Arsenal’s
wonderful commitment to attack and occasional lack of concentration can see
them caught out by the better, counter-attacking sides. Both full-backs were
out of position as Borussia Dortmund plundered a late, undeserved winner
through Robert Lewandowski to complicate Arsenal’s Champions
League hopes.
There is such joyous desire in Arsenal hearts to flood forward, one of the
features of the season, but somebody needs to play the sentry, patrolling
deep in case the opposition break out suddenly. Arsenal missed Mathieu
Flamini last night, both for his ability to shield the centre-halves and
also, as he is intelligent enough to do, to slot into one of the full-back
positions if Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna venture upfield.
When Jonas Hofmann sent Kevin Grosskreutz into space behind Gibbs, Arsenal’s
centre-halves were drawn to the near post. Grosskreutz crossed to the far
and the unmarked Lewandowski finished. “We were naive for the second goal,’’
Arsène Wenger said. “We were not mature enough.’’
It is pointless castigating Arsenal unduly as they were really exposed trying
to win the game, to secure the additional points that would make trips to
Dortmund and Napoli less problematic. Group F is turning into a real
dogfight, albeit an elegant one.
Arsenal, Dortmund and Napoli all have six points. Arsenal now travel to
Dortmund on Nov 6 when Lewandowski would have been suspended had the Swedish
official, Jonas Eriksson, not shown such leniency when the Polish striker
elbowed Laurent Koscielny.
Wenger thought that it could have been a red card
but acknowledged that “the referee had a better view than I did”.
Jürgen Klopp, who watched the game from the smart seats, insisted that it was
not a sending-off offence as there was “no intent to injure”. Dortmund’s
coach spoke highly of his team’s energy and organisation and still depicted
them as underdogs. “We don’t think like one of the top teams,’’ Klopp said.
“We just think how we can beat the top teams. I saw my players fight for a
match.’’
It is hard to perceive Dortmund as underdogs, having reached the Champions League final, boasting great fans, a centre-forward of Lewandowski’s calibre and attackers like Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who scored the opener after 16 minutes. When Marcel Schmelzer cut in from the left, Reus took over, playing the ball in. Mikel Arteta intercepted, laying it to Aaron Ramsey who attempted to dribble out.
Reus closed Ramsey down, freeing the ball for Lewandowski to nudge a pass across the edge of the area to Mkhitaryan. An attacking force coveted over the summer by Liverpool, the Armenian controlled the ball with his right foot and then calmly placed it between Wojciech Szczesny and the keeper’s left-hand upright. Klopp celebrated with a flurry of air-punches.
Arsenal responded, adhering to their passing game, continuing to work the ball upfield. Ramsey had been caught out but they were not going to compromise their principles. Olivier Giroud was up against two strong centre-halves, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, but he began to trouble them with pure persistence and sharp touch.
Arsenal suffered a momentary scare when Jack Wilshere ran through and appeared to jar his right ankle but eventually played on.
The hosts almost scored after 37 minutes. Giroud hustled Dortmund’s defence into losing the ball, and crossed into the box. Schmelzer cleared, but only to Rosicky, whose left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Hummels.
Arsenal were getting closer. Their fans could sense it, gradually responding to the noise emanating from the throbbing away section.
With five minutes of the half remaining, Ramsey released Sagna and the right-back’s cross forced a mix-up between Subotic and Roman Weidenfeller, gifting Giroud the chance to slam in the loose ball.
There seemed concern on the Arsenal bench in the second half about whether Wilshere was tiring, so Wenger removed the midfielder after 58 minutes for Santi Cazorla, who struck the bar within 10 minutes. Then came that incident between Lewandowski and Koscielny, and then the winner with eight minutes left.
At the final whistle, Dortmund’s players were quick to celebrate with Lewandowski, and then their marvellous supporters. They climbed the hoardings and threw their shirts in, showing the strong bond between dressing room and support.
Klopp was watching from afar. He refused to apologise for ruining Wenger’s 64th birthday, saying it was hardly his fault. “It’s the fault of the date,’’ Klopp said. “My birthday is in June so I always have a nice day.”
“It’s going to be tough,” Arteta told ITV1. “We knew it was probably the toughest group in the Champions League, we don’t think any different now. We’re still capable of going through but we’re disappointed to lose. We gave the ball away at the edge of the box and we know they are a very good side on the counter attack.’’
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Arteta; Wilshere (Cazorla 58), Ozil, Rosicky; Giroud. Subs Fabianski, Vermaelen, Monreal, Bendtner, Jenkinson, Gnabry. Booked Rosicky.
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1) Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Bender, Sahin; Blaszczykowski (Aubameyang 66), Mkhitaryan (Hofmann 66), Reus; Lewandowski. Subs Langerak, Kirch, Schieber, Papastathopoulos, Durm. Booked Hummels, Bender, Lewandowski.
Referee J Eriksson (Sweden).
It is hard to perceive Dortmund as underdogs, having reached the Champions League final, boasting great fans, a centre-forward of Lewandowski’s calibre and attackers like Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who scored the opener after 16 minutes. When Marcel Schmelzer cut in from the left, Reus took over, playing the ball in. Mikel Arteta intercepted, laying it to Aaron Ramsey who attempted to dribble out.
Reus closed Ramsey down, freeing the ball for Lewandowski to nudge a pass across the edge of the area to Mkhitaryan. An attacking force coveted over the summer by Liverpool, the Armenian controlled the ball with his right foot and then calmly placed it between Wojciech Szczesny and the keeper’s left-hand upright. Klopp celebrated with a flurry of air-punches.
Arsenal responded, adhering to their passing game, continuing to work the ball upfield. Ramsey had been caught out but they were not going to compromise their principles. Olivier Giroud was up against two strong centre-halves, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, but he began to trouble them with pure persistence and sharp touch.
Arsenal suffered a momentary scare when Jack Wilshere ran through and appeared to jar his right ankle but eventually played on.
The hosts almost scored after 37 minutes. Giroud hustled Dortmund’s defence into losing the ball, and crossed into the box. Schmelzer cleared, but only to Rosicky, whose left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Hummels.
Arsenal were getting closer. Their fans could sense it, gradually responding to the noise emanating from the throbbing away section.
With five minutes of the half remaining, Ramsey released Sagna and the right-back’s cross forced a mix-up between Subotic and Roman Weidenfeller, gifting Giroud the chance to slam in the loose ball.
There seemed concern on the Arsenal bench in the second half about whether Wilshere was tiring, so Wenger removed the midfielder after 58 minutes for Santi Cazorla, who struck the bar within 10 minutes. Then came that incident between Lewandowski and Koscielny, and then the winner with eight minutes left.
At the final whistle, Dortmund’s players were quick to celebrate with Lewandowski, and then their marvellous supporters. They climbed the hoardings and threw their shirts in, showing the strong bond between dressing room and support.
Klopp was watching from afar. He refused to apologise for ruining Wenger’s 64th birthday, saying it was hardly his fault. “It’s the fault of the date,’’ Klopp said. “My birthday is in June so I always have a nice day.”
“It’s going to be tough,” Arteta told ITV1. “We knew it was probably the toughest group in the Champions League, we don’t think any different now. We’re still capable of going through but we’re disappointed to lose. We gave the ball away at the edge of the box and we know they are a very good side on the counter attack.’’
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Arteta; Wilshere (Cazorla 58), Ozil, Rosicky; Giroud. Subs Fabianski, Vermaelen, Monreal, Bendtner, Jenkinson, Gnabry. Booked Rosicky.
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1) Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Bender, Sahin; Blaszczykowski (Aubameyang 66), Mkhitaryan (Hofmann 66), Reus; Lewandowski. Subs Langerak, Kirch, Schieber, Papastathopoulos, Durm. Booked Hummels, Bender, Lewandowski.
Referee J Eriksson (Sweden).
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