Arsenal 3 Dinamo Zagreb 0: Alexis Sanchez scores twice as Gunners keep hopes of progression alive

Brace: Alexis Sanchez scored twice to help seal an important victory for Arsenal
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images
James Olley24 November 2015

Arsenal set up a Champions League qualification shootout with Olympiacos after easing to a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb at Emirates Stadium.

Mesut Ozil scored the opener before a brace from Alexis Sanchez gave Arsene Wenger’s side the result they needed to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 for the 16th consecutive season.

Bayern Munich’s victory over Olympiacos means the Gunners will travel to Greece in two weeks’ time knowing a two-goal win will be enough to secure safe passage from Group F.

Qualification is based on head-to-head records, which means Arsenal must improve upon their 3-2 defeat to Olympiacos in September. A 3-2 win would also be enough to qualify as they now hold a superior goal difference after a comfortable victory in north London.

Arsenal suffered a setback on the eve of this game with Francis Coquelin’s knee ligament problem sidelining him for three months. Wenger opted for Mathieu Flamini in a defensive midfield role alongside Santi Cazorla and also replaced Kieran Gibbs for Joel Campbell from the team that lost 2-1 at West Brom last weekend.

The crowd was surprisingly sparse at kick-off but the subdued atmosphere did not transmit to the players, who set about their task with purpose from the outset.

Cazorla skied an early chance after good work from Joel Campbell down the right flank but Dinamo offered no attacking threat whatsoever and Arsenal were left simply to probe for an opening.

It came after 29 minutes. Sanchez surged forward on the counter-attack before delivering a left-wing cross which Ozil stooped to meet and the Germany international steered a diving header past goalkeeper Eduardo.

Four minutes later, Arsenal doubled their lead as Nacho Monreal won the ball back in Dinamo’s box and found a cross for Sanchez, who sidefooted home from close range.

Although Dinamo threatened a little more after the interval, Arsenal remained utterly dominant as Cazorla and Olivier Giroud tested Eduardo early in the second period.

Campbell then shinned a shot wide as Arsenal continued to waste presentable chances to extend their lead. Wenger opted to replace Giroud with Aaron Ramsey inside the final 25 minutes, affording the Welshman his first outing for a month following a hamstring injury.

Sanchez switched to a centre-forward position and added a third moments later. Campbell cut in from the right flank before producing a perfectly weighted through ball to the Chilean, who rounded Eduardo and finished high into the net.

Petr Cech was forced into his only meaningful save of the night shortly afterwards as Laurent Koscielny’s attempted clearance struck Flamini and flew goalwards but the 33-year-old got down to his right sharply to keep the ball out.

The one-sided nature of this game made it all the more remarkable Arsenal somehow contrived to lose the reverse fixture in Zagreb on matchday one, but at least now they have earned the chance to salvage a turbulent group stage campaign right at the death.

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