Yaya Sanogo breaks his duck as Sanchez also strikes a beauty to secure last 16 spot in the Champions League for Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez wheels away in delight after his curling effort found the back of the net to double Arsenal's lead against Borussia Do...
https://sundownsports.blogspot.com/2014/11/yaya-sanogo-breaks-his-duck-as-sanchez.html
Alexis Sanchez wheels away in delight after his curling effort found the back of the net to double Arsenal's lead against Borussia Dortmund |
The 21-year-old netted after 19 appearances
without a goal when he finished off a one-two with Santi Cazorla with a low
shot early on.
Alexis Sanchez made it 2-0 after the
break with a superb low curling shot.
Sanchez also had a shot pushed away,
while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck the crossbar with a dipping volley.
Yaya Sanogo's performance was rewarded with his first goal for Arsenal after just 75 seconds into the game after a neat interplay between him and Santi Carzola |
It was a mature performance by the
Gunners who, like their opponents, have found solace in this competition this
season from the struggles of the domestic league.
They quelled the threat of Dortmund on
the counter-attack, with Jurgen Klopp's side only seriously troubling keeper
Emiliano Martinez once, in stoppage time.
The Bundesliga outfit had named a strong
side despite having secured their berth with four wins from four games but
before they had a chance to establish themselves at the Emirates, they were a
goal down.
That was scored by a player who was the
source of some ridicule on social media when the teams were announced before
the match.
Sanogo's ungainly style has irked some
fans and there was further astonishment when he was named ahead of Germany
World Cup winner Lukas Podolski.
But he finally managed to temper some of
that criticism when he converted his first effort after starting the move with
a ball-juggle and backheel to Spaniard Cazorla.
...and the fans loved it |
With the Germans already qualified and
Arsenal almost there, the tempo of the game was sedate at times, although the
Gunners picked up the pace after the break.
First Sanchez tested the Germany
international keeper Roman Weidenfeller with a low shot after battling past two
challenges, before the pacy Oxlade-Chamberlain produced a beautiful volley that
failed to dip enough.
They finally managed a second when
Sanchez, who flitted in and out of the game, cut inside from the left and bent
an effort that beat Weidenfeller's reach. It was the Chile international's
seventh goal in his last six matches for the Gunners.
Martinez was finally forced to make a
big save in stoppage time when he dived to keep out substitute Adrian Ramos's
effort.
The win moves Arsenal to 10 points in
Group D and a victory over Galatasaray coupled with Dortmund losing to
Anderlecht in the final round of games would see Wenger's side go through as
winners.