Alexis Sanchez netted his fifth goal in three matches, but it was not enough

Published: 4 November, 2014
By TOM FOOT at the EMIRATES STADIUM

Champions League
ARSENAL 3, ANDERLECHT 3

ARSENE Wenger blamed a "very, very poor defensive performance" after his side chucked away a three-goal lead at home to Anderlecht and end any realistic hopes of topping their Champions League group.

With a five-point gap to the Belgian side, Arsenal are hot favourites to progress, but this was a confidence-sapping result.

Wenger said: "Winning the group now it is nearly impossible. Overall, defensively, across the pitch we were very very poor. You have to give them credit. They fought until the end. But we had a poor defensive performance, from the first to the last. We got punished because of bad luck, the first goal was clearly offside. But we thought the job was done. It was a combination of switching off and them finishing stronger and sharper."

Mikel Arteta opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Danny Welbeck took a tumble in the box on 25 minutes. The replays showed it to be a harsh decision as the Arsenal frontman went down very easily as he battled for the ball.

Alexis Sanchez battered home an unstoppable second on 29 minutes after volleying the rebound of his tamely struck free-kick first time into the bottom corner. 

The third came on 58 mins after Alexis chased down a lost cause and the ball spilled to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He ended a powerful charge with a well-executed curled finish into the far corner. 

Arsenal were cruising and even when Anderlecht grabbed one back minutes later, through a clearly offside Anthony Vanden Borre, a comeback did not seem on the cards.

Arteta was substituted and after the match Wenger singled out his absence as the turning point.

He added: "We underestimated subconsciously Anderlecht. You need to be at the right mental level or you get punished. After 60 minutes, subconsciously you can think the game is won. Alexis was one of the two that was at his proper level."

The visitors – top of the Belgian league – sensed weakness and when Vanden Borre made it 3-2 from the spot after a clumsy Nacho Monreal tackle, the nerves set in.

In an unforgivable and yet entirely predictable finish, Aleksander Mitrovic nipped in front of a tired Per Mertesacker to nod home on 90 minutes and make it 3-3.

The Anderlecht manager Besnik Hasi said after the game: "Maybe they thought they would score more goals and have some fun with the public."

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Arteta (Flamini 62), Ramsey, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Rosicky 80), Sanchez, Welbeck (Podolski 80).
Subs not used: Rosicky, Sanogo, Flamini, Walcott, Podolski, Martinez, Bellerin 
Attendance: 60,048