Chamakh 71

                                                                                  Squillaci 82

Arsenal made harder work than expected of Serbian champions FC Partizan in a lively UEFA Champions League Group H encounter.

The game was nearly postponed after pre-match floodlight problems. And the Gunners were similarly slow to get going, before taking the lead with their first attack on 15 minutes.

Andrei Arshavin fired low past Partizan keeper Vladimir Stojkovic from Jack Wilshere’s deft backheel.

Arsenal then created numerous chances, only to be denied by a string of fine Stojkovic saves and Marko Jovanovic’s athletic goalline clearance.

But Partizan equalised against this run of play when Cleo confidently struck home a penalty after Denilson foolishly handled Radoslav Petrovic’s cross on 31 minutes.

Arsenal failed from the spot on 56 minutes when Arshavin drilled his spot-kick at Stojkovic after Jovanovic was red-carded for upending Marouane Chamakh in the area.

But Chamakh did put Arsenal ahead on 71 minutes, heading home the rebound after his own deflected header from Tomas Rosicky’s right-wing cross hit the bar.

And Sebastien Squillaci’s near-post header from substitute Samr Nasri’s corner sealed victory.

Partizan also wasted a penalty late on, Cleo’s kick being superbly saved by under-fire Gunners’ keeper Lukasz Fabianski after Kieran Gibbs’ clumsy challenge on Ivan Stevanovic.