Ozil back to assist
MESUT OZIL was brought back into the Arsenal side for this meaningless Europa League match last night – and he made the only goal.
Ozil returned after an absence of four league games and played the pass for Alexandre Lacazette to score after only 16 minutes for an Arsenal side who had already qualified.
Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 22 games as Unai Emery matched the record set by George Graham in his debut 1986-87 season.
TWO SURPRISE starters brought a predictable end to Arsenal’s Europa League group stage campaign.
Mesut Ozil set up Alexandre Lacazette to score the goal that brought a winningfinale to the club’s Group E campaign against Qarabag.
It was the one moment of quality in a low-key affair that was more like a testimonial than a European occasion inside a half-full Emirates.
Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 22 games as Unai Emery matched the record set by George Graham in his debut 1986-87 season with a 1-0 win the Scot would have been proud of.
Six more games and he will match Arsenal’s all-time unbeaten record of 28 games set in 2007 under Arsene Wenger.
Captain Laurent Koscielny also came through without a scare on his first start since May.
Teenage winger Bukayo Saka’s full debut was also a promising one though he was denied a fairytale goal at the death.
Arsenal were already through, and had top spot in the bag, so Emery’s team selection at least added some interest to this dead rubber for those who braved the north London cold.
Sokratis was given another run-out alongside him, while Mesut Ozil returned to the team and twinkletoed winger Bukayo Saka, 17, was called up as he became the first player born in this millennium to start for the club. Another of Emery’s young Guns played a key role in the only goal, scored after 16 minutes.
Eddie Nketiah won possession deep in Qarabag territory, Ozil fed Lacazette and he fired Arsenal ahead with his eighth goal of the season.
Apart from a Nketiah header that looped well over, there was no other action of note. The stay-aways who left plenty of gaps around the Emirates made the right choice as the match petered out in meaningless fashion.