CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REVIEW
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was adamant that there was no cause for panic despite his side's second surprise defeat in the space of four days. "There is no reason to be alarmist," insisted the super cool Frenchman. "You have periods like these in a season. I believe this team is strong mentally and will recover. It's important that we bounce back now".
The Gunners, needing just a point to secure their place in the second phase, started the game looking uncharacteristically disorganised. Indeed the visitors could have taken the lead as early as the fifth minute when David Seaman made a brave save after diving at the feet of Benjani but the ball dropped to Yann Lacheur who shot over the bar from 12 yards.
Just two minutes later Auxerre took a deserved lead, Kapo picked the ball up on the right hand touchline and skilfully nutmegged Patrick Vieira before unleashing a powerful left- foot drive into the bottom corner of the net. Arsenal tried to respond and Kanu drilled an effort over the bar after a cut-back from Thierry Henry, and then came even closer when his right-foot shot from the edge of the area was just inches wide.
However, just before the half-hour mark the Highbury crowd were stunned again as the visitors doubled their lead. Ashley Cole tackled Jean-Alain Boumsong on the edge of the box but the ball looped to Khaliou Fadiga and he nonchalantly lobbed the ball over the advancing Seaman.
Arsenal surged forward towards the end of the first half but were struggling to find their customary fluency in attack. Kanu shot across the face of the goal, while Henry tangled with Phillippe Mexes, who along with Boumsong, was outstanding at the heart of the Auxerre defence.
Arsenal started the second half with more purpose. The ever-willing Henry chased a through-ball but as goalkeeper Fabien Cool came out the French international fell to the ground unconvincingly and the penalty claims were little more than half-hearted. However on 53 minutes the increasingly effective Henry managed to carve out a goal for Kanu. Bursting down the right flank after good work from Lauren, he unselfishly squared the ball leaving the Nigerian with a simple tap in.
Auxerre then missed a glorious opportunity to restore their two-goal cushion when Ashley Cole's slip allowed Kapo in on goal but he was denied by a good save from Seaman.
With 19 minutes left Wenger sent on Robert Pires for his first appearance for ten months, following knee surgery and the French international received a rousing reception from the North London crowd. The introduction of Pires for Gilberto seemed to lift a strangely subdued Arsenal and on 70 minutes Henry scuffed an effort wide after good work from Vieira. Four minutes later Henry's trickery created an opening for Wiltord who was inches away from getting a touch post and Pires had a penalty appeal turned down after he looked to be obstructed in the box.
The last chance for the Gunners fell to comeback man Pires, who connected sweetly with a right-foot volley but the ball the fairytale return wasn't to be as the ball landed in the hands of a thankful Cool.
After the game a disappointed Wenger refused to single out any of his team for the defensive frailties, and instead praised Auxerre for their performance.
"We win and lose as a team. There was not the usual defensive stability and we gave them too much room but I'm not here to say that it was anyone's fault," he said.
"The most important thing is that we lost to a good team so give credit to Auxerre. They started very well, while we had not recovered from the shock of losing on Saturday. We reacted positively in the second half and gave it everything but finished jaded physically"
