Hatem savours revenge over Gunners boss Emery

HATEM BEN ARFA had the last laugh on Unai Emery on another night of Euro trash from Arsenal.

The former Newcastle winger was frozen out for 15 months by Emery at PSG and last month launched a £7million lawsuit against the club for alleged loss of earnings, claiming “harassment in the workplace”.

But as lively Rennes put the Gunners to the sword here, Ben Arfa relished his old manager’s discomfort.

He said: “My motivation was to play a solid match and put us in a good position but I did see the same Emery – agitated as ever.

“I looked over to him a few times and that made me laugh a little. He hasn’t changed.”

Arsenal’s third red card in as many weeks left the Gunners facing their own version of Brexit.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos was the fall guy in Brittany, following Alexandre Lacazette in Borisov and Lucas Torreira’s expulsion in the north London derby. Emery bristled at the suggestion briefly fell as flat as a pancake. Alex Iwboi’s cross was speculative at best but it caught keeper Tomas Koubek out and curled inside his far post.

For half an hour, Arsenal’s crisp passing was in the ascendancy. But once Sokratis had taken the walk of shame, the momentum shifted.

If the defender’s first booking was harsh, the second – for tugging back speedy winger Ismaila Sarr – soon proved even more costly.

From the resulting free-kick, Benjamin Bourigeaud’s original effort hit the wall but he crashed the rebound beyond Petr Cech, who played for Rennes for three years.

Arsenal fell behind when Nacho Monreal deflected Mehdi Zeffane’s cross past Cech then, two minutes from time, sub James Lea Siliki’s cross picked out Sarr to head home No.3.

Thrilled Rennes president Olivier Letang said: “The main feeling is one of pride. Rennes will always be the first French club to beat Arsenal on home soil and Arsenal are European titans.”