By VIKKI ORVICE
Published: 12 Dec 2007
ARSENE WENGER had no need to hide in a laundry basket during his Champions League touchline ban.
Arsenal barely had to step out of first gear against the whipping boys of Group H.
In fact, even the laundry lady could have taken charge for this game and still notched up a victory.
Wenger’s great rival Jose Mourinho once famously hid in a laundry basket to get in the dressing room after being handed a Euro ban at Chelsea.
Goals from Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner were not enough for the Gunners to top the group, with Seville beating Slavia Prague.
They could now find themselves up against Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC or Inter Milan when the second-round draw is made next Friday.
Wenger insisted last night it makes no difference, having topped the group last year only to later go out to PSV Eindhoven.
Under-strength
And he remains confident his team are good enough to beat anyone. Middlesbrough, of course, may beg to differ.
The Frenchman was missing from the bench after being dismissed from the dug-out during Arsenal’s defeat in Seville last month and handed a one-match ban.
But watching from the directors’ box, he was content to field an under-strength team, mindful of resting players ahead of Sunday’s massive Premier League showdown against bitter rivals Chelsea.
Wenger, already without the injured Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini, left out Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Tomas Rosicky.
He even handed a start to out-of-favour goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, playing for the first time since the 1-1 draw at Blackburn on August 19.
After a sparkling start to the season, Arsenal have hit a sticky patch. The Premier League leaders had won just one of their last four games and lost 2-1 at Boro on Sunday, their first league defeat.
Wenger had called on his side to prove they were a �big team� by bouncing back from that shock setback.
And starlets Bendtner, Theo Walcott, Philippe Senderos and Denilson rose to the challenge, all keen to impress ahead of the Chelsea clash.
Wenger’s gamble paid off when Arsenal went ahead after eight minutes.
Walcott crossed the ball to the right with Bacary Sagna threading it through to midfielder Diaby.
Mihai Nesu was left standing and Diaby had time and space to shoot past Robinson Zapata into the top left-hand corner.
Fit-again striker Robin van Persie, making his first start since suffering a knee injury on October 7, had set up Walcott in the fourth minute, only for the 18-year-old’s effort to go inches wide of the right post.
Diaby could have made it 2-0 on 12 minutes after rounding Adrian Neaga but his shot was tipped over by Zapata.
Bendtner, 19, was rewarded for his efforts, getting his second goal in four matches in the 42nd minute. Van Persie set him up and he edged out Ionut Rada and the hapless Nesu before firing home. As for Lehmann, he barely broke sweat such was the paucity of the Romanians’ attack.
It took 69 minutes for the visitors to get into the Arsenal area — and they scored.
Sub Romeo Surdu, whose No 84 shirt shows where he is in the pecking order, crossed to Dorel Zaharia who shot past Lehmann’s outstretched hands. For once he was not to blame.
Steaua, bottom of the group and struggling in the Romanian league, were given a masterclass in passing and movement.
Owner Gigi Becali plans to save their season by using techniques he learnt as a shepherd.
Last night, they were like lambs to the slaughter.
Arsenal: Lehmann 6, Sagna 8, Senderos 6, Gallas 6, Traore 7, Walcott 7, Song 6, Denilson 7, Diaby 7, Van Persie 7, Bendtner 6. Subs: Eduardo (for Van Persie 64min) 5, Eboue (Sagna 70) 5, Diarra (Diaby 70) 5. Not used: Fabianski, Toure, Gilberto, Adebayor. Booked: Bendtner.
REF: Y Baskakov 6.