Arsenal 2 PSG 2: Alex Iwobi own goal leaves Gunners destined to finish second in Champions League group yet again

ARSENAL look destined to finish second of their Champions League group yet again – after Alex Iwobi’s own goal secured the crucial 2-2 draw for PSG.

Iwobi deflected Lucas Moura’s header past goalkeeper David Ospina to put finishing top of Group A in the hands of the French champions.

It had looked like Arsenal would get all three points thanks to another own goal, although a far more comical one, from PSG’s Marco Verratti.

In the 59th minute, Aaron Ramsey failed to get his shot away and the ball rebounded off Verratti past despairing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola in pinball-esque fashion.

Edinson Cavani opened the scoring after a  fine PSG counter-attack in the 18th minute, before Alexis Sanchez won a penalty for the Gunners on the stroke of half-time in controversial fashion – the Chilean appearing to go down to ground without much contact from Maxwell.

Olivier Giroud stepped up to score from the spot to notch for the second game in a row. He had also netted against Manchester United in the 1-1 draw on Sunday.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

• ARSENE WENGER says his team are ready to take on in anyone in Europe and they are certainly having the luck to go all the way. They have now been outplayed home and away by PSG and were also lucky to get a 3-2 win away to Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets.
• OLIVIER GIROUD didn’t have any hesitation in assuming spot-kick duties in the absence of regular penalty taker Santi Cazorla. And the Frenchman’s confidence was well-founded with a cool as you like conversion on the stroke of half-time.
• ARSENAL fans must be wondering why their club paid £35million for Granit Xhaka yet never start him in the big games. The Swiss midfielder was on the bench once again for a match Arsenal could not afford to lose.
• SHKODRAN MUSTAFI is another big money summer signing who is taking his time to adapt. His lack of pace was exposed by Blaise Matuidi for PSG’s opening goal. No wonder the German centre-half is being compared to Per Mertesacker.

• CARL JENKINSON has been struggling to fill in for the injured Hector Bellerin. He looked scared to push too far forward which meant Arsenal were left crying out for width down the right.
• FRANCIS COQUELIN’s yellow card for an over the ball challenge on Thiago Motta means he will be suspended for Arsenal’s final Group A game away to Basel next month.
• THE absence of Serge Aurier clearly didn’t inhibit PSG too much. The full-back was refused entry to the UK over a criminal conviction but defensive replacement Thomas Meunier was more than up to the task.

• ARSENE WENGER thought long and hard about signing Grzegorz Krychowiak from Seville before opting for Xhaka instead. The Polish anchorman subsequently moved to PSG last summer and handed Arsenal a much-needed lifeline when he brought down Alexis Sanchez.
• AARON RAMSEY thought about falling to the ground when Edinson Cavani waved a hand at him as they tussled for the ball. The Welshman dramatically clutched his face before sheepishly realising he had hardly been touched.
• MARCO VERRATTI’s own-goal  came just minutes after he was booked for a foul on Sanchez  which means he will miss PSG’s last group game against Ludogorets.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ospina 6; Jenkinson (Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, 81) 6, Mustafi 6, Koscielny 6, Gibbs 7; Ramsey 7, Coquelin 6 (Walcott 6, 80); Sanchez 6, Ozil 6, Iwobi (Xhaka 6, 78) 6; Giroud 7.

PSG (4-3-3): Areola 5; Meunier 7, Marquinhos 7, Thiago Silva 6, Maxwell; Verratti 6, Krychowiak (Ben Arfa, 67) 7, Thiago Motta 7; Lucas (Jese 5, 89) 9, Cavani 6, Matuidi 7.