Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal: Olivier Giroud sent off as Gunners' Champions League bid stumbles at the first hurdle despite late Theo Walcott lifeline

• The hosts opened the scoring after a break from Josip Pivaric led to an own goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
• Olivier Giroud was guilty of missing several opportunities before being sent off for a second bookable offence 
• Junior Fernandes rose up to head home Croatian's second goal before Theo Walcott threw Gunners a late lifeline

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail

Published: 15:39 EST, 16 September 2015 | Updated: 02:36 EST, 17 September 2015

An earth tremor in Zagreb failed to trouble Arsenal on the eve of this game but they suffered an aftershock and Olivier Giroud’s self-control disintegrated.

He was sent off five minutes before half-time for the second of two needless yellow cards as the European campaign started with defeat for Arsene Wenger’s team.

Arsenal were already trailing by the time a lazy tackle prompted Giroud’s dismissal, soon after his first booking for dissent. He trudged off complaining about the injustice while Wenger fumed. 

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Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud protests after being sent off towards the end of the opening half for a second bookable offence

The France international leaves the pitch dejected after being seeing red for a rash tackle towards the end of the first half

Dinamo Zagreb full back Josip Pivaric celebrates after his effort led to an own goal off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal players trudge back to the centre circle after Junior Fernandes doubled the Croatians' lead in the second half

Substitute Theo Walcott threw the Gunners a late lifeline with a neat finish from Alexis Sanchez's through ball

‘The sending-off was very harsh,’ he said. ‘Yes, he was rash. The first yellow is Giroud’s fault because he protested. Even if it was not a foul against him, he should not have responded to the referee. The second, he is unlucky to touch the guy. I don’t understand the referee. It was accidental.’

The manager grumbled into the ear of the fourth official but privately he must have been furious with the France forward he had restored to the side.

Dinamo Zagreb stretched their lead soon after the break and hung on, despite a late goal by Theo Walcott. As wild celebrations unfolded in the Maksimir Stadium, Arsenal filed off with heads bowed, having handed the initiative to Bayern Munich in Group F and surrendered momentum ahead of Saturday’s derby at Chelsea.

Wenger ought to be taking his team across London in confident mood, not nursing wounds.

But he accepted some blame for the wholesale team changes which helped Dinamo extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 42 matches and record their first victory in the Champions League since the turn of the century.

‘When you don’t win you have to look at yourself and think you haven’t got it right,’ said Wenger. ‘I don’t believe the players who came in had a bad game but it didn’t work. We lacked cohesion in some situations. We were not at our best but nor was the referee. We can still qualify without any problem.’

With Chelsea in mind, Wenger made six changes to the team that beat Stoke on Saturday. David Ospina, Mikel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs started their first games of the season. Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey stayed at home, and Petr Cech sat on the bench.

Giroud replaced Walcott up front and he attracted the early chances.He forced the first save of the night from goalkeeper Eduardo, with a firm header from a corner taken by Santi Cazorla. He was then closed out by Leonardo Sigali, after a good approach from Alexis Sanchez, and hit a post. When the rebound spilled back his way, he was denied again by the keeper. 

The France international almost opened the scoring with a towering header only to be denied by a superb save 

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez was typically full of energy as he battled with Zagreb's Ivo Pinto

Giroud missed another chance after heading against the upright following a superb run and cross by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Giroud's header rebounds off the post but the under fire striker could not adjust his feet in time to force it home

The 28-year-old contrived to skew the rebound wide despite being only inches away from the goalmouth 

Oxlade-Chamberlain consoles Giroud after the Arsenal centre-forward added to his list of missed opportunities 

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil (centre) tries to find a pass through the hosts' stubborn defence, which was set up to thwart the Gunners

 Mesut Ozil covered more ground than he is sometimes given credit for - CLICK HERE for more goals, stats and heat maps from our brilliant Match Zone

Arsenal No 1 David Ospina can only watch as his save ricochets off Oxlade-Chamberlain and in for the opening goal

Defender Josip Pivaric (left) celebrates after his well-timed break led to Dinamo taking the lead through an own goal

Arsenal youngster Oxlade-Chamberlain rubs his face in frustration after conceding the opener through an own goal

Giroud was unable to contain his frustration. He was booked for dissent when a free-kick went against him, and it soon got worse for Arsenal.

El Arbi Hillel Soudani slid a pass behind Mathieu Debuchy to release Josip Pivaric on goal. Ospina dashed out to save from the left back but the ricochet crashed into Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and flew into the net. After some confusion, UEFA awarded the goal to Pivaric. It was the first conceded by Arsenal for a month. Wenger claimed it was offside.

Debuchy and Arteta were badly off the pace in the opening half, and the goal lifted the home crowd.

Up went the volume another notch when Giroud was dismissed for a second yellow card, given for a trip from behind on Ivo Pinto. It may have been an innocuous foul, but referee Ovidiu Hategan judged it to be cynical. 

Arsenal defender Gabriel (left) wins a header in front of Zagreb's Leonardo Sigali during a set piece

The referee shows a second yellow card to Giroud after the struggling Frenchman's rash tackle on a Dinamo player

Having earlier being cautioned for dissent, Giroud is sent off while team-mate Santi Cazorla argues his case

Giroud, who was heavily criticised for his performance for France during the international break, trudges off the pitch

The Frenchman looks dejected as he leaves his team with only 10 men after being sent off in the opening half

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reacts with disdain to the referee's decision to send Giroud off

Ozil came close to bringing Arsenal level in the second half but could not find a way past the Zagreb keeper

Arsenal keeper Ospina is beaten for a second time after a lapse of concentration allowed Zagreb's Fernandes to head home

Sanchez and Ozil's heads hang as they prepare for the restart after going two goals down at the Maksimir Stadium 

Walcott returned to scoring at the stadium where he once netted a hat-trick for England, to briefly bring Arsenal back into the game

Walcott's late goal could not prevent the Croatians from notching a first ever victory over a Premier League side

Dinamo Zagreb keeper Eduardo and team-mate Ivo Pinto embrace on the pitch after a memorable victory for the Croatian champions

Dinamo ought to have tightened their grip soon after the restart when Soudani missed a sitter from close range.

The Algeria international tarnished an excellent personal display by heading against a post from only two yards when a corner was flicked his way. Soudani also screwed the rebound wide and Arsenal escaped briefly.

Debuchy, who continued to struggle, made a terrific block to thwart Junior Fernandes, but Arsenal could not keep out the same player from the corner which followed.

Fernandes attacked the ball at the near post and crashed a header past Ospina.

Wenger made three changes in a bid to rescue something from the match, sending on Walcott, Francis Coquelin and Joel Campbell.

Walcott, who scored a hat-trick for England on his previous visit to this venue, struck 11 minutes from time with a clinical finish after accelerating on to a pass from Sanchez.

This time, however, there were no further heroics from the Zagreb dynamo. 

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