Wenger rages as Arsenal flop

With his team's 28-game unbeaten run grinding to an abrupt halt in Seville, Wenger chose to engage in an argument with controversial referee Eric Braamhaar over the play-acting of the Spanish team.

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It ended with his expulsion from the technical area but he refused to retreat down the tunnel, ignoring several requests from the fourth official to go.

He watched the final few minutes from behind a UEFA sign at the back of the bench but the view did not get any better as Sevilla scored a third from the penalty spot to leave Arsenal struggling to top the group.

Afterwards, he branded the behaviour of the fourth official as "shocking".

It had been a gamble to rest senior players before three away games in eight days — at Aston Villa, Newcastle and Middlesbrough — and field an inexperienced team against such dangerous opponents.

He may live to regret it, even though he insisted he did not.

The Gunners lost the motivational tool of their long unbeaten run and though qualification is assured, they have also surrendered the initiative at the top of Group H.

Wenger said: "An unbeaten record in the Champions League is not important. We had to make decisions because we have a very important December. We had to make choices between the competitions. December for me is about the Premier League."

Arsenal must now hope for a favour from Slavia Prague, who play Sevilla as the Londoners finish at home to Steaua Bucharest, but they may now face a tough tie against one of the other group winners.

This was their first defeat since they lost at home to West Ham in early April and it was deserved.

This Arsenal team were no match for the slick and stylish football of a mid-table team in Spain's Primera Liga.

As always, Wenger's team made their own pretty contributions to a brilliant game, played at a fierce tempo in a frenzied atmosphere, but Sevilla dominated.

As Sevilla celebrated on the pitch at the final whistle, it was hard to recall how well it had all started for Arsenal with Eduardo's wonderfully worked opener in the 11th minute.

A backheel from Emmanuel Eboue released Nicklas Bendtner down the right flank and his swerving cross was badly misjudged by Federico Fazio.

Eduardo collected the ball on his chest, held off the challenge of Alves and skipped around goalkeeper Andres Palop before angling the ball home.

A mistake by Philippe Senderos gave Sevilla the chance to get back in the game.

He sliced a simple clearance to Jesus Navas and, although Gilberto raced back to cut out the cross, his clearance fell straight to Seydou Keita, who shaped the ball past Manuel Almunia with the outside of his left boot.

It was the first goal conceded by the Gunners in this season's Champions League. The second followed 10 minutes later.

Fabiano escaped his marker to head home a free-kick from the excellent Alves.

Eboue was convinced he deserved a penalty when a clumsy challenge from Christian Poulsen sent him sprawling but Dutch referee Braamhaar ignored the appeal.

Braamhaar was the man in charge of Manchester United's controversial win away to Lille last season, when the French team threatened to walk off after Ryan Giggs scored from a quickly-taken free-kick.

He was extremely unpopular here when he awarded the home team a 65th-minute penalty and then changed his mind.

A cross from Alves smacked into the chest of Senderos and Braamhaar pointed to the spot, only to change his mind after consulting a linesman, sending the home crowd berserk.

That was forgotten when he gave a penalty for a foul on Fredi Kanoute by Bacary Sagna and Kolo Toure, which Kanoute coolly tucked away.

SEVILLA (4-4-2): Palop 6; Alves 7, Dragutinovic 6, Fazio 5, Crespo 6 (Mosquera 63 6); Navas 7, Poulsen 6, Keita 7, Adriano 6; Kanoute 7, Fabiano 8 (Kerzhakov 75 6). Booked: Crespo, Adriano, Palop.

ARSENAL (4-5-1): Almunia 6; Hoyte 6 (Sagna 66 6), Toure 6, Senderos 5, Traore 5; Eboue 7, Gilberto 6, Fabregas 5 (Rosicky 56 6), Denilson 5, Eduardo 6; Bendtner 7. Booked: Hoyte, Denilson.

Man of the match: Luis Fabiano.

Referee: Eric Braamhaar (Hol)