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UEFA Champions League | RESULTS
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If Arsene Wenger hoped Michael Johnson's visit to the club might deliver his team to Olympian levels of excellence, then this win may have been tinged with concern.
As he gazed down from his seat in the directors' box, Wenger will have taken satisfaction from three points which leave Arsenal nicely poised at the top of Group B.
On target: Gervinho opens the scoring shortly before the interval after a well-executed finish
On target: Gervinho opens the scoring shortly before the interval after a well-executed finish
Match facts
Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Cazorla, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Walcott 70), Gervinho (Giroud 79), Podolski (Ramsey 79).
Subs Not Used: Shea, Andre Santos, Djourou, Arshavin.
Booked: Koscielny.
Goals: Gervinho 42, Podolski 56, Ramsey 90.
Olympiacos: Megyeri, Diakite (Ibagaza 72), Manolas, Contreras, Holebas, Siovas, Maniatis, Greco (Abdoun 67), David Fuster, Paulo Machado (Pantelic 79), Mitroglou.
Subs Not Used: Carroll, Modesto, Lykogiannis, Diogo.
Booked: Contreras.
Goals: Mitroglou 45.
Attendance: 60,034
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway).
Gervinho, Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey rattled in the goals and victory at home to Schalke in three weeks will virtually confirm the Gunners a place in the draw for the Champions League's last 16.
Yet the Arsenal manager will be all too aware that his centre halves rarely seemed in control and that better opposition would have punished his team's sloppy defending.
The steadying influence of Per Mertesacker, absent with a virus, becomes more obvious with each game he misses.
Olympiacos may have won 14 of the last 16 Greek league titles but they never seem able to transport such domestic dominance to the European stage.
Here, however, they had a series of chances to cause a shock before Wenger's team settled into their rhythm for the final 30 minutes of the game.
Until then, Arsenal were jittery, a mood set early on by a careless goal-kick from Vito Mannone. The Italian keeper may have been seeking something to settle his nerves after his mistake against Olympiacos in Greece last year. But he aimed a short pass at Thomas Vermaelen, missed his captain by yards and handed the initiative to the visitors. Mikel Arteta scrambled back to quash the chance at the expense of a corner which was promptly wasted but, against more clinical team, the hosts might have been trailing.
Salute: The in-form Ivorian star celebrates his strike
It was a theme of the night. Wenger seemed a little skittish as he served the second of his three-match ban for an X-rated outburst at the officials after losing to AC Milan last season. He had England manager Roy Hodgson nearby, chirruping in his ear before kick-off.
Hodgson names his squad on Thursday for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland and had an interest in Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson.
Turn and shoot: Podolski handed the lead back to the hosts shortly after the interval
All smiles: The Germany international celebrates with team-mate Santi Cazorla
Jack Wilshere may have also cropped up in conversation, too, having returned in Arsenal's Under 21 team this week. Gibbs is in excellent form - and proved it again - but Hodgson's need for a right back is more pressing and Jenkinson, who also qualifies to play for Finland, also performed well.
Laurent Koscielny was booked on the half-hour for a rash challenge on Paulo Machado and triggered a frantic spell before Arsenal took the lead, when the Gunners lost control of the game. Mannone saved at full stretch from Kostas Mitroglou and Machado swept a wonderful chance over the bar from close range after Vermaelen and Koscielny were dragged underneath a right-wing cross by Olympiacos captain Giannis Maniatis.
Another reckless challenge, this time by Vermaelen on Machado, presented another opportunity but Machado lashed the free-kick straight at the keeper.
The disorganised nature of the game perhaps helped Arsenal open the scoring with Gervinho's goal, three minutes before the break.
Olympiacos were exposed as Cazorla and Podolski combined down the left, Dimitris Siovas missed a tackle on Arteta on the edge of the penalty box and they failed to apply pressure on the goalscorer as he took aim from 20 yards.
Gervinho did not strike it especially cleanly, nor was his effort arrowed perfectly in the corner, but it was good enough to beat Megyeri and relief washed around the Emirates. The Ivorian has scored five in five and has stepped into the void left by Robin van Persie.
In the stands: Wenger, serving a touchline ban, watched the match alongside England boss Roy Hodgson
Surprise: Mitroglou (right) wheels away in celebration after hauling his side level at the Emirates
Wenger stood to applaud but his team could not protect the lead and, as the clock ticked into stoppage time at the end of the first half. Leandro Greco delivered a splendid cross from the left and Mitroglou drifted between Arsenal's central defenders to apply a header which flashed inside the far post. It was a splendid goal but will infuriate Wenger after the two goals conceded from set-pieces against Chelsea on Saturday.
Home fans shifted anxiously during the interval. Cazorla ought to have restored the lead five minutes after the restart but miscued a simple side-footer and the ball screwed wide after good work by Gervinho on the left.
Job done: Ramsey completes the victory with a cool finish in injury time
Gervinho was the creator for Podolski's goal in the 56th minute, again foraging on the left and cutting into the penalty area. The Ivorian rode his luck with a friendly ricochet before finding the German, who took a touch before driving a low shot at the feet of Megyeri with enough power to force its way between the goalkeeper's legs and into the net.
It was Podolski's fourth of the season and, although he can drift out of the game for long periods, his strike-rate stands up to scrutiny. He has four in eight games.
Arsenal had the chance for a third but Koscielny leapt across the front of Vermaelen and headed it over when the captain appeared unmarked and in the best position to convert.
Up for the battle: Kostas Mitroglou beats Thomas Vermaelen to the ball en route to Olympiacos's leveller
Olivier Giroud came off the bench for the last 10 minutes and was unfortunate when a shot, seemingly destined for the net, deflected wide off defender Maniatis as he turned his back.
It was Ramsey, another substitute, who completed the scoring, breaking swiftly down the left in the fourth minute of added time and finishing with a neat clip over the dive of keeper Balazs Megyeri. With it, he flattered Arsenal.
They may have been a little too heavy-legged for Johnson's liking, but this was easily enough to beat Olympiacos.
EMIRATES STADIUM MATCH ZONE - by Matt Barlow
Programme notes
Arsene Wenger said serving his three-match touchline ban makes the hours ahead of a game easier because he is away from the dressing-room tension. In Wednesday night's programme he wrote: 'That makes me less stressful, because I can't intervene. I am upstairs and people are speaking to me about anything but the game.'
Prior to the match he was seen in a corporate box surrounded by people, presumably not talking football. Then along came Roy Hodgson, who was unlikely to be asking what was for dessert. If Jack Wilshere was mentioned, Wenger's heart-rate must have gone up a few notches.
Vermaelen napping
Thomas Vermaelen stayed up late on Sunday to watch countryman Nicolas Colsaerts in Europe's Ryder Cup win. But he was caught napping for Olympiacos's goal as Kostas Mitroglou drifted between him and Laurent Koscielny to head in.
Doctor's note
Is there a bug going around the Arsenal training ground? Per Mertesacker was missing with a mystery illness - the fourth player in the past month to fall ill. Theo Walcott was sent home from international duty in early September with a vomiting virus. Vermaelen only returned to the side last weekend after recovering from a bug and Francis Coquelin made his comeback from illness on Tuesday night.
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