Arsenal scraped into the group stage of the Champions League on a night of high anxiety at the Emirates Stadium that saw Alexis Sanchez open his Gunners account.

Arsene Wenger's team missed a succession of chances to put the qualifier beyond the reach of Besiktas following a goalless draw in the first leg in Istanbul, with a 1-0 win putting Arsenal through.

Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain failed to score when it was harder to miss amid the mayhem of a roller-coaster second half in which Mathieu Debuchy was sent off for collecting a second yellow card.

Sanchez's goal on the stroke of half-time enabled Arsenal to progress into the Champions League proper for a 17th successive season, but they rode their luck against spirited opposition to subject their fans to a nail-biting night.

Manager Wenger said: "It is a weight off our shoulders now because we can focus on the Premier League, wait for the draw. We feel we have done the job and we have a clear conscience."

Meanwhile, Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud will be sidelined for the rest of the year after having ankle surgery.

The France international suffered a small fracture near his ankle in the final seconds of Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Everton on Saturday.