UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Group F Olympiakos 3 Arsenal 1:THIS WAS no tragedy for Arsenal, more black comedy, as defensive blunders served to blot their Champions League Group F record. Progress as the leaders had already been assured but Arsene Wenger had hoped for a positive result to maintain momentum.
He saw spirit, belatedly, but the damage had been done by dreadful concessions. Vito Mannone, the substitute goalkeeper, will want to forget his error for David Fuster’s goal, in particular. There was also the collateral damage of injuries to Lukasz Fabianski and Andre Santos.
Yossi Benayoun’s wonderfully executed strike hinted at an unlikely revival and with Olympiakos rather abruptly wracked by doubt, Arsenal almost snatched an equaliser. The Greek champions, though, just about closed out the victory, Francois Modesto adding a late header but the drama in Dortmund carried a bitter sting for them. Marseille’s late winner pressing them into the Europa League.
The Olympiakos die-hards had been packed in long before the kick-off and it was spectacular when they bounced as one. This was a massive game for them and, with the turmoil in Athens and around Greece, it was no great leap to present the team as a beacon of hope.
The decibel levels surged when Olympiakos pressed or crossed with any danger; the whistles shrilled when Arsenal had possession. Whether Arsenal’s defence was unnerved when the deadlock was broken was unclear but the goal was a horribly soft concession. Fuster’s pass should not have got beyond Sebastien Squillaci but he got into a tangle with Johan Djourou and Rafik Djebbour was in. He kept his cool to round Fabianski.
Fabianski departed on a stretcher in the 25th minute, after his left knee bore the full force of Djebbour’s attempts to reach a low centre. The goalkeeper had earlier been played into trouble by Thomas Vermaelen and he was relieved when Kevin Mirallas returned his sliced clearance wide of the target.
Fuster’s sights were trained to perfection in a similar situation for Olympiakos’ second goal, yet there was further hilarity about Arsenal’s defending. This time, the replacement goalkeeper Mannone was the fall guy.
Having raced out to head clear under pressure from Mirallas, he lost his bearings and composure on Fuster’s shot. Running back, Mannone tried to clear with his feet, even though he was inside his area, only to tie himself in a knot and miss his kick. The ball rolled apologetically into the net.
With Olympiakos in charge, Benayoun’s goal was scarcely advertised yet there was beauty about his finish. From Marouane Chamakh’s lay-off, he got his body side-on in a flash and sent a rising drive fizzing into the far corner.
Arsenal had lost Santos by then and they might have been further behind to Modesto or Olof Mellberg. But Benayoun’s goal provoked an attack of the jitters in the home team and e Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also caught the eye in flashes for the visitors.
Guardian Service
OLYMPIAKOS:Megyeri, Torosidis, Papadopoulos, Mellberg, Marcano, Maniatis, David Fuster (Abdoun 64), Modesto, Mirallas, Djebbour (Papazoglou 90), Holebas (Orbaiz 37). Subs not used: Costanzo, Pantelic, Fetfatzidis, Potouridis. Booked: Papadopoulos, Holebas.
ARSENAL: Fabianski (Mannone 25), Djourou, Vermaelen, Squillaci, Andre Santos (Miquel 51), Coquelin (Rosicky 67), Frimpong, Benayoun, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh, Arshavin. Subs not used: Park, Eastmond, Ozyakup, Yennaris. Booked: Frimpong, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco(Spain).
