Arsenal cede control of Uefa Champions League group

Arsenal lost the battle for supremacy of uefa Champçions League Group A on Wednesday night against a classy Paris Saint-Germain. The north Londoners squandered a 2-1 advantage to draw 2-2 with the French champions at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said he was disappointed with his side's 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain. Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

With Thiago Motta pulling the strings in midfield, PSG opened the scoring through Edinson Cavani. The Uruguay international slid Blaise Matuidi’s cross home in the 18th minute to register his 16th strike of the season.

It was Motta who foxed the Arsenal defence with the pass into Matuidi’s run. Aided by Marco Verrati and Grzegorz Krychowiak, PSG’s midfield troika oozed composure and guile. Arsenal’s schemers Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil were reduced to cameos on their own turf.

But yet Arsenal went in at the pause on level terms. Ozil found some space on the right hand side of the PSG penalty area. But instead of blazing for glory, he released Alexis Sanchez who shaped to shoot with his right foot, instead he slipped the ball to his left and Krychowiak took his leg away.

Referee Felix Brych pointed to spot to the chagrin of the PSG players. Olivier Giroud, hitherto a lumbering spectator to the proceedings, slotted the ball to the right of Alphone Aréola.

It was the final act of a half in which Arsene Wenger’s silky brand of football had been eclipsed.

An altogether more bustling Arsenal came out in the second half. The bristle unsettled PSG and the goal that gave Arsenal the lead was unArsenal. A speculative cross went into the PSG box and in the melee, Marquinhos hacked the ball forward but it hit Verrati and flew back past Aréola.

Flukey. Freaky. Lucky. Didn't matter. The Emirates faithful rejoiced in their fortune.

"We put intensity into the game and we were committed," said Wenger. "We were dominant for periods but the start of the game was for PSG as we let them play too comfortably. Afer it was 2-1, we dropped off."

PSG reaped the benefits of Asenal's inconsistency 13 minutes from time. From a corner, Lucas Moura's header was on target but goalkeeper David Ospina would have collected. Alex Iwobi nudged it out of his reach. Flukey. Freaky. Lucky. Didn't matter. The PSG faithful rejoiced in their fortune.

It was the youngster’s last contribution. Wenger substituted the 20-year-old who sat disconsolately on the bench while his team mates pushed for a winner. That it did not come was a testament to his own dynamic contribution while he had been on the field.

Cavani should have claimed all three points for PSG. One diving header flashed past Ospina’s far post and he tried to lob the goalkeeper when he could have taken the ball into the area and deployed pure power.

Whether such profligacy will return to haunt PSG will be revealed on 6 December when PSG entertain Ludogorets Razgrad at the Parc des Princes. "We still have to play matchday six," said PSG boss Unai Emery. "But we are currently in top spot and of course that is important."

The likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lie in wait for runners-up.