Arsenal have made it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Montpellier at the Emirates Stadium.

Second-half goals from Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski were enough to give the Gunners the three points against their French opponents.

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Arsenal got off to a slow start, but they nearly took the lead with 10 minutes on the clock as Laurent Koscielny's header came back off the crossbar.

Koscielny was in the thick of the action again on 35 minutes when he made a marauding run from his own half towards the Montpellier goal. However, Lukas Podolski could only end the move by firing wide with his right foot.

The German should have broken the deadlock towards the end of the half after he was played in by Santi Cazorla, but he again fired wide of goal.

© AP Photos

However, the Gunners made the breakthrough four minutes after the restart as Jack Wilshere got on the end of Olivier Giroud's knockdown before finding the net.

The advantage was doubled in style on 63 minutes when Podolski lashed home a superb volley from just inside the area following Giroud's clever assist.

Emanuel Herrera had Montpellier's best chance with 15 minutes left to play, but a heroic Koscielny managed to block the striker's effort.