Arsenal 2 Olympiakos 1ARSENE WENGER will take what he can get at present. This narrow victory over arguably the poorest team in Arsenal's Champions League group sufficed to keep the wolves from the door for another day, although it did little to portray the club as credible contenders.
There was anxiety until the final whistle, as Arsenal surrendered a position of early strength to put their supporters through the wringer.
Wenger’s makeshift defence, which featured Alex Song at its heart, failed to convince and Olympiakos were left to wonder what might have been had they taken some of their chances.
Arsenal, though, will play up the positives, which included the goals for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos, together with the form of Wojciech Szczesny, but, chiefly, took in the primacy of the result. This was a third consecutive victory, following those over Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.
The manager’s gamble, though, to use Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey only as late substitutes paid off and a glance at the Group F table offered reassurance. The ties against the group leaders Marseille now loom large.
Olympiakos’s record in England, upon their arrival, was so dismal it was worth printing: P9 L9, one goal scored, 29 conceded.
The manager said he would “suffer” from his seat in the stands, as he served the final game of his touchline suspension, yet he was up on his feet and beaming broadly when his team struck in the eighth minute.
The 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlaintook a flighted pass from Song and skated in from the right across the edge of the penalty area. His first touch had been assured and his determination bought him a break off the hapless Ivan Marcano. When the shooting opportunity presented itself, he remained composed enough to thread a low left-footed effort through Olof Mellberg’s legs and into the bottom corner of the net.
In times gone by Arsenal’s second goal might have ended the contest. It came when Tomas Rosicky released Santos and the left-back crossed for Marouane Chamakh, who could not get there. Never mind. When the ball came back to Santos, he got a break off Marcano and exposed goalkeeper Franco Costanzo at the near post to score his first goal for the club.
But there is a brittleness about Wenger’s class of 2011, an ability to make almost any opposition side look threatening. David Fuster had blown a presentable early chance and Rafik Djebbour had been denied by a sensational goal-line clearance by Mikel Arteta. Djebbour put the rebound into the side netting.
Having been given ample warning, Fuster’s 27th-minute goal was a shambles from Arsenal’s point of view. They were caught cold by a short corner and when Ariel Ibagaza crossed, Fuster got up in yards of space to thump his header home.
Chamakh had snatched at an excellent chance moments earlier, from Andrey Arshavin’s chip, and Arsenal were second best for the remainder of the first half, their defending marked by disorder and desperation. Szczesny had to be sharp and Rosicky’s hack at Kevin Mirallas on the edge of the area, which earned him a booking, summed up the anxiety.
Arsenal, unsurprisingly, began to consider attack as the best form of defence and created opportunities in the second-half.
Chamakh frustrated for much of the evening but sent Oxlade-Chamberlain in on Costanzo with a fine pass. But the winger’s second touch was poor and allowed the goalkeeper to block.
As the travelling support bounced as one, their team advanced. Vassilis Torosidis demonstrated his ability to centre menacingly and when he went for goal Arsenal hearts jumped. He cut inside and curled a left-foot shot from 25 yards that beat Szczesny but crashed against the crossbar.
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ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Song, Andre Santos, Frimpong, Arteta, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Ramsey 67), Arshavin (Gibbs 82), Chamakh (van Persie 70). Subs not used: Fabianski, Park, Jenkinson, Coquelin. Booked: Rosicky, Arteta.
OLYMPIAKOS: Costanzo, Torosidis, Mellberg, Marcano, Holebas, Orbaiz (Modesto 75), Fejsa, Ibagaza, David Fuster (Pantelic 80), Djebbour, Mirallas (Abdoun 75). Subs not used: Megyeri, Papadopoulos, Makoun, Potouridis. Booked: Holebas,David Fuster, Djebbour.
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain).
