Arsenal sweep Dinamo Zagreb aside to give Arsene Wenger renewed hope of extending Champions League record
Arsenal 3, Dinamo Zagreb 0
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists they can complete a Champions League great escape by winning in Greece next month after resuscitating their European hopes last night.
Two goals from livewire Alexis Sanchez and one for playmaker Mesut Ozil inspired a routine win over Dinamo Zagreb that, together with Bayern Munich's 4-0 defeat of Olympiacos, wrested the Gunners' fate back into their own hands.
Arsenal now need a first ever win in Piraeus — they have lost on all three visits to the Greek champions — and likely by a two-goal margin, if they are to progress from Group F, but Wenger believes that history is no harbinger.
"Sometimes we went to Olympiacos already qualified, this time we go having to qualify. It's tough but we have to believe we can do it and I believe we can do it," he said.
"What we wanted was to come out of tonight with chance to qualify. It gives us a chance. How big a chance I don't know but I believe we can do it.
"We have to go there and win the game. If you can win 1-0 you can win 2-0 as well. We know for us the task has one advantage: it is very clear. Let's make right what we didn't do right until now."
Wenger also confirmed that midfielder Francis Coquelin, who suffered a knee ligament injury in Saturday's loss at West Brom, would be out until at least late February. "Coquelin is what we feared," he added. "Let's be realistic: 12 weeks."
Arsenal are accustomed to setting themselves virtually insurmountable tasks in this competition, although they have previously waited until after the group stage.
A one-goal win at Olympiacos would not be enough to send the Gunners into the knockout stage for a 16th successive season since teams who finish level on points, as the two sides would in such a scenario, are separated by their head-to-head results.
Olympiacos won 3-2 in London in September, meaning Wenger's men need a two-goal victory or to win 3-2 themselves, in which case their superior goal difference would prove decisive.
Sluggish Arsenal took three minutes to cross the halfway line and Alexis's miscued attempt to turn in a low Joel Campbell cross was their only threat before Ozil struck.
The Germany World Cup winner is best known for his twinkle-toed probing but this time he conjured a diving header to meet an Alexis cross and cap a rapid 29th-minute counter-attack.
It was another big-game goal for Ozil, his others this term coming in wins over Manchester United and Bayern, and was followed four minutes later by an eighth of the season for Alexis.
Left-back Nacho Monreal charged down a clearance in the Dinamo box and squared for the Chile forward, who tucked a low shot past goalkeeper Eduardo from close range.
The visiting stopper twice denied Ozil as Arsenal finished the half in fluent fashion but it was not until the 69th minute that Alexis killed the contest with the third goal.
Recalled forward Joel Campbell capped a vibrant display by drifting in off the right flank and threading a pass to Alexis, who danced around Eduardo and finished from a tight angle.