Uefa Champions League, Third qualifying round, first leg/Dinamo Zagreb 0 Arsenal 3: Arsène Wenger can breathe easily again. Arsenal's manager had expressed his desire to avoid an upset in Croatia last night and, thankfully, his side absorbed the message. Despite Dinamo Zagreb's efforts, Arsenal escaped with a priceless victory that owed little to their performance.
Wenger's side were ring-rusty, but second-half goals within a minute of each other from Cesc Fábregas and Robin van Persie put them on course for victory. The Spaniard then added a third away goal 11 minutes from time when he beat two defenders before firing home.
Unless the Croatian champions produce an unlikely comeback in two weeks, Arsenal fans inside the Emirates Stadium will emit a collective sigh of relief knowing their new home will host Champions League group matches this season.
Arsenal desperately required some good news. Ashley Cole's long-winded transfer to Chelsea continues to overshadow the club's pre-season, while Jose Antonio Reyes's apparent determination to follow his colleague out of the exit door is also undermining Wenger's preparations.
Add the injuries to Freddie Ljungberg, Philippe Senderos, Abou Diaby and Gael Clichy, plus the wait for Thierry Henry to emerge from his post-World Cup lull, and Wenger appears to have a crisis on his hands with the summer still not out.
Embarrassment in Europe was another headache the manager needed to avoid.
In a starting XI that included only five of those who began that May final, Wenger sprung one surprise with his selection of Justin Hoyte, back from a nightmare loan to Sunderland, at left-back ahead of Mathieu Flamini. Reyes started on the bench.
The Frenchman predicted Arsenal would receive an "intense" welcome in this intimidating stadium last night, and he was not wrong. Events on the pitch were equally unsettling as Zagreb's Brazilian pair of Eduardo and Etto combined well. The latter created the game's first real opportunity by squaring to Luka Modric, who brushed his shot wide of Manuel Almunia's left-hand post when well placed on the edge of the area.
With Henry absent, Van Persie and the debutant Tomas Rosicky attempted to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, although all they offered in the first half was a series of speculative, long-range efforts. Opportunities inside the area were sparse as Emmanuel Adebayor grappled away with Jens Nowotny and Mario Cvitanovic, but Wenger's biggest worry was the threat of Etto's pace on the right flank.
Once again he breached the Arsenal defence before finding Marijan Buljat, whose deft flick found Modric inside the area. But his shot sailed narrowly wide. Modric was being afforded too much room and he went even closer with a 25-yard drive six minutes before half time.
By the end of the half Wenger was roaming his technical area in frustration at his side's inability to combat Zagreb's attacking threat.
The Croatian champions sensed a shock and Arsenal greeted the half-time whistle with relief akin to the manner in which a weary boxer welcomes the bell while slumped on the ropes.
Despite stern words during the interval, Wenger resisted the temptation to make changes, perhaps sensing that the surging threat of Adebayor, Van Persie, Rosicky and Alexander Hleb would unhinge Zagreb's defence.
But Zagreb should have gone ahead when Buljat delivered a pinpoint cross to Jasmin Agic, but the substitute could not direct his header on target despite being unmarked.
Yet Zagreb would soon find themselves reeling. First, Fábregas moved on to Van Persie's neat touch to volley past Turina in the 63rd minute. After being mobbed by his team-mates, the Spaniard raced to the bench to accept the plaudits on his 100th Arsenal appearance.
Arsenal were soon two ahead. Hleb's floated long ball found Van Persie racing down the left flank and, before Cvitanovic had time to react, the Dutchman planted a crisp drive beyond Turina's grasp.
DINAMO ZAGREB: Turina, Buljat, Cale, Nowotny, Corluka, Cvitanovic, Carlos, Modric, Eduardo, Mamic, Vugrinec. Subs not used: Costa, Agic, Drpic, Ljubojevic.
ARSENAL: Almunia, Eboue, Hoyte, Toure, Djourou, Hleb, Fabregas, Silva, Rosicky, Adebayor, Van Persie. Subs not used: Poom, Reyes, Song Billong, Cygan. Goals: Fabregas 63, 79. Van Persie 64
Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece)
