Greeks add to Arsenal misery

Olympiacos 2 Arsenal 1

Arsenal’s winless run continued as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to miss out on seeding for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Schalke’s 1-1 draw at Montpellier meant they missed the chance to win Group B.

Although Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky fired the English side ahead after 38 minutes, the Greeks fought back through a somewhat controversial effort by Giannis Maniatis and a well-taken strike from substitute Kostas Mitroglou to leave Wenger facing more questions about the direction of his team — without a win in the last four games and plummeting down the Premier League.

“It was an interesting game,” Wenger said afterwards.

“We had a good first half and we had two or three chances to score a second but we needed a second goal tonight.

“The younger players did well for an hour, that is very positive. Now we have to wait for the draw, but ideally you want to finish first.”

Wenger bemoaned Arsenal’s misfortune on the night too, however.

“The first goal was a goal kick, though, simple as that. What the referee behind the goalline is doing nobody knows, but I don’t think it was the right decision.

“We had a positive game. It was not the result we wanted but overall it was a very encouraging game.”

With qualification already secure ahead of the last Group B tie, Wenger elected to leave several first-team regulars behind, as 20-year-old defender Jernade Meade made his European debut. And it had been a bright start by the visitors.

Rosicky fed a quick pass on to Marouane Chamakh in the penalty area, but the ball got stuck under the Moroccan’s feet before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drilled a low effort across goal.

Olympiacos threatened down the left and Rafik Djebbour’s effort was blocked at the near post by Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen.

On 17 minutes, Aaron Ramsey mistimed his kick, with a goal for the taking, after Chamakh’s knockdown.

At the other end, Olympiacos captain Vassilis Torossidis saw his header hacked off the line.

It was Arsenal, though, who took the lead on 38 minutes. The ball was worked to Gervinho out on the right, and for once the Ivory Coast forward showed good close control to weave into the penalty area, before cutting a pass back to the penalty spot — where Rosicky arrived on cue to sweep in his first goal since March 2012.

Rosicky was replaced for the start of the second half by Andrey Arshavin.

Olympiacos pressed for an equaliser as the hour passed, with Ljubomir Fejsa stabbing his angled effort into the side netting. At the other end, Gervinho and Chamakh worked the ball out to Arshavin but the Russian’s snapshot was beaten away by Roy Carroll.

Minutes later the equaliser came. A half-cleared corner was lofted back into the penalty area, where it ping-ponged to Giannis Maniatis to bundle his shot in on off the far post.

It should have been 2-1 to the Greeks soon after, but somehow Djebbour guided his header wide.

The winner came on on 73 minutes, as sub Mitroglou turned on the edge of the penalty area before curling a fine effort past Szczesny’s bottom corner.

OLYMPIACOS: Carroll, Diakite, Manolas, Contreras, Torosidis, Paulo Machado, Maniatis, Fejsa (David Fuster 60),Greco, Djebbour (Ibagaza 82), Abdoun (Mitroglou 72).

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Squillaci, Vermaelen, Meade (Angha 83), Coquelin, Rosicky (Arshavin 46), Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh, Gervinho.

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain).