More the former as Arsenal started nervously and were unable to gain a foothold until late in the first half. By that time Dortmund were already one goal up.
An equalizer by Giroud and a strong finish to the half by the Gunners gave false hopes to Gunner fans as Arsenal started the second half just as poorly as they started the first.
But gradually Arsenal started to take control and the introduction of Santi Cazorla added a little more width and vigor to the attack.
However, Arsenal left themselves exposed and Lewandowski made them pay with less than ten minutes to play.
Worryingly the Gunners were unable to muster a response and ended the game conceding a string of petty fouls. Arsenal have now conceded control of their Champions League group and what looked like an early qualification to the next round now looks like it could be decided on the final night.
Player Ratings:
Szczesny 6. Wojciech was not particularly bad on either goal, but he wasn’t particularly good either. At least his distribution has improved.
Sagna 6. Delivered the cross that led to Arsenal’s first goal, but was caught upfield on Dortmund’s winning goal. Defensively, he made a number of key interventions.
Mertesacker 6. As the game became stretched and players got tired, he looked a little vulnerable, but for the most part he played quite well.
Koscielny 7. Another good game from Laurent who made a number of key interventions during the game.
Gibbs 5. At times he was unprotected, meaning he had a busy night trying to protect his flank. For the most part he did, but most of Dortmund’s threat emanated from his side.
Arteta 6. Arteta had a decent game, but the absence of Flamini meant that Arsenal looked a little vulnerable defending. At times in the first half they had great trouble getting the ball forward and things only improved as Dortmund tired in the second half and Arteta had more room.
Ramsey 5. Aaron looked like the Ramsey of old, he dithered on the ball and he made some bad passes. His extra touch allowed Dortmund to steal the ball and score their first. He never managed to impose himself on the match.
Ozil 6. Dortmund managed to bottle him up for most of the game, although he managed to become more effective late in the game. Was able to find some room on the right wing, but never managed to take control of the game.
Wilshere 6. Jack had a miserable first half with missed passes and a lack of control. He settled down and came more into the game, but an injury limited his effectiveness.
Rosicky 7. Was unlucky not to score in the first half. He had a good game but looked a step slow at times and the Dortmund players closed him down.
Giroud 8. My man of the match. Worked hard and his speed advantage over the Dortmund defenders made him a constant threat. He scored a poacher’s goal in the first half, was tripped on the edge of the box after he beat his man, set up Rosicky’s chance after he beat his man. Unfortunately, Arsenal were unable to create good chances for him in the second half and take advantage of his pace.
Substitutes:
Cazorla 7. He gave the Gunners some life and was unlucky not to score when his shot hit the crossbar. He also provided some width and his energy almost made a difference.
Bendtner n/a. Barely had time to break a sweat.
Gnabry n/a. Had just four minutes to make an impact.