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FT: A well taken Yaya Sanogo goal and a superb Alexis Sanchez finish secured all three points against a poor Borussia Dortmund side. I've been Conor de Smith and thank you for staying with us throughout the evening.

FT: Arsenal are through to the Champions League knock-out stages after this impressive win. Top spot is all still up for grabs in matchday six. Tonight's victors travel to play Galatasaray while Dortmund are at home to Anderlecht. The Premier League giants need an Anderlecht win and three points themselves to finish first.

FT: The other game in Group D ended Anderlecht 2-0 Galatasaray. The Turks have proved to be the whipping boys of this group, with the Belgians impressing.

FT: Borussia Dortmund were a poor second best tonight, by a long way. Possible signs of a Bundesliga hangover and knowing they have already qualified may have affected the lacklustre performance.

FT: Viktor Kassai blows for full time here at the Emirates Stadium. A thoroughly convincing performance from the home side. Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sanchez got the goals in a great team performance.

90' Substitute Ramos fires a shot away low towards Martinez's right, it is once again saved by the feet of the young goalkeeper. Good save, good performance.

90' There has been four minutes of time added on.

89' Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 100th Arsenal appearance is cut marginally short here. Joel Campbell takes his place.

88' With nobody up in support Alexis Sanchez still manages to win a costless-kick on the left corner of the box. He then recieves a standing ovation from the crowd, no wonder.

87' Dortmund have not offered a lot in an attacking sense, Aubameyang and Immobile failed to exploit the suffering Arsenal back line. However, it has been a highly professional performance from the 2006 Champions League finalists.

85' Fans have been very critical of Arsene Wenger's tactics in recent weeks, most notably the team's inability to shut out games. They have certainly done that here. Once Sanchez grabbed the second, the decision was made to shut up shop.

82' A Dortmund corner is worked to Gündogan on the edge of the area, his low shot does not trouble Martinez.

79' What looks to be a hamstring injury is forcing the first goalscorer off. Lukas Podolski quickly strips and takes his place. The German international may have expected to start tonight, with no Danny Welbeck or Olivier Giroud in the squad.

78' Großkreutz comes off for Jojic.

78' The home team are playing very deep and are keeping their shape. All players in their own half.

75' Alexis Sanchez celebrates his goal.

71' Good break from Arsenal following a brilliant turn from Aaron Ramsey, the Welshman's pass is deflected into the path of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The winger is then crowded out.

69' A clash of heads between Per Mertesacker and Ramos sees the former go off the pitch after gaining treatment.

68' Arteta has been improving every game this season. Fans will be hoping the injury is not too serious, with great performances at home to Anderlecht, Manchester United and now Borussia Dortmund.

66' Arteta has gone down through injury, and is now being replaced by Mathieu Flamini.

64' Klopp's side came out with a new lease of life but have been pegged back further by a red hot Alexis Sanchez. After their collapse against Anderlecht they will know the game is not over yet, but the Gunners are looking comfortable.

61' Ramos comes on for Aubameyang and Kagawa replaces Immobile.

59' Alexis Sanchez cuts inside and then unleashes a curling effort into the right hand side of the net.

57' FABULOUS GOAL FROM ALEXIS SANCHEZ! HE PUTS ARSENAL TWO UP IN THIS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH!

55' Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crashes a shot against the bar with a brilliant dipping strike. A high ball from Sanchez is taken down and allowed to bounce from the Ox, who hits the ball in the air. Weidenfeller was left flat-footed but unfortunately for Arsenal, it rattles the woodwork.

51' Alexis Sanchez has had a quiet game tonight but forces Weidenfeller in to a smart save. Arsenal's first opportunity of the half.

50' A poor headed clearance from Per Mertesacker is read well by Mkhitaryan. The resulting shot on the edge of the box is saved with ease.

48' Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan try to combine on the edge of the box but Monreal intercepts. This is a different looking Dortmund to the one who went down the tunnel 20 minutes ago.

46' Dortmund have started this half with a lot more intensity, epitomised by pressing on Sanogo from Bender and Gundogan.

46' Borussia Dortmund kick-off for the second-half. Can Arsenal hold on to this lead?

HT: Elsewhere, Liverpool are leading in Bulgaria and Anderlecht are 1-0 up against Galatasaray.

HT: As it stands Arsenal are heading into the last 16 of the Champions League. The FA Cup holders sit in second place on 10 points, five ahead of Anderlecht in third. Dortmund are still out in front on 12.

HT: The Gunners dominated early proceedings but fell away late in the first 45. Both have had three shots on goal, with just two on target between them. Arsenal, as expected, have had the lion's share of possession, 56% to be exact.

HT: The opener was Sanogo's first competitive goal for the club he joined in the Summer of 2013. The forward scored four goals in a pre-season friendly against Benfica but this will come as a relief for the player and the manager, who has bestowed faith in him on many occassions.

HT: There will be no minutes added on at the end of the first-half. The home side lead through a solitary goal from Yaya Sanogo, scored 73 seconds in.

44' A volley from Sven Bender, brother of Arsenal target Lars, is pounced upon by Martinez. Didn't look to be on target anyway.

39' First save of the game from Martinez. A ball is headed back into the path of Mkhitaryan, who takes a touch and gets a shot away from close range. The goalkeeper spreads himself very well and deflects it out for a corner with his knee.

37' Great pace from Gibbs down the left forces Piszczek to bring him down. Yellow card for the defender, the third of the night.

36' Arsenal need to learn from their mistakes of the weekend and kill them game off.

34' After news about Jonker reshaping the youth system away from Wenger's passing style, the senior team are playing great football so far tonight. BVB are hardly getting a look in.

30' Arsenal win another corner. Santi Cazorla looked boxed in from Immobile, but some sublime skill allowed the Spaniard time to pick out a cross.

29' First time Martinez has touched the ball. A poor cross from Piszczek finds its way into the arms of the 22-year-old.

27' Arsenal's second corner of the game is a poor one from Alexis. The jeering Dortmund supporters might have had something to do with it. Easily punched away by Weidenfeller.

25' The Polish international then finds himself in the Arsenal penalty area, going down after a challenge from Gibbs. The left-back managed to get a toe on the ball first, good decision from Viktor Kassai.

23' Łukasz Piszczek went down due to an arm in the face from Oxlade-Chamberlain. Nothing intentional, game resumes.

21' The Germans are starting to come in to the game more, with Mkhitaryan blazing the ball over the bar. Klopp will be unhappy with the final product on that occassion but will be happy chances are starting to arrive.

19' A outstanding ball in from Piszczek evades the inexperienced Arsenal 'keeper but just about misses his teammates also.

17' Arsenal are having the better of the ball in the opening exchanges. Had the final pass been better, the North London outfit could be two or three up.

15' Arteta is also booked for a poor foul on Mkhitaryan. Unnecessary challenge to make with the 25-year-old in his own half and going towards his own goal.

14' Clever wing play from Alexis Sanchez, who did not have his best game against Manchester United, forces Subotic in to a sliding tackle. It is poorly executed and the Serbian recieves the first booking of the night.

12' Arsenal's first corner of the game resulted in a famous Dortmund counter attack. A well timed Gibbs tackle prevented Aubameyang from scoring.

8' Ramsey flicks on a great pass to Yaya Sanogo, who raced away towards goal seemingly costless to get a shot away. Despite his goal, he did not look confident and subsequently cut inside before the shot was blocked.

5' Calum Chambers looks to have picked up an early knock here but seems to be moving fine. Arsenal do have Hector Bellerin on the bench, who looks an exciting prospect.

2' Beautiful link up play from Sanogo and Cazorla puts the Frenchman through on goal and the ball is calmly slotted under Weidenfeller. Great start to the game for Arsene Wenger, who would have been feeling the pressure the longer the game went goalless.

2' GOAL! YAYA SANOGO GETS HIS FIRST GOAL FOR ARSENAL!

1' Arsenal get things underway here at the Emirates Stadium.

7:44. Arsenal play in red shirt and white shorts while their opposition play in yellow and blac.

7:40. The two teams are coming out of the tunnel. Arsenal are lead by Mikel Arteta while Dortmund's captain is 'keeper Weidenfeller.

7:33. Sanogo will have his work cut out, Dortmund's back four have conceded just once in the Champions League this campaign. Central to that is Neven Subotic, the Serbian defender talked about luck being on their side: “Anderlecht, Arsenal and Galatasaray had at least one good chance per game and didn’t score a goal. I think the same chance in a Bundesliga game, the opponent scores the goal and immediately the game changes and we cannot play with the same dominance because teams then have to risk less.”

7:24. The Germans will be out in force tonight, the Dortmund fans always bring an atmosphere with them.

7:16. Arsenal's last four home defeats in Europe have all come against German sides (Bayern Munich twice, Dortmund, Schalke). However, Arsenal have won all six of their Champions League home games played on matchday five.

7:14. Dortmund have scored at least twice in five consecutive games in the Champions League for the first time ever.

7:07. The two goalscorers in the reverse fixture, Aubameyang and Immobile, start again tonight. Mkhitaryan also caused the Gunners problems last time out. Despite all the injury troubles, Dortmund look to have the stronger starting XI. Talent in the form of Kagawa, Durm and Kehl could all make an impact from the bench.

7:00. The official teamsheet shows Arsenal will set up in a 4-1-3-2 formation while Dortmund will play 4-2-3-1.

7:00. Borussia Dortmund substitutes - Langerak, Durm, Hornschuh, Kehl, Jojic, Kagawa and Ramos

6:56. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes his 100th Arsenal appearance tonight. The youngster made his debut for the club in 2011, after a hefty transfer from Southampton. The Englishman is the only Arsenal man to play every game this season with some fine performances, to boot. The explosive midfielder has scored 11 goals in 99 games in all competitions, with two coming this season. The Ox said: "To play 100 games is a really nice milestone, but hopefully there is a lot more to come as well."

6:51. Yaya Sanogo leads the Arsenal attack tonight with neither Welbeck or Giroud in the squad. Monreal starts at centre-back once again, however, Laurent Koscielny does make the bench.

6:50. Arsenal's substitutes - Huddart, Koscielny, Bellerin, Flamini, Rosicky, Campbell and Podolski.

6:49. Arsenal's starting XI - Martinez, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla, Sanogo.

6:45. Borussia Dortmund's starting XI - Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Ginter, Schmelzer, Gündogan, Bender, Großkreutz, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Immobile.

6:42. Borussia Dortmund all but have this group won, but there is still a possibility that they will finish second behind Arsenal. A win or a draw at Arsenal will see the Black and Yellows finish top of the standings but if BVB lose by fewer than three goals against Arsenal, a draw in the last game at home against Anderlecht will be enough for them to win the group. If they lose by four or more goals, BVB will need to achieve the same result against Anderlecht as Arsenal at Galatasaray.

6:35. BVB fans welcome the team coach.

6:30. The Borussia Dortmund team coach has just arrived at the ground, with team news imminent.

6:24. As is customary on every matchday, the two club's U19 teams played eachother yesterday. Arsenal came up trumps at Meadow Park with Stephy Mavididi tapping in Alex Iwobi’s cross. Yet another UEFA Youth League victory for the Gunners.

6:17. Arsenal's Premier League rivals Liverpool face off with surprise package Ludogorets, while Bayer Leverkusen host Monaco.

6:10. Arsenal - Borussia Dortmund is the third fixture in matchday five where an English team has faced German opposition. A Sergio Aguero hattrick inspired a Manchester City comeback against five time European Cup winners Bayern Munich. Roberto di Matteo's Schalke faced Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in Gelsenkirchen. Di Matteo could not mastermind a victory against his former side, losing 5-0 on the night.

6:05. The Dortmund players trained on the pitch last night.

5:45. We are now just two hours away from the start of Arsenal - Borussia Dortmund Live. Make sure to send in your score predictions to @ArsenalVAVEL on Twitter.

5:38. Officiating the game will be Viktor Kassai of Hungary. The 39-year-old has participated at the 2010 World Cup finals and took charge of the 2011 Champions League Final at Wembley. He will be familiar to Arsenal fans as he took charge of the Gunners' 2-0 almost catastrophic defeat to Napoli in 2013, where he sent of Mikel Arteta.

5:35. Arsene has been manager of Arsenal since 1996 and reached the final of this competition 10-years later. The quality may not be there to achieve the same feat this time around but Le Prof seemingly believes in his team, he said:

"I personally feel that there’s a very strong bond inside the team and the club, and that this team will have a very strong season. I am ready to bet with you on that.

"I believe in what I do and I especially believe in my players, and in their quality and spirit. I question myself every day."

5:33. Arsene Wenger has come under some criticism of late, with poor results coming either side of the international break. Some of said criticism came from shareholder Alisher Usmanov, the Russian business tycoon proclaiming Wenger is holding the club back. The Frenchman responded by saying:

"In the 18 years I have been here I have shown that I can take criticism, everybody has the right to have an opinion.

"Having said that, we have values at this club. The first one is when we go through a difficult patch, we show solidarity. That is a very important one. The second one is that, when you have something to say to each other, we say it face to face. We don’t need to go to the newspapers.

"I don’t take [criticism] personally at all but when you’re from this club, you’re from this club. You’re in or out, you cannot be both."

5:31. The former Mainz manager also made light of his poor league form, suggesting this break away from the Bundesliga was like a 'holiday'. He said:

“In the Bundesliga, we have real pressure. Against Arsenal I cannot change the Bundesliga situation, so it is a little bit like a holiday. The pressure I make myself is more than enough. There is unfinished business with Dortmund in this moment. This is a real big challenge. I feel maximum of responsibility.”

5:30. In the build up to the game much has been made of Jürgen Klopp's links to replace current Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in recent years. The coach was quick to address that issue yesterday, stating:

“I don’t think about my future at this moment,” he said. “I was asked [last week] about what I might do after Dortmund. I said it was possible that if somebody called me, then we could talk about it. But that is all. Timing is very important in each part of life.

“This is unfinished business with Dortmund at this moment. This is a real big challenge. I feel the maximum of responsibility for this. It is easy to feel responsible for winning games but it is much more difficult to handle this feeling now. I try to do my best, to handle the problems we have and get better results. This is real hard work at this moment.”

5:28. There are also concerns for Sven Bender, Mats Hummels, Oliver Kirch, Nuri Sahin, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Jakub BÅ‚aszczykowski. All of which are highly influential for Die Schwarzgelben and each will be sorely missed if forced to sit out.

5:27. The visitors are facing an injury crisis of their own, up to eight players remain doubtful over their inclusion in the starting XI. One notable absence is talisman Marco Reus, the 25-year-old suffered yet another injury setback after tearing ligaments in his ankle in the draw with Paderborn.

5:25. Long term absentees Mesut Ozil, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Abou Diaby will not travel. Young goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will certainly deputise in goal for his Polish counterpart, like he did against Anderlecht last time out.

5:23. Similarly, Theo Walcott has been ruled out with a groin problem and 'keeper Wojciech Szczęsny also misses out. However, Wenger disclosed in his pre-match press conference that centre-back Laurent Koscielny is in the squad, as is forward Danny Welbeck. The former has been out of action for some time and has left his team desperately short at the back, forcing Nacho Monreal to fill in. The inclusion of Welbeck is equally as vital with the returning Olivier Giroud ineligible after being left out of the Champions League squad.

5:22. Arsenal received both good and bad injury news going into tonight's fixture. Firstly, it has been revealed that Jack Wilshere faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in a challenge with Paddy McNair on Saturday evening. The England international has been plagued with injuries throughout his career and it comes as no shock to the Emirates faithful that he could be out of action for three months.

5:20. The most recent meeting came just over a couple of months ago. Jürgen Klopp's men calmly dispatched of the visitors, who put in a dismal performance at the Signal Iduna Park. Two goals either side of half-time from Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the game to bed. You can look the highlights of that game below:

5:17. The Gunners first dueld with Die Borussen at Highbury in 2002. The then double winners secured the victory courtesy of a deflected Dennis Bergkamp strike and a swift counter attack finished off by Freddie Ljungberg.

5:15. Matches between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have become commonplace in recent years. The duo have come together five times in just four years, with the seeding system still judging BVB as a pot two team. The statistics show it is very hard to separate them and tonight will be no different, three wins each and a further draw ensure that these clashes are very closely contested.

5:12. As for the Borussia Dortmund, the German giants currently sit in the bottom three of the Bundesliga after a horrendous start to 2014/15. The 2012 champions remain eight points off a Champions League spot with seven losses to their famous name. Results have picked up of late, securing four points out of a possible six in the league. Advantation to the next stage of DFB Pokal and the Champions League has kept the fans behind their much acclaimed manager.

5:09. Recent defeats to Swansea City and Manchester United respectively, have left fans bemused at both the team and their manager. These two losses followed the club's first back-to-back league wins of the current campaign, overcoming Sunderland before a victory over newly promoted Burnley. Premier League action resumes at the Hawthorns for the Gunners, a lunchtime kick-off against West Brom.

5:08. Both clubs aren't enjoying the best domestic form either. The North London outfit have won just four Premier League games all season and crashed out of the Capital One Cup against Southampton. A poor string of results has left the FA Cup holders in eighth place, 15 points behind leaders Chelsea.

5:05. The clash between two of Europe's heavyweights takes place at the Emirates Stadium, with kick-off to take place at 7:45pm (GMT). The 60,272 capacity arena has been ever present in the Champions League since it was opened in 2006. It first hosted a European meeting when Arsene Wenger's men dispatched of Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in a third round qualifier. The tie ended 5-1 on aggregate, with Freddie Ljungberg, Mathieu Flamini and future Gunner Eduardo da Silva getting on the scoresheet.

5:03. The two sides are having contrasting European campaigns this season. Dortmund have already advanced to the next round and recorded maximum points from their four games, while Arsenal have dropped five points so far.

5:01. Tonight's fixture helps conclude matchday five of the 2014 Champions League, with plenty still up for grabs in Group D. If the points are shared then the home side will qualify for the next stage, while their opponents will be confirmed as group winners.

5:00. Hello and welcome to VAVEL's live coverage of Arsenal - Borussia Dortmund. I am Conor de Smith and will be bringing you pre-match build up as well as live commentary of the game itself.

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About the author
Conor de Smith
Trying to make it in journalism. Contributing to VAVEL since July 2013.