An injury-time equaliser by Lens's most dangerous attacker, Tony Vairelles, deprived Arsenal of a valuable opening away win in this multi-million pound tournament last night.
Arsenal should have sewn up the game long before that, Nicolas Anelka missing chances after a cleverly worked goal scored by Marc Overmars. But on the debit side, Emmanuel Petit picked up what looked a serious injury that saw the French international stretchered off clutching his knee. It was a sad homecoming for one of the nation's summer heroes.
This match was a surreal encounter, with the champions of England fielding more members of France's World Cup-winning team than the champions of France.
Earlier, Petit's presence back on home soil was a huge boost for Arsenal after he recovered in time from the knock picked up in training. And Ray Parlour, too, was passed fit after a groin-injury scare allowing Arsene Wenger to start with his first-choice XI.
For Lens the injury news was less encouraging, with the onetime Manchester United target Marc-Vivien Foe, the left-back Yoann Lachor and the defender Cyrille Magnier all out injured.
Though battered, Lens were brave, charging at Arsenal from the start with a three-man forward line led by Pascal Nouma in the middle, flanked wide right and left by Vladmir Smicer and Vairelles.
It was a policy which put Arsenal on the back foot for much of the first half and regularly created alarm in the Gunners's normally unflappable back line.
Stephane Dalmat shot just wide as early as the seventh minute and later David Seaman twice needed to be alert as Lens tried to capitalise on their home advantage. The England goalkeeper came out bravely to beat Vairelles to Nouma's header, then Vairelles, despite the close attentions of Lee Dixon, managed to squeeze in a shot from an acute angle on the left which Seaman was happy to beat away.
Vairelles the danger man almost struck again five minutes before half-time when he intercepted Martin Keown's attempted clearance in the area and was put off enough by Petit's desperate challenge to shoot just wide.
Arsenal's attacking ambitions before half-time were limited to the odd break, let down by the final pass or shot. A typical example was Parlour's threatening run into the Lens area on the halfhour. Unfortunately for Arsenal, he failed to create himself enough space as he lined up his shot and it was blocked by the covering defender Frederic Dehu's outstretched boot. Dennis Bergkamp set an early example of greater Arsenal adventure, shooting just wide after a double one-two with Nicholas Anelka three minutes after the restart. Then a minute later the Dutchman forced Guillaume Warmuz to make his first real save of the evening with a stinging shot from the right side of the Lens area.
But then, with just another minute gone, Arsenal took the lead. Patrick Vieira fed the ball to his fellow countryman Petit in the inside left channel about 25 yards out and the pony-tailed hero of France 98 undid Lens with a wonderful pass threaded behind the covering defender Eric Sikora and straight into the path of Marc Overmars.
As the goalkeeper came haring from his line, the little Dutchman calmly slid the ball past him and into the net.
Five minutes later Overmars very nearly added a second goal as he unleashed a left-foot shot from the edge of the area which cannoned against a post.
Suddenly Arsenal were looking a far more threatening prospect, although on 70 minutes Lens went worryingly close to grabbing an equaliser. Eric Sikora crashed a 25-year free-kick against the bar with Seaman rooted to the spot.
LENS: Warmuz, Sikora, Etchi Oben (Sankhare 79), Debeve, Delmat, Nyarko, Vairelles, Dehu, Smicer, Nouma (Moreira 68), Meride (Rool 75). Subs Not Used: Marichez, Eloi, Vernier, Diop. Booked: Nyarko, Debeve. Goals: Vairelles 90. ARSENAL: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit (Hughes 73), Overmars, Bergkamp (Garde 89), Anelka. Subs Not Used: Manninger, Bould, Vivas, Wreh, Grimandi. Booked: Vieira. Goals: Overmars 51. Referee: H Krug (Germany).
Alex Ferguson slammed Italian referee Stefano Braschi as "a real shocker" last night after the official awarded Barcelona two penalties in the 3-3 draw at Old Trafford.
"The referee was a real shocker," said the United boss. "You get to this level but we've had it a couple of times here, we've had nothing from them at all. That apart we were overrun in the second-half, Barcelona passed it very well and we just lost impetus and we lost our gameplan and our shape.
