Following a bitterly disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United in our last game, the Gunners turned it around tonight with an impressive 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund to end their 100% record so far this year in the Champions League.
Arsenal started brightly with a first Arsenal goal for 21-year-old Frenchman, Yaya Sanogo, who tucked the ball through Weidenfeller’s legs inside of two minutes following a back heel to Santi Cazorla who returned the ball to Sanogo with a clever reverse through pass.
Sanogo found himself through on goal again just minutes later, however failed to convert this time as he hesitated and was let down by a poor touch seeing the ball swept from his by a Dortmund defender.
Dortmund’s chances were certainly few and far between, however a crucial Kieran Gibbs tackle prevented Aubameyang from charging through to the Arsenal goal. A close range save from Emiliano Martinez kept Dortmund at bay late in the first half to see Arsenal progress in to the second half with a 1-0 lead.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain saw his spectacular volley bounce off the crossbar as he came agonisingly close to doubling Arsenal’s lead. Wenger’s side then got an important second goal with an incredible solo effort from Alexis Sanchez who watched his shot curl in to the bottom corner.
Player ratings
Emiliano Martinez - 6 - Thrown in to the deep end following an injury to first choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Martinez didn’t have an awful lot to do as Dortmund struggled to break down the Arsenal defence. However, Martinez did everything that was required from him including a standout save from a close range Mkhitaryan shot.
Kieran Gibbs - 8 - Hardly put a foot wrong tonight, being a strong candidate for the man of the match award. Solid both defensively as well as making adventurous overlapping runs to support Alexis Sanchez down the left side of the midfield. A crucial tackle prevented Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from having a one-on-one chance in a much improved defensive performance.
Per Mertesacker - 6 - Still not reaching the heights of his influential performances last season, but Per managed to organise the defence much more efficiently in a clean sheet for the Gunners.
Nacho Monreal - 6 - Often used unfairly as a scapegoat unfairly by Arsenal fans, Nacho Monreal has proved he can be a useful player to the Arsenal squad. He coped well with the pace of the Dortmund attack to keep their most dangerous players quiet to contribute to the 2-0 win.
Calum Chambers - 7 - He has adapted fantastically since being asked to play a pivotal role in the Arsenal side at such a young age. Again Chambers showed that he could cope at the highest level contributing impressively both defensively and offensively tonight.
Mikel Arteta - 7 - A controlled and composed performance from the skipper on display tonight as his experience showed throughout. His ability to break up play and start attacks was an important part to Arsenal’s game tonight, however he limped off with an injury halfway through the second half.
Aaron Ramsey - 6 - A quiet performance from the Welshman as he looks to recapture his stand out performances from last season. He looks frustrated and almost as if he is trying too hard at times, hopefully he can return to form soon.
Santi Cazorla - 8 - A revitalised Cazorla managed to provide both assists for the Arsenal goals tonight as he played an important role in the number 10 position left vacant as a result of injuries to Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere. A clever reverse pass for the opening goal to find Yaya Sanogo being the standout moment for Santi Cazorla in tonight’s match.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7 - Another splendid performance from the ever improving Chamberlain sparked Arsenal in to life in the attacking third as he marked his 100th appearance for Arsenal. Unlucky not to score as his stunning volley rebounded against the crossbar early in the second half.
Alexis Sanchez - 7- Arsenal’s most consistent performer proved again why he is so vital to the Gunners. Doubling Arsenal’s lead in the 57th money cutting on to his right foot and curling the past the goalkeeper in to the bottom corner.
Yaya Sanogo - 7- Having not played since August, young striker Sanogo looked surprisingly sharp and repaid Wenger’s faith by giving Arsenal the perfect start to score his first Arsenal goal. Sanogo pressed well, but disappointingly was substituted having what looked like a hamstring pull.
Mathieu Flamini - 5- Held his position well defensively to keep out the Dortmund attack to contribute to an Arsenal clean sheet, having come on for the inured Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners then held out defensively to see off an out of form Dortmund side to secure their place in the next round of the Champions League, also the win giving them the chance of still topping the group if results go in their favour.
