Arsenal's early joy stifled by Perisic's late equaliser

Robin van Persie gave Arsenal the lead shortly before half time (GETTY IMAGES)

It was not quite a coming of age for the new model Arsenal, but Arsène Wenger's deadline-day restructuring almost bore rich fruit in the Ruhr last night. The Gunners were two minutes from an impressive victory when the Bundesliga champions finally ended Wojciech Szczesny's defiance with a spectacular goal to cancel out Robin van Persie's 42nd-minute strike.

The timing of Ivan Perisic's equaliser meant the match felt like a defeat in the immediate aftermath, but given Arsenal's shambolic first half-hour they should be happy with a draw. With Marseilles defeating Olympiakos in Greece, Champions League Group F is already shaping up to be a three-horse race, and this may prove to be a vital point.

Wenger had described the Westfalenstadion as the temple of German football and it was hard to disagree as the ground filled up with worshippers. As kick-off approached it also became a wall of sound as Dortmund celebrated their return to the Champions League after a nine-year absence.

In such an atmosphere cool heads were required and Wenger opted for Yossi Benayoun ahead of Emmanuel Frimpong. Picking and briefing the team was the limit of Wenger's influence for this match, though, as he sat out the first tie of his two-match touchline ban, imposed for breaching the conditions of his previous ban. Pat Rice thus took charge while Wenger cut a frustrated figure in the executive seats.

The early exchanges were even, with both sides having chances in the sixth minute. Gervinho was denied by Roman Weidenfeller after Van Persie had forced himself into the box, then from the counter-attack Kevin Grosskreutz drove over. Three minutes later a simple ball over the top released Shinji Kagawa but he also blazed over. Dortmund should have taken the lead in the 10th minute when a clever dinked pass freed Robert Lewandowski. The Pole skipped round his international team-mate, goalkeeper Szczesny (above), but Bacary Sagna got back to hack Lewandowski's shot off the line.

Lewandowski had another chance to beat his compatriot when another Pole, Lukasz Piszczek, picked him out with a right-wing cross. It was a free header, but Lewandowski headed straight into Szczesny's hands.

Gradually Arsenal settled. Van Persie, leading by example, closed down Kehl and intercepted his slack pass. As the ball rolled to Theo Walcott, Van Persie turned and sprinted forward; Walcott slipped the ball between Hummels and Kehl, and Van Persie fired past Weidenfeller.

Dortmund came at Arsenal after the restart, and it was all hands to the pump at the back. The helpless Wenger sat tormented through all this, and must have been in agony when Perisic hooked home a stunning first-time volley in the 88th minute.