Gunners march on but Giroud out until 2015
But how far can character alone take the team this season?
A nervy and at times disjointed display against Besiktas, which saw Mathieu Debuchy sent off for two bookable offences and Arsenal survive two very strong penalty claims from the visitors, was rescued by Sanchez’s 45th minute goal, playing up front in place of injured Olivier Giroud, who looks like he will be sorely missed.
Wenger announced after the game that Giroud will be sidelined for the rest of the year, The France international suffered a fracture near his ankle in the final seconds of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Everton on Saturday.
Wenger said: “He had surgery today and the surgery went well but he will be out, maybe to be competitive at the top, top level, until the end of December, beginning of January.” Asked if he would now sign a centre-forward, Wenger replied:
“You cannot every time buy when a player is injured... but we are open to buying in every position.”
Already there are calls for Wenger to buy a replacement, and they are unlikely to die down after this display in which Sanchez, who always provides energy and passion, nevertheless missed two excellent second-half chances to complete victory.
Of course the main thing to consider after a thunderous match in which hapless referee Pedro Proenca appeared to be the villain for both sides (he even managed to book Calum Chambers for coming on as a substitute too quickly) was that Arsenal, as they have done every single year since 1997 when Chambers was only two-years-old, will be playing in the group stages of the Champions League this season. Qualification will bring in huge prize money — enough, perhaps, to pay for another striker? Early indications are that, as is so often the case, Wenger is reluctant to spend but that a loan deal — perhaps for QPR striker Loic Remy — could be considered.
Even so, Sanchez’s goal, only his fourth ever in the Champions League in 25 appearances was hugely important both for player and club; and it showed Wenger was right to believe in a player who was so lambasted by pundits for his poor performance against Everton last week.
Nevertheless it was a nervy and rather aimless opening 40 minutes in which the former Barcelona man rarely made it anywhere near the six-yard box. That statistic that was conveniently forgotten, however, when Wilshere attempted a one-two with Cazorla and the ball spun free for Sanchez to side-foot a shot under the body of slightly-embarrassed goalkeeper Tolga Zengin on the stroke of half-time.
In truth the lead was not entirely of Arsenal’s own making as referee Proenca ignored two very strong penalty shouts from Besiktas that could have taken the game in another direction. The first saw defender Debuchy lunge into a last-ditch tackle on Pektemek, missing the ball and taking the man instead. The second, a little less clear cut, was the result of a reckless sliding challenge from behind by Jack Wilshere.
The second half provided further moments of defensive concern, even panic, as Besiktas gave as good as they got and Proenca riled the home crowd with a series of baffling decisions, culminating in a second yellow card for Debuchy, which left Arsenal battling with 10 men for the game’s finale — and saw Demba Ba go close to equalising in the last minute, a result that would have sent the Turkish side through on away goals.
But in fairness this Arsenal side does battle — and battle well — and the celebrations at the final whistle were loud and prolonged — long enough and loud enough to suggest a new-found feelgood factor is surviving at the Emirates.
ARSENAL: Szczesny 7, Debuchy 7, Mertesacker 7, Koscielny 6, Monreal 5, Wilshere 7, Oxlade Chamberlain 6, Flamini 6, Cazorla 7, Ozil 5 (Chambers 77) Sanchez 6. Subs: Martinez, Coquelin, Rosicky, Podolski, Campbell, Sanogo.
BESIKTAS: Zengin 6, Koybasi 7, Franco 7, Gulum 6, Motta 7, Hutchinson 6, Ozyakup 6, Kavlak 7 (Uysal 77), Pektemek 7 (Tosun 83), Sahan 6 (Tore 63; 6), Ba 6 Subs: Gonen, Kurtulus, Sivok, Koyunlu.
Chelsea and Arsenal will be in pot one for the Champions League group-stage draw today, with Manchester City in pot two and Liverpool in pot three. Here’s the best and worst possible outcomes for the quartet.
Best: Chelsea, Basle, Sporting Lisbon, Maribor
Worst: Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, Ajax, Roma
Best: Arsenal, Basle, Sporting, Maribor
Worst: Arsenal, PSG, Ajax, Roma
Best: Benfica, Manchester City, Olympiacos, Maribor
Worst: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Roma
Best: Benfica, Basle, Liverpool, Maribor
Worst: Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Roma
Ajax, Anderlecht, APOEL, Arsenal, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Basle, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, BATE, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, Galatasaray, Juventus, Liverpool, Man City, Malmo, Maribor, Monaco, Olympiacos, Porto, PSG, Real Madrid, Roma, Schalke, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Lisbon, Zenit, Ludogorets.
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