Arsenal have qualified for the knockout stages of European football's Champions League for the 15th successive season with a 2-0 home win over Germans Borussia Dortmund.
But fellow English giants Liverpool could only draw their fixture at Ludogorets 2-2, and are now in must-win mode heading into the final group game against Swiss side Basel.
Yaya Sanogo celebrates his goal for Arsenal against Borussia Dortmund Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Gunners ended Dortmund's 100 percent record in group D at their Emirates Stadium in London with goals from much-maligned striker Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sanchez.
Arsenal needed only 73 seconds to take the lead with 21-year-old French striker Sanogo scoring his first goal for the club and the hosts sealed victory when Chilean Sanchez curled in a wonderful strike after half-time from 20 metres.
It was a different story for fellow English giants Liverpool in Bulgaria, where Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet conceded after a couple of minutes, spilling a shot into the path of Ludogorets striker Dani Abalo.
Rickie Lambert equalised for the Reds on the seven-minute mark with a header in the area before Jordan Henderson latched onto a pinpoint Raheem Sterling pass to tap home on the far post in the 37th minute.
But an 88th-minute headed equaliser to Ludogorets defender Georgi Terziev - inevitably, given Liverpool's defensive frailties this season, from a corner - dashed the visitors' hopes of a first win in the elite competition this season, and they must now beat Swiss side Basel in two weeks at Anfield to qualify for the knockout stages.
Basel lost 1-0 to visiting champions Real Madrid - who had already reached the knockout stages - while last year's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid also progressed to the last 16 with a 4-0 romp over Olympiakos.
Elsewhere, Monaco stunned Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in Germany, Zenit St Petersburg eliminated Benfica 1-0 - the Russians keeping their hopes of qualification alive - Italians Juventus won 2-0 at Malmo, and Anderlecht beat Galatasaray 2-0.
