Hat-trick of firsts for Arsenal
Teenage forward Emile SmithRowe scored his first senior goal as Arsenal made the most of its longest-ever trip for a European game by winning 3-0 at Qarabag in the Europa League yesterday.
Elsewhere, substitute Patrick Cutrone netted twice in nine minutes to lift seven-time European champion AC Milan to a 3-1 comeback win at home to Olympiakos.
Like Arsenal and Milan, last year’s semi-finalists Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Zurich, Sporting, and Dinamo Zagreb also made it two victories from two group games.
Arsenal’s Armenia forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan was one of three players who did not make the 4,000 km (2,486-mile) trip to the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Azerbaijan and Armenia are in a territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Mkhitaryan also skipped a trip to Azerbaijan three years ago when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund, with the German club citing security concerns.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery said Mkhitaryan “cannot travel here.” It’s not clear what will happen if the team reaches the final in Baku.
Emery followed the example of predecessor Arsene Wenger by resting nine front-line players.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who netted twice in the opening 4-2 victory over Vorskla, did not travel to Baku due to illness, while Aaron Ramsey stayed at home for family reasons.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored the first goal after four minutes when Nacho Monreal headed the ball on from a corner. It was the Greek defender’s first goal for the club. The 18year-old Smith Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi, also scoring his first senior goal, then struck in the second half.