SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: GROUP H: Shaktar Donetsk 2 Arsenal 1:ARSENAL WILL have to wait to ensure they are still playing Champions League football after Christmas.

And with Braga beating Partizan Belgrade to move within a victory of Arsene Wenger’s men and Shakhtar, this was the evening Group H got interesting, and concerning for the Frenchman.

He witnessed a frantic display from an Arsenal team that, though weakened, he had been keen to talk up beforehand.

Wenger had handed Craig Eastmond a debut Champions League outing knowing if Braga failed to win and his side drew against a team routed 5-1 in the reverse fixture Arsenal would be virtually guaranteed qualification for the knockout stages.

Eastmond, a 19-year-old holding midfielder, lined up alongside Jack Wilshere in Wenger’s now familiar 4-2-3-1 system, with Nicklas Bendtner making his fifth appearance of an injury-stunted season. Left behind from the Arsenal team that scrambled a 1-0 win over West Ham at the weekend had been Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Alex Song and Andrey Arshavin.

By the close of the first half Arsenal had problems despite opening the scoring from one of their classic counter-attacks. Following a Donetsk corner Wilshere, who appears to improve with every game of his nascent career, unloaded a weighted pass that set Theo Walcott off. Wenger had said before this match that his jet-heeled winger is nearing the moment when he can step into the main striker’s role and emulate Thierry Henry as the club’s goal-scoring machine.

Now came proof from Walcott. And it was from the position Henry so frequently exploited, cutting in from the left. Walcott’s first touch left the chasing Olexiy Gai a virtual statue and had the 21-year-old racing towards Andriy Pyatov. The second was a cool pass beyond the goalkeeper for the type of finish Henry patented during his eight years at Arsenal.

Yet from this moment the visitors lost control as Shakhtar created a series of chances before and after their equaliser, which came courtesy of Jadson. The Brazilian hit the post with a header before seconds later forcing Lukasz Fabianski into a sharp save, and he also had a shot blocked by Johan Djourou.

The noise in the Donbass Arena had been constant and on 28 minutes it rose to a delirious roar.

Emmanuel Eboue, playing at right-back for the rested Bacary Sagna, was again beaten by Jadson for pace. This time he fouled the attacker and was booked. Jadson curved the free-kick in from the left and Eastmond finished beyond Fabianski for an own-goal.

Shakhtar’s second came after Gael Clichy allowed himself to be mugged by Darijo Srna. The left-back should have been in control near his touchline but had the ball stolen before Srna motored towards goal and played in Eduardo.

After making no mistake with the finish the former Arsenal striker refused any ostentatious celebration, just as he had done at the Emirates last month.

Wenger’s frustrations continued once the second half began as his team again were overrun by the pace of Shakhtar. Willian was too easily escaping the defence to get in behind, and one run and pull-back into the area deserved a finish from a colleague.

Wilshere, too, might have done better when offered a sight of goal moments before but the 18-year-old pulled his shot wide.

Wenger had seen enough. He pulled off the unfortunate Eastmond for Carlos Vela, with Samir Nasri dropping in alongside Wilshere. This was now a test of not only the depth of Wenger’s resources but the ability of his players to pull a match from the fire in a hostile environment.

Yet while they continued their patient play there were still to many loose passes and not enough attention paid when defending – Luiz Adriano nearly claimed the third in a scramble to the ball that Fabianski only just won.

• Guardian Service

SHAKHTAR DONETSK:Pyatov, Srna, Chygrynskiy, Rakitskiy, Rat, Gai (Alex Teixeira 62), Hubschman, Jadson (Douglas Costa 74), Eduardo, Willian , Luiz Adriano (Moreno 88). Subs not used:Khudzamov, Kucher, Kobin, Stepanenko. Booked:Hubschman, Gai, Rat.

ARSENAL:Fabianski, Eboue, Squillaci, Djourou, Clichy, Eastmond (Vela 59), Wilshere, Walcott (Emmanuel-Thomas 82), Rosicky, Nasri, Bendtner (Chamakh 73). Subs not used:Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Lansbury. Booked:Eboue.

Referee:Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).