ARSENAL QUALIFIED FOR the last 16 of the Champions League for the 15th successive season as Yaya Sanogo’s first goal for the club and a gem from Alexis Sanchez clinched a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Recent disappointing losses prompted a section of Arsenal’s support to call for Wenger’s sacking, while stinging criticism of the Gunners boss from the club’s second-largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov added to the impression of a season spiralling out of control.
But Sanogo took less than two minutes to notch his first goal for Arsenal and a majestic second-half strike from Sanchez ensured the north Londoners once again advanced to the knock-out stages of Europe’s elite club competition.
Their spirits lifted by a dominant display at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal could still snatch top spot from Dortmund with a victory in their final group fixture at Galatasaray in two weeks, providing the out-of-form Germans lose against Anderlecht.
Sanogo put The Gunners ahead early on after he received possession with his back to his marker and showed tremendous confidence to juggle the ball and then flick it into Santi Cazorla’s path.
Sanogo then turned and ran on to Cazorla’s pass before guiding a cool finish under Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan should have done better than poke tamely over from a good position and Wenger’s team survived a penalty appeal when Kieran Gibbs caught Lukasz Piszczek.
Although Dortmund had already qualified for the last 16 after winning their first four group fixtures, they are in the midst of a terrible run in the Bundesliga and looked bereft of confidence and creativity once those chances were squandered.
Sanchez nearly took advantage of their angst when the Arsenal winger was allowed to advance unchecked for a low shot that forced a good stop from Weidenfeller early in the second half.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went even closer when he hit a dipping half-volley against the crossbar.
Yet there was no need for Arsenal to rue those near-misses as Sanchez produced a moment of magic to double the lead and kill off the Germans in the 57th minute.
Cazorla started the move with a crisp pass out to Sanchez on the left flank.
And, with Dortmund backing off, the Chilean was able to cushion the ball with his first touch and shift it inside with his second before curling a sublime 20-yard effort beyond Weidenfeller for his 13th goal in just 20 appearances for the Gunners.
