Early brace ensures Arsenal beat Greeks
Reuters - Wednesday 28 September 2011, 22:35
LONDON - Teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
offered Arsenal fans a glimpse of a bright future as he became
the club's youngest English goalscorer in the Champions League
on Wednesday, netting the opener in his side's nervy 2-1 Group F
victory over Olympiakos.
Signed for a reported 12 million pounds from Southampton in
August the 18-year-old is already being compared to Theo Walcott
who followed the same route to north London in 2006.
England winger Walcott was one of a number of Arsenal
players absent through injury on a balmy night at Emirates
Stadium but Oxlade-Chamberlain made the most of his first appearance in
the Champions League, firing the opener after eight minutes.
Brazilian left-back Andre Santos put Arsenal 2-0 up after 20
minutes but after Olympiakos, who had lost all their previous
nine away fixtures in England, reduced the deficit after 27
minutes through Spaniard David Fuster it was an anxious night
for the home fans.
Vassilis Torossidis, the only Greek in Olympiakos's starting
11, came within a coat of paint of levelling with an exquisite
curling effort that cannoned off the crossbar in the second half
but Arsenal hung on to put themselves in a healthy position with
four points from their opening two games.
Marseille, who Arsenal visit next, top the standings after
recording their second win by beating Borussia Dortmund.
Olympiakos's 10th defeat from 10 matches on English soil
left them still looking for their first point in the group and
manager Ernesto Valverde cursing a poor start which had left a
"bitter taste" in his mouth.
The visitors had 15 goal attempts compared to the home
side's 10 and Arsenal's coach Pat Rice, patrolling the technical
area in the absence of manager Arsene Wenger who was completing
his UEFA touchline ban, admitted his relief.
"They came and waited for us and broke us up in the middle
of the park and in fairness you have to say they did well,"
Arsenal's long-serving number two told reporters. "Needless to
say we are very happy with the three points."
Rice said Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance had been one of
the major plus points and was cause for comfort among the North
London club's fans who have watched Arsenal's worst start in the
Premier League in the reign of Wenger.
STRONG BOY
"He is a very strong boy and listens to what people say,"
Rice said. "Arsenal fans are going to see a lot of this boy but
he has a very strong challenge trying to get in front of Theo."
Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only English starter for Arsenal
who had 11 different nationalities represented in their line-up,
including fellow teenager Emmanuel Frimpong who recently pledged
his loyalty to Ghana.
Talisman Robin van Persie was left on the bench as Wenger
looked ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with north London
rivals Tottenham Hotspur but his absence was quickly forgotten
as Arsenal surged ahead with a fast start that is their
trademark on Champions League nights at Emirates Stadium.
Oxlade-Chamberlain showed a touch of class when he chested
down a flighted ball from Alex Song, got a lucky rebound off
Ivan Marcano and finished clinically past the unsighted Franco
Costanzo for Arsenal's 200th goal in the group phase of the
Champions League.
Olympiakos showed plenty of adventure going forward and
almost levelled when Rafik Djebbour poked a shot goalwards but
Mikel Arteta performed a last-ditch clearance off the line.
Arsenal doubled their lead when left-back Santos wriggled
into the area through some half-hearted challenges and calmly
placed a shot past Costanzo.
Even with a two-goal cushion, however, Arsenal never looked
completely secure at the back and the frailities that have seen
them concede 14 goals in six league games so far were exposed
when Fuster, one of three Spaniards in the visiting line-up,
climbed unmarked to a head beyond Szczesny.
There were more jitters in the Arsenal defence when Djebbour
fired in a shot that was turned over by Szczesny soon
afterwards.
Arsenal had chances to restore the two-goal margin after the
break and had one penalty appeal turned down but it was
Olympiakos, backed by a vocal army of fans, who often looked the
more likely to score.
Kevin Mirallas hit a looping shot just wide before
Torossidis went agonisingly close to ending his side's long wait
for a first ever point on an English ground.
"We came to get a point at least," said Valverde, who said
he was disappointed at the reaction of Belgium's Kevin Mirallas
when he hauled him off in the second half.
"But we gave away to early goals and you can't do that
against a side like Arsenal away in the Champions League."