Arsenal offered up 2 minutes of brilliance and 88 minutes of doing just enough to get out of France with an important three points. First half goals from Lukas Podolski and Gervinho answered an early Montpellier penalty as the Gunners got their Champions League group stages off to a winning start.
Montpellier strucks first on a penalty in the opening ten minutes thanks to an ill advised tackle from Thomas Vermaelen on Younes Belhanda just inside the box. Belhanda went to the spot and cheekily beat Vito Mannone with soft chip. Arsenal answered with two goals in two minutes, the first from Lukas Podolski after some nifty passing from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud. Carl Jenkinson found Gervinho with a great cross right in front of goal and the midfielder beat Geoffrey Jourdren to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead they'd take to halftime.