PLASTIC FANTASTIC

Gunners make light of an artificial pitch with stylish Swedish cruise

IT wasn’t quite the avalanche of goals Arsenal threatened in snowy Sweden, but three was enough to leave the Gunners with one foot in the last 16.

This was a potentially tricky night that could have ended with Arsene Wenger feeling the heat in sub-arctic conditions, had the unthinkable happened against minnows Ostersunds.

Strikes from Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil, plus Sotirios Papagiannopoulos’s own goal, ensured his side all but qualifed for the next round.

The result – helped by a lastminute penalty save from stand-in skipper David Ospina – justified Wenger’s decision to pick such a strong side in a competition that has taken on greater importance, with his men so far off the pace in the race for the top four.

English boss Graham Potter’s side were initially overawed, found it as difficult to get out of their own half as supporters did navigating the snowy streets, and Arsenal peppered their goal.

And, as if their task wasn’t already hard enough, the hosts shot themselves in the foot for the visitors’ first two goals.

Moments after Papagiannopoulos saved them with a goalline clearance to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan, keeper Aly Keita spilled Alex Iwobi’s shot and Monreal tapped in his third goal in six games.

They then gave the ball away in their own box in the 24th minute and the hapless Papagiannopoulos turned Mkhitaryan’s cross into his own net.

Saman Ghoddos eventually warmed Ospina’s palms as Ostersunds finally escaped their own territory to create a couple of first-half opportunities.

But Keita was at fault again when he allowed Ozil’s 58th- minute shot to squirm in. Ospina ensured Arsenal would take a three-goal cushion into the second leg when he kept out Tom Pettersson’s injury-time penalty.

0-3 PEN