Emile has quality but I won’t tell him

be starting to wonder seriously if he will ever win his place back.

Rather closer to the action, a vast array of talent was watching just as intently from the Arsenal bench.

Having asked them to make the long journey, it was inevitable that Emery would turn to some of his bigger names in the second half to kill the game off.

First thing to go at half-time was the system – Monreal replaced by £26million signing Lucas Torreira coming into a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.

Even so, Qarabag did get the ball in the back of the net just four minutes after the break through Madatov. The assistant referee spared the defence’s blushes for disintegrating so badly with a tight offside call.

Arsenal needed somebody to seize the moment – and Smith Rowe decided he was the man for the job.

Alex Iwobi slid in the pass and Smith Rowe, who scored a stunner against Atletico Madrid in a friendly in the summer, claimed this rather more prosaically with a shot between the goalkeeper’s legs.

Arsenal were not out of the woods completely, Leno again coming to the rescue in the 64th minute when Innocent Emeghara threatened to bundle the ball in from a corner.

But Smith Rowe went off to a roar from the small pocket of travelling Arsenal fans to be replaced by Mesut Ozil and with Alexandre Lacazette also up Emery’s sleeve, Arsenal had more than enough class to see out the win, with Matteo Guendouzi’s low drive from the edge of the area completing the scoring in the 79th minute.

“Each match is not easy,” said Emery. “They had quality in the first half and we suffered.

“But I want to suffer. Then, in our moment, we can show you and them our quality and organic movement. It worked well today.”

QARABAG (4-2-3-1): ARSENAL Booked: (3-4-3): Booked: