Arsenal 2-1 Dortmund: Superb Win Shows the Gunners Have Come Full Circle

Under the lights at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, Arsenal overcame a gritty and determined Borussia Dortmund side 2-1 to clinch a passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The victory, which saw Arsenal secure a top-of-the-group finish, really shows how far Arsenal have come, if only since the first meeting between the two sides, in which Arsenal were held 1-1 at the Signal Iduna Park in Germany.

In those days, Arsenal were a nervy side with little defensive stability who struggled as much to keep the ball out of the net as they did to put it in that of the opposition.

But this squad of only a few weeks later is an entirely different one, capable of winning any type of result under any circumstance, regardless of pressure or the quality of the opposition.

Against Dortmund, Arsenal demonstrated one thing—they are a team of winners.

After all, how else can one explain the events of the crucial victory? Dortmund were all over the pitch in the first half, putting constant pressure on every Arsenal player with the ball and really threatening Arsenal with slick attacking play.

Yet despite this early dominance, the Gunners weathered the storm and recovered to dominate the second half to the tune of two goals and a hefty overall advantage in possession that would have seemed unthinkable to someone who watched the Germans run rampant early on.

Displays like this are truly tests of character more than quality or anything else.

Does the team have enough resilience and will to win that it can scrape out a result the way they must, rather than the way they would like to?

Arsenal teams of the not-so-distant past would not have been able to pass this test. Indeed, Arsenal were not quite able to pass it the first time they played Dortmund.

But this is a team who have overcome adversity, turned the corner and have truly come full circle. They are a complete football team stocked with quality and experience, and Arsenal fans have been waiting for the latter to reappear for years.

A hallmark of great teams is the ability to turn up with that one moment of brilliance when it looks as if they will be held to a draw. Sometimes it arrives from the most unlikely of places. Step up, Alex Song.

I had to figure out a way to work Song into my article one way or another. The skill and movement that Alex displayed to nutmeg a Dortmund defender before slide-stepping between two more and lifting a perfect cross for Robin van Persie was pure brilliance.

It was not merely Messi-esque. No, that setup was pure Pele, in the Brazilian's prime.

Consider that this moment of greatness was provided by a defensive midfielder, and you realize that Arsenal truly have quality all over the pitch.

Even after Arsenal scored their second from a corner, there was still much work to be done on the defensive side of the ball. And bar one single lapse from Johan Djourou (who else?) and Song, Arsenal held their ground when they would have broken down only a few weeks ago.

It showed that Arsenal don't just have the ability to break down defences, but they now have the defensive stability to hold their lead when they go out in front. Other teams no longer have the confidence that Arsenal will crack under pressure. The grit and intimidation have returned.

Yes, Arsenal are well and truly back. If you didn't think so when we whooped Chelsea or when we'd won or drawn 11 of 12 games prior to the Dortmund match, you should think so now.

Europe, Arsenal have come back from the dead, and they are now alive and kicking. Someone dust off the trophy case.

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