Lightning struck twice for Arsenal in the shape of John Carew, whose two goals ended the Gunners' Champions League hopes once again.

Two years ago in the intimidating Mestalla Stadium it was 6ft 5in striker Carew who gave Valencia a 1-0 win in a quarter-final, second leg tie, which dumped the Gunners out of the Champions League.

It was a case of deja vu as Carew gave Valencia the lead after 33 minutes, and although Thierry Henry fired Arsenal level four minutes after the break, the Norwegian headed the winner after 57 minutes to send the Spaniards through from Group B along with Ajax.

Arsene Wenger took a gamble on the fitness of Sol Campbell by naming the England defender in his starting line-up in place of injured Martin Keown - a decision which will leave England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson sweating following the player's recent Achilles injury.

In all, Wenger, who was celebrating his 50th Champions League game in charge of the Gunners, made five changes to the team which lost at Blackburn on Saturday.

Captain Patrick Vieira, who had been struggling with a knee injury, also returned to the team in place of Ray Parlour, while Kolo Toure replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Sylvain Wiltord came in for Dennis Bergkamp and Edu was replaced by Gilberto Silva.

It was party night in Valencia on the final day of the town's Festival of Fire, and fireworks lit up the sky.

The out-of-form Spaniards needed to win to progress to the quarter-finals, and even though they were without injured Kily Gonzalez and suspended Ruben Baraja it was Rafael Benitez Maudes' men who were partying at the end.

Arsenal had never won in Spain before and had failed to score in their last three visits. However, they were denied the opening goal in the 29th minute by a combination of a goal-line clearance and the woodwork.

Wiltord won a corner on the right as he chipped the ball over goalkeeper Santiago Canizares from the right angle of the six-yard box, only for Fabian Ayala to block the effort and send it behind.

Henry delivered the cross and Gilberto met it with a thundering header which hit the head of Vicente on the line before bouncing off the crossbar.

Arsenal had won just one of their previous eight Champions League matches and were attempting to reach the last eight for the second time.

But their hopes were suddenly on the rocks as Valencia took the lead after 33 minutes - and it was that man Carew who made the breakthrough.

Pablo Aimar fed the ball through and the big Norwegian drilled a low shot inside Stuart Taylor's left-hand post to claim his 12th goal of the season.

Things went from bad to worse as Vieira was involved in a scuffle after 42 minutes and picked up the booking that would have ruled him out of the next game.

The second half began and suddenly Arsenal were alive again thanks to Henry's seventh Champions League goal of the season - all of them away from Highbury.

The Frenchman showed his supreme class after 49 minutes when he pounced on Robert Pires' through ball down the left and instinctively curled the ball inside the far post from just inside the box.

Wenger had challenged Taylor to prove he can become the long-term successor to David Seaman at Highbury, and the 22-year-old came to the rescue after 56 minutes.

Vicente crossed from the left and Carew stooped to head the ball goalwards from six yards, but Taylor flung himself to his left to push the ball to safety.

However, the former England Under-21 goalkeeper failed to repeat the act a minute later as Valencia took the lead.

Vicente again crossed from the left and when Carew won the downward header Taylor could only help the ball into the far corner of the net this time around.

Valencia suffered a blow as captain Canizares fell awkwardly and was carried off on a stretcher after 69 minutes, with Andres Palop replacing him.

But Arsenal could not find a way through, and with Ajax holding Roma 1-1 in Italy, it was the champions of England who again crashed out of the competition.

Wenger's men now need to rescue their season from this devastating blow, and they have the chance when they face Everton in the Premiership on Saturday and Chelsea in an FA Cup quarter-final replay in the following midweek.

Teams

Valencia Canizares (Palop 70), Reveillere, Ayala, Carboni, Albelda, Pellegrino, Rufete, Vicente, Aimar, Sanchez (Angulo 68), Carew (Marchena 89).

Subs Not Used: Aurelio, Djukic, Mista, De los Santos.

Booked: Carboni, Pellegrino, Aimar.

Goals: Carew 34, 57.

Arsenal Taylor, Lauren, Campbell, Cygan, Toure (Kanu 86), Ljungberg, Silva, Vieira, Pires, Wiltord (Jeffers 76), Henry.

Subs Not Used: Holloway, Stepanovs, van Bronckhorst, Parlour, Edu.

Booked: Vieira, Pires.

Goals: Henry 49.

Att: 50,000

Ref: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).