There would be few that would argue Arsenal rode their luck in Belgium last night. Three points is three points, and, with the final game of the group being away in Greece, they may prove highly significant if the team do qualify for the next round.

There was a belief that getting through to the last 16 would be something of a stroll, and unfortunately, that mindset was rife in the early moments of the match. Due to a mixture of complacency and rank bad football, Arsenal found themselves two down in five minutes. Gael Clichy failed to cut out the cross which led to the Belgian’s corner. The consequence was a moment of cocky Eduardo madness that cost dear. I hope any further back heeled volleys are preserved for the opposition penalty area. William Gallas was chewing gum. Such a sight always worries me, and although possession was handed cheaply to Liege for their second goal, his challenge for the penalty was a poorly timed one. Stand-in keeper Mannone could not really be faulted too much for either goal, it was more experienced colleagues that were letting the side down.

Arsenal played very poorly, until the vital Bendtner goal just before the break. Well crafted and well finished, it had been a long wait, but it gave hope. The second half was a tale of Liege being too cautious given the obvious deficiencies of the Gunners’ defensive competence. If they’d had a go, they could easily have made it 3-1. Instead, they chose to try and soak up the pressure, but ultimately, fitness did for them. The relentless territorial dominance eventually paid dividends for Arsenal, even if there was a handball in the build up to the equaliser.

In a sense, it was a performance to forget, but the lessons it provided should not be erased from the memory in a hurry. Arsenal got away with their shocking first half performance largely because of their reputation. Better teams will not fold like Liege did. Wenger’s team were extraordinarily sloppy in possession and the pressing game which so impressed in the opening four matches of the season seems a distant memory now.

The one thing that has come out of the game is that there can be no confidence in the solidity of the team as long as they continue conceding goals at this rate – eight in their last three outings. The idea that they can simply outscore the opposition to compensate for their errors every time was dismissed by the defeats in Manchester.

Arsenal need to settle down and get back to the good habits displayed at the start of the season. And not get carried away with a belief in their own brilliance. They got out of jail last night, but that isn’t going to be the way every time. They certainly won’t go far in Europe defending so poorly. Now they face a run of matches they should be capable of winning. However, the attitude approaching them has to be a lot more spot on than it was in Belgium.

BOOK SIGNINGS WITH ALAN ‘SMUDGER’ SMITH

Kevin Whitcher is the co-author of ‘Arsènal: the Making of a Modern Superclub’. There will be two in-store signings today (Thursday) of the updated paperback release (featuring four additional chapters) by his fellow author Alex Fynn accompanied by former Arsenal forward Alan ‘Smudger’ Smith, who is interviewed in the book.

The first signing session is at Waterstones, Cabot’s Place, Canary Wharf at 12.30.

A later signing takes place at Borders, N1 Shopping Centre, Islington from 5.30. Yours truly may be in attendance at the latter, health allowing.

For those that cannot make the signings, the book can be bought by onlinegooner readers direct from the publishers with a £1 discount offer on the already discounted price. To take advantage of this offer, Click this link, select ‘buy now’, and on the next page you will have the opportunity to enter a promo code. Enter the word ‘gooner’ here and the amount is recalculated to £4.99. So, a £1 saving. Postage and packing (£2.49 in the UK) will be added before you complete your order.