Last-gasp winner spares Arsenal's blushes

Marseille 0 Arsenal 1. Aaron Ramsey secured a precious win for Arsenal away at Marseille with an overtime goal that takes the Gunners to the top of Champions League Group F.

Up until the moment the Welshman swept in Johan Djourou's cross on 92 minutes the Gunners had been disjointed and diffident against a Marseille team also short on self-belief. But while in past seasons Arsenal sides have dominated opponents with their pretty passing only to lose at the death, this vintage is acquiring the art of 'win ugly'.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger put a different spin on his side’s ability to pinch three points from a game that deserved to end in a drab goalless draw, saying: "That makes me lucky. We haven't always been lucky in this competition...[but] we didn't make stupid mistakes and didn't lose stupid ball in the second half."

Both sides went into the game struggling for form in their domestic leagues and it showed in a first half that must rank as one of the worst 45 minutes ever witnessed in a Champions League tie. Possession was continually given away, as were needless free kicks and barely a chance was created at either end.
 
Robin van Persie came closest to rousing the 1,400 Arsenal fans from their slumber with a looping header from Mikel Arteta's corner that was cleared off the line by Souleymane Diawara.

The second half was little better though Arsenal appeared to grow stronger as the game wore on while cracks appeared in the Marseille defence. First Nicolas N'Koulou coughed up the ball to Theo Walcott in the penalty are and the Arsenal winger forced a sharp save from Steve Mandanda, and then the Marseille keeper did well again to deny a rasping shot from Van Persie.

Just as it looked as both sides would settle for a share of the points, Djourou whipped in a low flat cross from the right that took a slight deflection of Gervinho and landed at the feet of Ransey. The Welshman took one touch, looked up, and buried the ball past the right hand of Mandanda.

"The cross came in and I sort of gambled it might come to the far post," said the 20-year-old Ramsey later. "I had a bit of time to think about it but, luckily for me, it went in."

The victory, together with the surprise 3-1 defeat of Borussia Dortmund by Olympiakos in the evening's other group game, puts Arsenal in a healthy position at the top of Group F. One point ahead of Marseille and four in front of third place Olympiakos, the Gunners could all but ensure qualification for the knockout stage if they beat Marseille at the Emirates on Tuesday week.

On the evidence of last night’s performance, however, Arsenal are unlikely to progress much beyond the last 16 of the competition. ·