Old Gunners failings still linger but dominant showing lifts spirits

THERE is change everywhere this year at Arsenal. In the dugout, the boardroom and throughout the training ground; and yet the biggest constant so far this season had been out on the pitch.

Defensively suspect, beaten in the defining games and yet still full of options going forward and more than adept at putting lower-ranking opponents to the sword.

A 4-1 beating of Vorskla Poltava was delivered with the same combination of swagger and occasionally infuriating negligence of any Arsene Wenger side.

It all makes it rather difficult to assess whether there has been legitimate progress under new head coach Unai Emery or whether Arsenal’s lot over the next few years is a Europa League format that struggles to spark any real interest until long after Christmas.

Thousands of empty seats told you that, even if those who did turn out should have at least been enthused by the sight of Lucas Torreira at the base of Arsenal’s midfield.

Sterner tests clearly await but Torreira’s presence did give Arsenal a balance that they have often lacked.

He keeps things simple – N’Golo Kante style – but you can imagine that the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored twice here, love playing with him.

The Ukrainian visitors were seeking to occasionally break forward on the counter-attack, but were punished following just about their first moment of attacking adventure.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan released Alex Iwobi down the left flank. He in turn squared a pass for an unmarked Aubameyang to direct the ball back across Vorskla goalkeeper Bohdan Shust and into the bottom corner.

There was greater speed in their passing immediately after half-time.

Mkhitaryan then delivered a precise cross that allowed Welbeck to rise above Volodymyr Chesnakov and head past Shust.

Mkhitaryan soon fed Aubameyang who skipped past several challenges before scoring a third.

Emery’s immediate decision to substitute his striker was a sensible act of caution ahead of Sunday’s visit of Everton and, with Mesut Ozil coming on and also scoring, Arsenal’s dominance was confirmed.

Bernd Leno had barely touched the ball on his debut but a mistake from Stephan Lichtsteiner did allow centre-back Chesnakov to unleash an unstoppable strike that ended any hope of a clean sheet. (© Daily Telegraph, London)