Sanchez hits a wonder strike on wild night
RIOT police and dog handlers with their backs to the game, tasked with keeping the Cologne supporters under control must have hoped for a solid Arsenal performance to sedate the Germans.
Unfortunately, the security operation is worse on the pitch at the emirates stadium than it is off it.
Arsene Wenger’s team slipped behind within 10 minutes and were jolted from their rhythm amid the disorder of a wild night in north london.
For 45 minutes they wobbled before regaining control with the help of an influential half-time change by Wenger.
substitute sead Kolasinac equalised and Alexis sanchez put the home team ahead with a delightful curling shot, his first goal since a summer of unrest, to settle the storm and secure three points. Hector Bellerin added the third late on.
David Ospina triggered the on-field mayhem when he came wandering out of his goal in a doomed attempt to tidy up an early Cologne attack. His mishit clearance landed in a congested midfield and was nudged to Jhon Cordoba who assessed the danger in a flash, swivelled and fired the bouncing ball over the head of his fellow Colombian. Ospina tried to backpedal but realised he was beaten and dropped on to his backside.
The stadium erupted and the full penetration of Cologne support became abundantly clear. There were hundreds of them in the top tier of the Clock end and pockets all around the ground, including some of the corporate seats.
skirmishes broke out as Arsenal supporters took offence as they celebrated and called for the away fans be ejected by stewards.
Cologne have been through rough times. They have fiercely passionate with support and membership which actually increased as they crashed out of the Bundesliga in 2012. Membership stands at close to 100,000 and they have been rewarded with an upturn in fortunes under Peter stoger, finishing fifth last season and returning to european competition for the first time since 1992.
Hence the interest. Flights and trains to london started booking up as soon as the draw was made. They were determined to enjoy this night and Wenger’s team set out as if happy to oblige.
Arsenal are competing on UeFA’s undercard for the first time since 2000, when they crashed out of the Champions league at the group stage and lost in the final of the UeFA Cup. They have not started the season in this competition for 20 years and Wenger selected his team accordingly.
There were no shortage of senior players involved with a front three of sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott but seven regular first-teamers were rested with sunday’s game at Chelsea in mind.
Having been jolted from their rhythm by a delayed kick-off and an early goal it took some time before they produced anything to threaten Cologne. Giroud saw one header saved by keeper Timo Horn and another slide a couple of yards wide from a sanchez cross.
Walcott dragged a chance wide, while under pressure from Konstantin rausch but the Gunners enjoyed very little composure during a frenzied first-half.
The tempo was set by those who travelled to cheer on the German team and their players were inspired to respond.
In the circumstances, discipline was difficult to maintain. Arsenal’s instinct was to pour forward but Cologne dropped deep and tried to hit them on the break.
Wenger made an influential change at the break, replacing rob Holding with sead Kolasinac and reverting to a backfour. Within four minutes, full-back Kolasinac had found an equaliser, lashing a volley past Horn from an angle after Walcott’s burst into the penalty area.
Belatedly, Arsenal started to perform. Alex Iwobi fired over and Ainsley Maitland-niles carved through the centre of the Cologne defence only for Horn to slide out and save at his feet.
sanchez cut in from the left flank and curled in the second and Bellerin stabbed in the third after Horn denied Walcott. It did not exactly silence the Germans but it turned the volume down a notch.