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Arsenal had to survive a nervy final 15 minutes with 10 men to
earn a 1-0 aggregate win over Besiktas to reach the Champions
League group stages.
Alexis Sanchez clinically put Arsenal in front late in the first half
at the Emirates on Wednesday night, latching onto an overhit
pass which was intended for Jack Wilshere as the Gunners took
the lead at a pivotal time.
Two penalty claims and a great deal of attacking intent meant
the visitors were right to feel aggrieved to be behind at the
interval, but the home side really should have put the game to
bed with a host of second-half chances.
Their task was made all the more difficult however with 15
minutes to go as Mathieu Debuchy was sent off for a second
bookable offence.
The visitors threw everything at Arsenal late on, but the Gunners
showed their fighting spirit and held on to secure their place in
the Champions League group stages for the 17th consecutive
season.
The home side started brightly and had two great openings
within the opening ten minutes. Wilshere did well to dart through
an opening in the Besiktas defence, but the England midfielder
dragged his shot wide.
Santi Cazorla was the next guilty party, looping the ball high
and wide with an open goal gaping following a misplaced pass
from Besiktas goalkeeper Tolga Zengin.
Two big penalty claims were waved away by Portuguese referee
Pedro Proenca, with Wilshere especially fortunate to get away
with a challenge on Ismail Koybasi.
Then, moments before half-time, came the crucial goal.
Debuchy’s cross found its way to Cazorla on the edge of the
box, who then played a neat one-two with Wilshere which was
slightly overhit, but Alexis came in behind to finish.
After the interval, it was all Arsenal with several opportunities to
make the game safe wasted by the hosts.
Sanchez was a metre away from making it 2-0 five minutes
after the interval but he was beaten by the speed of Cazorla's
pass and he should have done better moments later when set
up by Wilshere.
Cazorla saw an effort blocked from close-range, before Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain also suffered the same fate from even
closer in, with Zengin equal to his prod goalwards.
Moments later, Debuchy received his second yellow card, and
the France full-back could face further sanctions for his reaction
to the referee’s decision.
As a result, the Arsenal's defence could not rest as successive
raids were met with scrambling responses.
The visitors almost broke the Arsenal faithful’s hearts in the
dying moments as Demba Ba failed to connect with a pinpoint
cross at the backpost, with Wojciech Szczesny scrambling to get
across.
Arsenal held on and secure their place in the lucrative group
stages, but with hitman Olivier Giroud seemingly out for a
substantial period, a lack of firepower may have to be address
by Arsene Wenger and the Gunners’ hierarchy.