta burst through to fire a rising drive that Jaromir Blazek could only parry.

When the ball dropped, Tim Cahill came in for the kill at the far post but the scrambling keeper managed to deflect his shot against the foot of the post.

The home side, looking for European consolation after a wretched domestic season so far, were stung into retaliation and Tim Howard did well to race out and save at the feet of Ivan Saenko.

But the Premier League side were looking dangerous themselves and soon threatened again. This time Leon Osman's long raking centrewas just inches out of reach for the stretching Cahill, whose attacking intent was proving a handful for the Germans.

Peer Kluge smacked a shot only a foot wide soon after, before Dominik Reinhardt tested Howard.

Arteta gave Blazek another scare before half time with a corner the keeper failed to punch clear but got away with it.

Everton had an escape of their own early in the second half when Marek Mintal was allowed the space for a cracking shot that, fortunately for Howard, went straight at the keeper's chest.

With Zenit St Petersburg next up at Goodison Park in what could be a group decider, manager David Moyes was looking for the victory that would allow him to indulge in a little rotation a la Rafa.

And Arteta helped deliver the points from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute after Anichebe was hauled down in the penalty box.

Anichebe finished off the Germans six minuites later, placing through the keeper's legs after a surging run down the right.

NUREMBERG (4-1-4-1): Blazek 5; Reinhardt 6, Wolf 6, Glauber 6 (Benko 85), Schmidt 5 (Kennedy 76); Mnari 6; Misimovic 5, Kluge 6, Galasek 5, Saenko 5; Mintal 6.

EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard 6; Neville 6, Yobo 6, Lescott 6, Valente 6; Pienaar 5 (Hibbert 90), Osman 6, Arteta 8, Carsley 6; Cahill 6 (Jagielka 90); Yakubu 7 (Anichebe 75).

Booked: Valente, Yobo. Man of the Match: Mikel Arteta. Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain).

ABERDEEN picked up their first point in Group B with a 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow at Pittodrie.

Zander Diamond headed the home side ahead from a 27th-minute Barry Nicholson corner before Branislav Ivanovic equalised in similar fashion in the last minute of the first half.