Arsenal 2 Borussia Dortmund 1:THE CHAMPIONS League is Arsenal's pleasant and parallel universe. They still have a bit more work ahead to regain their customary status in the Premier League, but where European competition is concerned Manchester United and Manchester City have to look up at them with envy.

Arsenal, with this defeat of Borussia Dortmund, have won their group with a match to spare.

The tournament has been therapeutic for Arsene Wenger and his squad. It was where they stored their confidence this season, winning away to Udinese in the qualifying round, when misery lay in wait on the domestic scene.

In this match, Abou Diaby returned from long injury and was on the field to relish Robin van Persie’s second goal as the Dutchman, in the 86th minute, struck home from a Thomas Vermaelen header at a corner kick. Shinji Kagawa’s goal for Dortmund in stoppage time was an irrelevance.

The match opened with the visitors full of conviction in their insistent attacking style. If Arsenal seemed almost inhibited by comparison, it was because they were not galvanised by the sense of jeopardy felt by Dortmund.

But Wenger’s side had been far from passive. Unlike Wojciech Szczesny, his opposite number, Roman Weidenfeller, was obliged to come tearing out of the penalty area to concede a throw-in when Theo Walcott was on the verge of running free on the right.

The challenge was great for Dortmund and grew steeper still. It was bad enough that Sven Bender should have to be taken off after Vermaelen’s boot caught him in the face, but far worse that Mario Gotze, the young midfielder reportedly coveted by Arsenal among others, also had to leave the match through injury following a collision with Alex Song.

Unpredictability had been anticipated, but the match did not suddenly teem with incident and the goalkeepers were not taxed unduly. At that stage, Dortmund most likely reckoned that one part of their plan had been effective since they had sustained no damage, with the exception of the harm done through those enforced substitutions.

There was a sense, too, that Van Persie, with his outstanding form of late, has become a little too prominent in the Arsenal ranks. It can appear at times as if scoring is his special responsibility. Dortmund, fully conscious of that idea, had some success in blotting him out before the interval.

Only in the 45th minute were Dortmund slightly flustered as Walcott’s teasing low ball caused Weidenfeller some unease.

The 0-0 half-time score would not in itself have alarmed Arsenal, but there had been an ambivalence to Wenger’s tactics. While they did go forward, the attacks were dutiful, as if it was a contractual requirement for a home team. But Arsenal could afford patience.

Jurgen Klopp’s side opened the second half purposefully, but the flurries in the Arsenal penalty area quickly gave way to an opener for Wenger’s men.

As if relief were not enough there was also delight to the breakthrough in the 49th minute, with Alex Song, nominally a defensive midfielder, bursting between Sebastian Kehl and Lukasz Piszczek before crossing towards the far post, where Van Perise put his team in front with a downward header.

Arsenal could have extended the lead after an hour but Gervinho, having gone clear on Aaron Ramsey’s through ball, attempted to run past the goalkeeper and so allowed the covering Felipe Santana the opportunity to concede just a corner.

Dortmund showed intent regardless of those injuries to influential figures.

Wenger’s side had no such urgency to impel them and it looked, on occasion, as if they reckoned on catching the visitors on the break. Regardless of the means Arsenal were on course for the last 16.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Koscielny (Djourou 83), Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Song, Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott (Diaby 85), van Persie, Gervinho (Benayoun 74). Subs not used: Fabianski, Arshavin, Frimpong, Chamakh. Booked: Walcott, Ramsey, Benayoun.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND: Weidenfeller, Schmelzer, Hummels, Felipe Santana, Piszczek, Grosskreutz, Kehl (Barrios 63), Kagawa, Bender (Leitner 24), Gotze (Perisic 28), Lewandowski. Subs not used: Langerak, Blaszczykowski, Gundogan, Owomoyela. Booked: Schmelzer.

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).