Jack Wilshere impressed by character shown against Besiktas

Jack Wilshere has paid tribute to the character shown by Arsenal in their Champions League triumph over Besiktas on Wednesday evening.

The Gunners booked their spot in the group stages of the competition thanks to Alexis Sanchez's match-winning effort in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, and Wilshere was quick to praise the players for their response to losing Mathieu Debuchy to a red card late on.

"We had a few chances, and normally at this level you get punished for missing them," the England midfielder told Sky Sports News. "We wanted to kill them off, which was the plan at half-time, but after going down to ten men that changed that.

"I was struggling at the end. We showed great character. It was tough, but we dug in and the defence was brilliant."

The draw for the group stage will take place in Monaco on Thursday afternoon.