LEICESTER AND ARSENAL ADVANCE IN EUROPA LEAGUE

LONDON: Arsenal’s academy products helped the team cruise into to the knockout stage of the Europa League on Thursday, while Leicester needed a late equaliser from Jamie Vardy to advance. Arsenal’s record signing Nicolas Pépé showed his better side after he was sent off in a 0-0 draw at Leeds in the Premier League on Sunday, scoring the opening goal in a 3-0 away victory at Norway’s Molde. The homegrown talents did the rest as Reiss Nelson doubled the lead and Folarin Balogun -- less than a minute after coming on as a substitute -- netted the third with his first goal for the club.

Hoffenheim and Leicester also progressed into the round of 32 with two matches to spare. The Premier League club equalised three times in a 3-3 draw at Braga, with Vardy grabbing the final goal in injury time.

AC Milan failed to win for the second straight game as the Italian powerhouse was held to a 1-1 draw at Lille.

Arsenal used a second-half scoring burst to maintain a perfect record with four wins from four. Just a minute after hitting the crossbar, Pépé curled a ball into a top corner of the net five minutes into the second half.

Pépé has struggled to establish himself in the team for Premier League games after moving to Arsenal from French club Lille last summer in a deal worth a reported 80 million euros but he’s leading the charge in the Europa League. He has scored three goals in the competition this season and set up another two for Arsenal. Five minutes later, Joe Willock - another academy product - provided a fine cross for Nelson to tap in the second. Balogun finished it off from close range seven minutes from time.

Arsenal top Group B with 12 points, six more than Molde.