Playing the pain game: Arsenal¿s Andrey Arshavin and William Gallas clash heads after going for a header together
Seeing red: Arshavin comes off worst after the collision
Off the mark: Samir Nasri breaks the deadlock
Letting fly: Denilson doubles Arseanl's lead immediately before half-time with this stunning 30-yard strike
Headache: Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas feels the force of Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez
Arsene Wenger may think World Cup considerations to be far too premature, but as Arsenal progressed in the Champions League as group winners he might already be thinking about a certain date in the Bernabeu next May.
Wenger has sounded like a man in need of a bit of cheering up of late and this result against Standard Liege will certainly help. As will the fact that Arsenal’s game against Olympiacos in a fortnight is purely academic.
But a broken metatarsal in his left foot for Kieran Gibbs and a swollen eye and ankle knock for William Gallas meant that there was still no beaming smile on the Arsenal manager’s face.
Wenger is hopeful that Gallas is available for Sunday’s derby against his former side Chelsea but Gibbs will have an operation this morning and faces three months on the sidelines after only recently recovering from severe bruising in his right foot.
Wenger said: ‘Gallas has an ankle problem and a swollen eye. I think he will recover from the eye. From the ankle we hope so. Gibbs is much more serious. We have to X-ray him and I think he’s gone to hospital to check. He has a big hole in his leg. It was a very bad challenge from Eliaquim Mangala and it was not his first try. Kieran doesn’t look too good.’
All the pre-match build up concerned Theo Walcott and Wenger’s anger at the fixation on his World Cup prospects. But Walcott was denied the chance to prove he is focused on club matters as Wenger chose to start with him on the bench.
Instead, it was Denilson who made the most of his first start in more than two months after recovering from a back injury with a sumptuous 30-yard strike after Samir Nasri had given Arsenal the lead.
Wenger said of Denilson’s strike: ‘I think he has a typical Brazilian shot, this floating ball. It is typically Brazilian technique.’
Eduardo, like Walcott, also had to be satisfied with a place on the bench. Instead, Carlos Vela was handed his first start of the season in the absence of the injured Robin van Persie.
Wenger was pleased with what he saw from the Mexican. ‘I thought I had an opportunity to give him a game,’ said the Arsenal manager. ‘He did, like the team, very well in the first half and dropped after that. But I was pleased with his movement off the ball and his combination play with team-mates.’
Vela was involved in Arsenal’s early attacking moves and there was precious little for Wenger to take issue with in terms of a lack of creativity — his gripe at the Stadium of Light.
Early chances fell to Nasri and Cesc Fabregas while Vela had a goal bound shot blocked by Felipe. Arsenal fans are no doubt still wondering how their side failed to take the lead on 15 minutes as Standard survived four attempts on their goal in quick succession.
Andrey Arshavin saw his header from Fabregas corner saved by Sinan Bolat before Vela crashed the rebound against the post. Then, Gallas shinned an effort at the Standard keeper before Thomas Vermaelen saw his goal-bound strike cleared off the line by the unfortunate Arshavin.
Standard striker Dieudonne Mbokani did manage a reminder of what the Belgians could conjure up when he skipped away from Vermaelen with the post coming to Manuel Almunia’s rescue.
But it was only a brief response to Arsenal pressure. Arshavin inadvertently prevented his side going ahead once more after half-an-hour when he jumped with Gallas to meet Fabregas’ cross, the defender sending his header over the bar and the pair needing lengthy treatment after a nasty clash of heads.
But with 10 minutes to go before the break, Arsenal got the breakthrough when an unlucky slip by Landry Mulemo allowed Nasri to collect Vermaelen’s long-ball. Still, the finish from the France midfielder was typically classy as his side-foot evaded Bolat’s reach.
The bang on the head for Gallas may have been responsible Reginal Goreux getting the jump on him and for a moment his challenge looked like earning a penalty for Standard, but referee Konrad Plautz waved away the appeal.
Any nerves were settled on the stroke of half-time, when Denilson, doubtless expecting the whistle, took a quick look before unleashing a dipping 30-yard drive which took Bolat well and truly by surprise.
With Chelsea visiting at the weekend, Wenger took no chances with Gallas, introducing Mikael Silvestre for the second period. Arsenal did receive another reminder from Standard soon after the restart when Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez chipped his free-kick over the wall which Axel Witsel chested down although he could not steer the ball past Almunia.
Standard went close again seven minutes from time when substitute Gohi Bi Cyriac drive struck the base of the post and there was still time for Emmanuel Eboue to test Bolat.
With three minutes to go Carcela-Gonzalez was shown a red card for pushing his forehead into that of Fabregas, although what the Arsenal skipper had done that was deserving of a booking was difficult to fathom.
Indeed, Mangala should have received a second booking for his late challenge on Gibbs which forced the young defender to limp out in the dying moments.
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