LONDON - Teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain offered Arsenal fans a glimpse of a bright future as he became the club's youngest English goalscorer in the Champions League on Wednesday, netting the opener in his side's nervy 2-1 Group F victory over Olympiakos.

Signed for a reported 12 million pounds ($18.8 million) from Southampton in August, the 18-year-old is already being compared to Theo Walcott, who followed the same route to north London in 2006.

England winger Walcott was one of a number of Arsenal players absent through injury on a balmy night at The Emirates, but Oxlade-Chamberlain made the most of his first appearance in the Champions League, firing the opener after eight minutes.

Brazilian leftback Andre Santos put Arsenal up, 2-0, after 20 minutes. But after Olympiakos, which had lost all its previous nine away fixtures in England, reduced the deficit after 27 minutes through Spaniard David Fuster, it was an anxious night for the home fans.

Vassilis Torossidis, the only Greek in Olympiakos' starting 11, came within a coat of paint of leveling with an exquisite curling effort that cannoned off the crossbar in the second half, but Arsenal hung on to put itself in a healthy position with four points from its opening two games.

Marseille, which Arsenal visits next, tops the standings after recording its second win by beating Borussia Dortmund.

Olympiakos' 10th defeat from 10 matches on English soil left it still looking for its first point in the group, and manager Ernesto Valverde cursing a poor start that had left a "bitter taste" in his mouth.

The visitors had 15 goal attempts compared to the home side's 10.

Arsenal coach Pat Rice - patrolling the technical area in the absence of manager Arsene Wenger, who was completing his UEFA touchline ban - admitted his relief.

"They came and waited for us and broke us up in the middle of the park, and in fairness you have to say they did well," Arsenal's long-serving No 2 said. "Needless to say, we are very happy with the three points."

Rice said Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance had been one of the major plus points and was cause for comfort among the north London club's fans, who have watched Arsenal's worst start in the Premier League in the reign of Wenger.

"He is a very strong boy and listens to what people say," Rice said. "Arsenal fans are going to see a lot of this boy but he has a very strong challenge trying to get in front of Theo."

Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only English starter for Arsenal which had 11 different nationalities represented in its line-up, including fellow teenager Emmanuel Frimpong, who recently pledged his loyalty to Ghana.

Talisman Robin van Persie was left on the bench as Wenger looked ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with north London rival Tottenham Hotspur, but his absence was quickly forgotten as Arsenal surged ahead with a fast start that is its trademark on Champions League nights at The Emirates.

Oxlade-Chamberlain showed a touch of class when he chested down a flighted ball from Alex Song, got a lucky rebound off Ivan Marcano and finished clinically past the unsighted Franco Costanzo for Arsenal's 200th goal in the group phase of the Champions League.

Olympiakos showed plenty of adventure going forward and almost leveled when Rafik Djebbour poked a shot goalwards, but Mikel Arteta performed a last-ditch clearance off the line.

Arsenal doubled its lead when left back Santos wriggled into the area through some half-hearted challenges and calmly placed a shot past Costanzo.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 09/30/2011 page24)