Arsenal hits Euro form as PSG wilts
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THE true value of Arsenal’s table-topping display against FC Basel will not become clear until Monday’s draw for the UEFA Champions League last 16 but a 4-1 win proved it is starting to punch its weight again in the competition.
Despite 19 straight group stage campaigns, defeat at the last-16 stage for the past six seasons has reduced Arsenal to a member of the supporting cast.
While the A-listers — like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich — march into Spring eyeing Europe’s most prized club trophy, Arsenal has sloped away for domestic chores.
Not even a title chase, rather just grinding out a top-four spot in the English Premier League.
Things might just be different this season though.
Beaten only twice in 23 matches in all competitions so far, Arsenal looks far more resilient than in recent seasons, without losing any of its customary flair.
Hat-trick man Lucas Perez’s second goal on Tuesday was the end product of a 33-pass move — the longest sequence to goal so far in this season’s UCL.
Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time it had managed that since the 2005/06 season, and qualified for the last 16 as group winner for the first time since 2011/12.
That will guarantee it is spared a meeting with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in the last 16, although Bayern or any two from Real, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Sevilla could be blocking its path after Christmas.
Arsenal will also enjoy a home second leg in the last 16, an advantage it has not had since 2012, although that year it was thumped 0-4 by Milan in the San Siro leaving it mission impossible in the return.
“It’s difficult to know (the advantages of finishing top) you feel a bit less guilty,” Wenger said. “At least we have done our job and let’s see what happens.”
In some respects the UCL winter break may have come at the wrong time for Arsenal.
Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, scorer of a hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United, is playing some of his best football, while Mesut Ozil in also in a rich vein of form.
On Tuesday, Wenger left the talents of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench while Lucas, a 17-million pound (US$21.54 million) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, grabbed his chance to shine.
Meanwhile, after faltering in the UCL quarterfinals four times in a row, Paris Saint Germain could face the prospect of a last-16 exit after a mediocre performance against Ludogorets saw it finish the group stage in second place.
PSG needed an extra-time equalizer by Angel Di Maria to salvage 2-2 home draw against the Bulgarian side but that result still allowed Arsenal to leap-frog it into first place in Group A.
PSG will now hope to avoid an earlier-than-hoped meeting with either Real or Barcelona.
“Top spot was our goal. We are qualified but we should have won this game. I was expecting more from the players,” said club president Nasser al-Khelaifi.
Defender Thomas Meunier added: “We will see if it was a failure when we know the draw, there are teams that could be good for us,”
PSG could also face Leicester City, Napoli, Juventus, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, or Dortmund.
PSG had shown signs of weakness at the weekend, losing 0-3 at Montpellier in Ligue 1 in its biggest defeat in over five years, but it failed to react on Tuesday, defending poorly again.
“It’s a bad result. I am worried because we don’t usually concede so many goals,” said coach Unai Emery.
PSG has conceded five goals in its last two games — as many as in its 10 previous matches in all competitions.
In the absence of the suspended Marco Verratti and the injured Adrien Rabiot, PSG also lacked creativity in midfield.
Elsewhere, in the only group on Tuesday where qualification for the knockout stages was still to be decided, Besiktas crumbled under the pressure, allowing Napoli and Benfica to progress.
Napoli and Benfica had eight points going into their Group B match, one more than Besiktas, which was playing at already eliminated Dynamo Kiev.
But the Turkish side fell to a shock 0-6 loss in a match which saw it finish with nine men. Napoli won 2-1 at Benfica to win a UCL group for the first time.
Also, Atletico Madrid had already secured first place in Group D but lost its perfect record in a 0-1 defeat at Bayern. The final positions in Group C had already been decided and Barcelona beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0, while Manchester City drew 1-1 against Glasgow Celtic.
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