Arsenal pressed the self destruct button as they went down 2-1 against Porto in their Champions League last-16 tie in Portugal. Keeper Lukasz Fabianski was at fault for both goals as the Gunners look to overturn the one goal deficit when the two teams meet again in the second leg at the Emirates.
The hosts were gifted an early lead when Fabianski got his angles all wrong and allowed Silvestre Varela's low right-wing cross to deflect into goal.
Arsenal looked to have clawed the situation around when Sol Campbell nodded home unmarked from close range seven minutes later.
But Campbell then turned villain early in the second half when he inadvertently passed the ball back to Fabianski who inexplicably picked up.
Whilst the Gunners defenders stood around arguing at the injustice of it all referee Martin Hansson - the Swede who missed Thierry Henry's infamous handball in France's World Cup play-off win over Republic of Ireland - threw the ball to Ruben Micael who quickly took the free kick leaving Falcao to roll the ball into an empty net.
Arsenal's sense of injustice was compounded by the fact that moments earlier Tomas Rosicky was denied a clear penalty at the other end.
The incident left boss Arsene Wenger fuming on the touchline having a heated discussion with the fourth official and referee.
"I believe the back pass was accidental," the Frenchman told ITV1.
"You cannot play like that, pushing the ball away and giving them the ball. You can never defend from that sort of thing.
"The referee should have given us time to build the wall. If you do not do that you can never defend that sort of free kick.
"Porto acted as if the ball was in the middle of the field. Acting like that on an indirect free kick you have no chance to defend.
Wenger refused to say the word cheated but did say, "It was a massive mistake. A double mistake because it was a penalty."
