Sevilla ... 3 Arsenal ... 1: Wenger got performances from Emmanuel Eboue and Nicklas Bendtner but Sevilla merited the success. Arsenal's complexion was paler than usual.
It is a question that has swirled for some months. How will Arsene Wenger's bold young blend respond to the adversity of defeat? The game will now find out. On a tumultuous night in Spain, Wenger courted risk with his team selection, leaving a host of established names from his starting team.
Sevilla made him pay with a performance of high-octane class. They scored twice inside 10 minutes, through Seydou Keita and Luis Fabiano, before Frederic Kanoute set the seal on a victory that means Sevilla jump over Arsenal to the top of Group H.
With passions boiling, Wenger clashed with Eric Braamhaar, the referee, who had an indifferent evening, and he was ordered from his technical area. He spent the final 10 minutes peering from over an advertising hoarding as his team tried but failed to come back. They were finally buried by Kanoute's precision penalty.
Wenger made seven changes from the team that beat Wigan on Saturday, his "gamble" of leaving William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor at home supplemented by the surprise omissions from the starting line-up of Bacary Sagna and Tomas Rosicky.
The atmosphere was frenzied at kick-off yet Arsenal inflicted a blow, following a lightning counter, that momentarily sucked the breath from the Sevillistas. Emmanuel Eboue's backheel down the line on the right was audacious and it stayed in for Nicklas Bendtner, who flung over a cross that eluded Federico Fazio and found Eduardo. There was suddenly gilt-edged opportunity and although Daniel Alves muscled back, Eduardo showed his strength to withstand him before drawing Andres Palop, the goalkeeper, and poking home.
Keita restored parity and Luis Fabiano glanced them in front, from Alves' free-kick.
After the break the spotlight shifted to Braamhaar, on 65 minutes when Senderos leaned into Alves' cross with his upper arm. The ball struck him there and Braamhaar pointed to the spot. He was swayed, however, after consultation with his linesman and he rescinded the award. Braamhaar finally gave a penalty when Toure and Sagna, on as a substitute, pulled Kanoute back.
SEVILLA:Palop, Daniel, Fazio, Dragutinovic, Crespo (Mosquera 63), Jesus Navas, Poulsen, Keita, Adriano Correia (Marti 90), Luis Fabiano (Kerzhakov 75), Kanoute. Subs Not Used: De Sanctis, Renato, De Mul, Kone. Booked: Crespo, Adriano Correia, Palop, Keita.
ARSENAL:Almunia, Justin Hoyte (Sagna 66), Toure, Senderos, Traore, Eboue, Fabregas (Rosicky 56), Silva, Denilson, Eduardo (Walcott 81), Bendtner. Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Diarra, Flamini, Song Billong. Booked: Justin Hoyte, Denilson.
Referee: Eric Braamhaar (Holland).
