Podolski saves insipid Arsenal after Anderlecht horror show

Gunners celebrate Arsene Wenger's 65th birthday with an undeserved victory in Belgium

Anthony Vanden Borre of Anderlecht battles with Lukas Podolski of Arsenal
(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty)

Anderlecht 1 Arsenal 2. It's every football reporter's worst nightmare: stoppage time is fast approaching and, with the copy written and waiting to be filed, two goals in two minutes turn the match on its head.

That was what happened on Wednesday night in Arsenal's Group D encounter with Anderlecht. For 89 minutes Arsenal were awful. Actually, throw in a few more adjectives: embarrassing, insipid, pathetic. In a season littered with poor performances the Gunners had sunk to new depths on the day Arsene Wenger turned 65.

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Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.