Gunners cruise into last 16

Arsenal regained the swagger that has characterised their best performances this season as they eased into the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Standard Liege on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Samir Nasri and Denilson were enough to ensure the Gunners progressed to the knockout stages as winners of group H with a game to spare.

The Belgian champions were arguably unfortunate to see a Diedonne Mbokani shot strike the woodwork when the match was still goalless as well as being denied what appeared to be a clear penalty shortly after Nasri had given Arsenal the lead.

In truth, though, Arsenal could have won by a significantly larger margin and manager Arsene Wenger will have been delighted with a performance that, in the opening 45 minutes, could scarcely have been further removed from the lacklustre display that resulted in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland at the weekend.

That performance had provoked Wenger into a rare public display of frustration with his own players, and it was quickly apparent here that the manager’s point had been absorbed.

With Andrey Arshavin and Nasri supporting Carlos Vela in attack, Arsenal looked significantly sharper from the outset and the Belgian champions’ goal lived a charmed life early on.

A Cesc Fabregas corner after quarter of an hour generated a string of chances with Sinan Bolat saving Arshavin’s header before Vela hit the rebound against the post.

Bolat then denied William Gallas twice in quick succession before a goal-bound shot from Thomas Vermaelen bounced to safety off the head of the unwitting Arshavin.

There was another let-off for the visitors when Emanuel Eboue went down in the box following a challenge by Eliaquim Mangala.

Standard were living dangerously yet they went close to taking the lead when Mbokani unleashed a shot from the edge of the area that beat Manuel Almunia and struck the angle of post and bar.

A clash of heads between Gallas and Arshavin as they both went for a Fabregas cross left the Frenchman nursing a sore head that was to result in him making way for Mikael Silvestre at the break, by which time Arsenal were deservedly two goals in front.

Arshavin was still receiving treatment for his wounded head when Vermaelen launched a long diagonal ball for Nasri to chase through the inside right channel.

Landry Mulemo should have intercepted but his slip allowed Nasri to get clear and the midfielder took his chance with style, steering a controlled half-volley past Bolat’s right hand.

Arshavin appeared to have suffered no ill effects from the clash with Gallas as he connected with a Nasri pass to shave the outside of the post.

At the other end, Reginal Goreux had a good penalty shout turned down after being bundled over by Gallas but Arsenal were undeniably good value for the two-goal lead they established thanks to Denilson’s long-range effort in first-half stoppage time.

Picking the ball up 30 yards out, the Brazilian was not put under any kind of pressure and Standard paid the price of their relaxed approach when Bolat was unable to keep out a shot that swerved significantly but was directed at the centre of the goal.

With Chelsea due at the Emirates on Sunday, it was perhaps inevitable that Arsenal’s tempo dropped off after the interval.

That might have given Standard a way back into the contest but after Axel Witsel fluffed his strike from close range after being picked out by Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez’s clever free-kick, they did little to seriously unsettle Arsenal’s back four.

Standard finished the evening with ten men after Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez received a straight red card after an attempted head-butt on Fabregas with four minutes left.