Arsenal late show as Van Persie breaks Greek resolve
ARSENAL (2) vs OLYMPIACOS (0)
ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger enjoyed the luxury of shrugging off his side’s wastefulness after late strikes from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin maintained their 100 per cent start in Europe.
The Gunners allowed a host of chances to pass them by until the 78th minute, when Van Persie converted a cut-back from substitute Eduardo. Arshavin added gloss to the scoreline four minutes from time when, from a suspiciously offside position, he finished a Cesc Fabregas cross with a backheeled flourish.
Following their almighty scare in the Group H opener at Standard Liege, it was the second successive Champions League fixture in which Arsenal made heavy weather of supposedly inferior opponents.
Yet having gleaned maximum points to occupy top spot in the group, the Gunners boss, who celebrates 13 years in charge tomorrow, was able to disregard his side’s failings.
“You always want your team to take every chance but you also know that is not always possible,” said the Frenchman. “But I am encouraged by the way we dominated the game – that is something outstanding at that level. It is of course frustrating when you don’t take complete advantage of it, but it is very positive.”
Olympiacos entrusted silver-haired goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, 38, with keeping the Gunners at bay, and although he succeeded for most of the game, he will surely have gone even greyer in the process.
Arshavin was first to trouble the veteran stopper, before Fabregas crashed an effort off the bar and Nikopolidis showed his enduring agility to save Tomas Rosicky’s follow-up. Russia forward Arshavin and skipper Fabregas were both denied again before Olympiacos mustered a tame header on target, and after the interval the barrage continued.
Eduardo’s introduction proved the catalyst, Fabregas playing in the Croatian to set up Van Persie, who could not miss.
Suddenly yawning gaps appeared in the Greek champions’ backline and Arsenal scored a second they deserved on attacking merit, if not on the offside law, when Fabregas found Arshavin unmarked 10 yards out, and he flicked past Nikopolidis.