Mangala 3             Bendtner 45

Jovanovic 5 (pen) Vermaelen 78

Eduardo 81

Injury-ravaged Arsenal fought back from two goals down inside five minutes to clinch what was far from the expected routine opening win in Group H.

Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva’s ban from this game for diving in the qualifying round tie against Celtic was only rescinded this week. And he had the proverbial last laugh, forcing home the winner from close range.

His goal came three minutes after a controversial equaliser which had been set up by a clear handball from the Gunners’ Alexander Song.

Arsenal were shorn of nine first-team regulars and were two-down before their third-choice goalkeeper, Italian Vito Mannone, had even touched the ball.

On three minutes, Eduardo’s reckless back-heel twenty-five yards from his own goal set up Eliaquim Mangala and the teenage French defender drilled a low left-foot shot past Mannone’s left-hand.

In the next attack, Milan Jovanovic latched on to a mistake by Emmanuel Eboue, ran at the heart of Arsenal’s defence and was clipped as he tried to cut inside William Gallas inside the box. The Serbian winger sent Mannone the wrong way from the spot.

Arsenal dominated first-half possession but had to wait until stoppage-time to grab a lifeline in the game, Nicklas Bendtner nutmegging Standard Liege keeper Sinan Bolat’s after running onto a fine pass from Abou Diaby.

The Gunners were grateful for some fine defending by Gael Clichy as they made a sloppy start to the second half.

But they were soon dominating possession again and equalised with eleven minutes on the clock.

Centre-back Thomas Vermaelen, playing in his native Belgium, bundled home the ugliest of goals after an offside-looking Song had, literally, pushed a far-post Cesc Fabregas free-kick into his path.

And victory came courtesy of Eduardo’s well-placed left knee on 81 minutes, as he diverted home a Fabregas corner from inside the six-yard box.