ARE FLYING

Gunners giving it socks to make Champions League

So Emmanuel Dennis was gutted when he thought he’d given the home side a dream start only to see the offside flag go up seconds into the game.

Brilliant

Moments later Odegaard exchanged passes with Bukayo Saka and drilled the ball low into the bottom corner to give Arsenal the lead.

It was a brilliant piece of skill from Odegaard which created it, spinning to play the ball into Saka’s path on the turn before sprinting into the box for deft finish.

But if that was good, Watford’s opener was even better.

Kiko Femenia raced down the right on the overlap and stood up a teasing cross — which Hernandez smashed home with a fabulous overhead kick.

But Saka rode to the rescue by robbing Tom Cleverley and playing a neat one-two with Alexandre Lacazette before firing his backheel past Ben Foster to restore Arsenal’s lead.

And the Gunners seized complete control at the start of the second half with another lovely move, this time from a quick throw-in.

Arteta gave the ball to Saka for the throw, and a one-touch passing move involving Odegaard and Lacazette followed before Martinelli slammed home a first-time finish.

Refusing

Hassane Kamara and Cleverley both had chances as Watford kept fighting, refusing to let their heads go down.

But Craig Cathcart did well to nick the ball away from Ben White at a corner when the England defender looked set to score another for the visitors.

Emmanuel Dennis found himself with a good scoring chance from another cross by Femenia but fluffed his lines badly in front of goal.

And Arsenal sub Eddie Nketiah then hit the post at the other end before Sissoko set up a tense finale with a late strike to reduce the deficit.

But there wasn’t to be any late drama this time as Arsenal saw the game out to take another big step towards a return to the Champions League.