Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - 0 Arsenal

	Taylor: Conceded three (StuForster/Allsport)

Not since the opening day of the Premiership season at Sunderland has an anything like full-strength Arsenal team had to endure the celebrations of the opposition at the final whistle. That all changed in the bleak, grey and freezing cold of this depressing Ukrainian city. Fortunately, no harm was inflicted on Arsenal's Champions League aspirations.

Thanks to their efforts in the more convivial cities of Rome and Prague and an invincibility at Highbury, Arsenal were already guaranteed to qualify for the second phase as group winners. The hard work had been done and nothing the sub-zero temperatures or an impressive Shakhtar team could do could alter that achievement.

But ingrained in Dixon is the High-bury ethos. He hates losing - whether it be in the Who Wants to be a Millionaire game he took to wile away the tedious hours with the other players before the game, table tennis in the club's training centre at London Colney or, most importantly, in a competitive game for Arsenal.

'We don't like losing, it is as simple as that,' said Dixon, captain for the night in place of the injured Tony Adams. 'Before the game, we set out to try to win. There wasn't any lack of attitude or professionalism. That dressing room is full of winners.'

There were more in the Shakhtar lineup last night however - but there was a lot at stake for them.

A win against Arsenal brought the considerable consolation of UEFA Cup football and that proved to be a powerful incentive.

Dixon added: 'They had something really big to play for and although you could say it shouldn't make any difference, there were times in the game when they were half-a-yard quicker.'

Arsenal had two efforts disallowed by Danish referee Knud Fisker who showed such a blatant bias to Shakhtar that he might consider changing his christian name to Homer. Both Sylvain Wiltord and Thierry Henry 'scored' from what were later seen to be clearly onside positions.

But the Ukrainians attacked with verve and speed and Dixon admitted: 'They played the conditions much better than us.'

The first goal came in the 34th minute when a long through ball gusted over the head of Martin Keown and Serheii Atelkin swooped to hammer past an isolated Stuart Taylor.

The celebrations started with some gusto when Andrii Vorobyey scored in the 57th minute with a free-kick from 20 yards. Significant as the strike was, it was not crucial enough to break a courting couple from their snogging routine which lasted the full 90 minutes (an impressive effort in the biting cold).

The match was sealed in the 66th minute when Olexeii Bielik finished off the move of the match with a sweet conversion of a right wing cross.

'There are no excuses,' said Dixon who is likely to be playing in his last Champions League campaign.

He added: 'I suppose if you are going to lose a game, this was the one to lose. Better this one than one we have to win and we hit the bar four times.'

Arsene Wenger's concession that 'it was not the real Arsenal, not the Arsenal with their backs to the wall needing a result' suggested there were no histrionics in the dressing room afterwards, no need to call in the local decorators to replace the paint that had been stripped off during a passionate debriefing.

After all, a place in the last 16 had been assured, Taylor had gained valuable experience in goal, Matthew Upson showed no ill-effects from his horrendous knee injury in only his second full-game in 11 months and Wiltord was given a further opportunity to provide evidence of his lightening bursts of speed.

But Dixon is refusing to be complacent about the outcome.

He said: 'I would say it is a little reminder and it is important that we learn from it. The dressing room was philosophical afterwards.

'We have players who don't like to be beaten whatever the circumstances. We went into the game on a long unbeaten run and now we want to start another one. That is the task ahead for us now.'

At 36, Dixon is in the autumn of his career and he clearly wants to make the most of this opportunity in Europe's premier club competition.

'This time next year I might not be playing Champions League. Every chance I get to play in the competition, all competitions, I relish. People can see I give 100 per cent and I still have that drive in me. I still love playing.'

Yes, even in Donetsk. Dixon gave ground to no one and his efforts have always been appreciated by the fans. The travelling 50 or so - some of whom did not arrive back in London until 10.30am this morning - applauded Dixon as he applauded them at the end of the game.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK (4-4-2): Virt; Starostyak, Okoronkwo, Gleveckas, Popov; Zubov, Bakharev, Tymoschuk, Abramov (Aliuta, 76min); Atelkin (Bielik, 50), Vorobyey (Savu, 85). Bookings: Bielik.

ARSENAL (4-3-1-2): Taylor; Dixon, Keown, Upson, Cole; Parlour (Vernazza, 71), Vivas, Lauren; Kanu; Wiltord, Henry (Ljungberg, 61). Bookings: Cole, Lauren, Keown.

Man of the match: Vorobyey