ARSENAL
LUCAS PEREZ enjoyed a treble treat last night as Arsenal thumped Basle to progress as group winners – after Paris Saint-Germain’s shock draw with Ludogorets.
The La Coruna-born Perez has had to wait until his 29th year to score in the Champions League. But Perez was able to capitalise on some farcical defending by the Swiss champions.
His two close-range goals within the first 16 minutes and third just after the break ensured the Gunners finished top of Group A, following the slip-up in Paris.
And doing that meant avoiding mighty Barcelona in the first knockout stage, where they have gone out for the last six years.
Boss Arsene Wenger opted to field Alexis Sanchez, the hat-trick hero in the 5-1 win at West Ham on Saturday, and Mezut Ozil from the start.
The pair, who are currently negotiating mega pay deals, are the two superstars in the Gunners team and many fans expected at least one of them to be rested prior to the visit of Stoke, who always test the north Londoners physically, on Saturday.
The surprise was Rob Holding coming in at centre-back for his first taste of European action, with Perez also included for his second Arsenal outing in the competition.
And it did not take the Spaniard – hindered by an ankle injury in his first season at the club – long to break his Champions League drought.
It came in the eighth minute after Sanchez found Ozil. His chip aimed at picking out Kieran Gibbs did just that after a poor attempted header away by Marek Suchy and he pulled the ball across for Perez.
He looked sure to be denied by Adama Traore, but he lost his balance and Perez was able to stroke home from close range with his left foot.
In the 16th minute Basle cracked at the back again, with the adventurous Gibbs again taking advantage. Ozil spotted the leftback on the overlap and this time Taulent Xhaka lost his footing as he tried to intercept.
It gave Gibbs the chance to shoot from a tight angle and although Tomas Vaclik got down well to palm away, the ball went straight to Perez, who used that left foot again to slot home.
The strike was the culmination of a fine, flowing move that illustrated just how good the Gunners can be when they are on song.
At 28, the goals were the first in the Champions League for Perez, whose only other experience in the competition prior to this season was four appearances with Greek side PAOK Salonika. Traore almost made up for his howler in the 19th minute, sending a left-foot effort just wide of the far post.
But Basle, who had beaten Manchester United and Chelsea at home in the last five years, remained on the back foot, having perhaps sold a star too many abroad, including midfielder Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny to Arsenal in the past 11 months.
They showed they had learnt nothing because in the 47th minute Perez and Arsenal got their third.
Gibbs played a ball into Sanchez and his exquisite back flick picked out Perez, who held off Eder Balanta and then cut his shot past Vaclik. Basle were in bits and in the 54th minute Sanchez floated a super ball to Ozil, who then set up Alex Iwobi for a tap-in with a perfect pass.
Sanchez hit the bar in the 67th minute as he kept up his masterclass and a late Seydou Doumbia effort for Basle was a mere consolation.
BASLE (4-2-3-1): ARSENAL Referee: (4-2-3-1): NEXT UP: Goal: Goals: