Laboured Arsenal must wait after Braga loss

Arsene Wenger opted for pragmatism rather than panache on Tuesday and paid the price as his Arsenal side lost 2-0 in Braga to leave in doubt a berth in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Arsenal are hoping to reach the knockout phase for the 11th consecutive season, but they did their cause no good at all in shipping two late goals to a side they had thumped 6-0 on home turf.

Their discomfort was music to the ears of Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, who won 3-0 at tailenders Partizan Belgrade to cement top spot with one match remaining.

Donetsk are now through – and likely as group winners – unless they lose by four goals at home to Braga as they lead Group H by three points.

Arsenal, runners up in 2006, will likely see off Belgrade in their final group meeting to take them onto 12 points. But Shakhtar will be favoured to beat Braga at home, leaving the English Premier League side to face a group winner in the next round assuming they belatedly make it through.

“It’s a very disappointing result,” Wenger admitted, while lambasting as “absolutely useless” the fifth official system which he claimed denied his side a penalty at 0-0 when Mexican substitute Carlos Vela tumbled to the ground under challenge from Alberto Rodriguez, only to earn a booking from Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai.

Television replays suggested a foul had been committed.

“I would would like to see what the fifth official is doing,” Wenger told Sky Sports, while admitting that “we didn’t create many chances” while his side suffered from a “minimum of communication” in defence.

But he insisted: “I am confident we’ll make it. We will have to be a bit more patient.”

Midfielder Johan Djourou said the loss was “crazy” as the game had been under control until the goals.

“It’s very hard to take,” he told Sky Sports.

“The team needs to know that now we have to wake up.”

Matheus Leite Nascimento’s left-footed scoop over Lukas Fabianski in the Arsenal goal after a hopeful punt through the middle and then a fine solo effort beating three defenders delighted Portuguese fans as Braga claimed a win which keeps them – just – in the hunt for a last 16 place.

The Gunners, who rested Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin, had only themselves to blame as they simply did not do enough against a mediocre side – even if they did show some urgency in the final quarter prior to Matheus’ crucial interventions nine minutes from time and on the final whistle.

Skipper Cesc Fabregas made a surprise start for Arsenal despite a hamstring problem but was not his usual probing self and gave way to Samir Nasri on 70 minutes when a draw looked inevitable.

Arsenal had seen their mental strength called into question after they squandered a 2-0 lead in going down to North London rivals Tottenham at the weekend for a third home league loss of the season and more questionmarks will be placed at their door after Tuesday’s showing.

Although they were up against a side wearing the Londoners’ usual kit of red and white their hosts initially showed no signs of wanting to play in adventurous Wenger-style fashion, content instead to adopt an ultra-cautious approach in a soporific Freekicks from Fabregas and Walcott saw them come close – but Arsenal showed little else at the Estadio Municipal and may live to regret the space given to Matheus in the closing stages.