Paris St Germain 1-1 Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez snatches draw

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, centre, scores his side's equaliser at the Parc des Princes. Picture: AP Photo/Christophe Ena

The Gunners got off to the worst possible start when Edinson Cavani headed the hosts ahead inside a minute, but he would go on to waste a number of gilt-edged opportunities before Sanchez struck to snatch a 1-1 draw.

There was late drama as Arsenal substitute Olivier Giroud tangled with Marco Verratti in an off-the-ball incident which saw them both sent off by referee Viktor Kassai.

Arsene Wenger opted to field David Ospina in goal for Arsenal but the Colombian was picking the ball out of his net after just 41 seconds.

There was nothing Ospina could do as Cavani rose unmarked to head home Serge Aurier’s pinpoint cross.

It could have been worse for the Gunners were it not for a superb block by Laurent Koscielny.

His defensive partner Shkodran Mustafi gifted possession to the hosts, who cut through their opponents with superb touches from Cavani and Angel Di Maria, but Adrien Rabiot saw his effort stopped by Koscielny.

Ospina was then forced to tip over a Di Maria corner as the former Manchester United winger appeared to shoot directly from the set-piece.

Alex Iwobi had Arsenal’s first chance, but his shot was blocked behind for a corner.

Cavani then spurned two glorious chances to put clear daylight between the sides. First he beat Koscielny to a loose ball after Nacho Monreal had cut out a through pass and rounded the onrushing Ospina, but could only fire wide. The Uruguayan then fluffed his lines when in behind  following a pass from Maxwell.

Arsenal started the second half on the front foot, but PSG quickly regained control and Wenger turned to his bench, introducing Giroud in place of the ineffective Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Arsenal boss was also planning to introduce Lucas Perez, but his side were soon level. Mesut Ozil flashed in a low cross from which Iwobi’s drive was kept out by PSG keeper Alphonse Areola, but the ball found its way to Sanchez, whose shot arrowed into the net to bring Arsenal level with 12 minutes to go.

Areola then pushed away a late Iwobi effort but the end of the game was marred by an unsavoury incident which saw both Giroud and Verratti  dismissed.