Arsenal scored three goals in seven second-half minutes to beat Lille 3-0 and continue their winning start in the Champions League.
The Gunners were frustrated for an hour at the Emirates Stadium but Jurrien Timber’s superb finish, lifted over the goalkeeper from Noni Madueke’s pass, opened the floodgates.
Eberechi Eze added the second with the help of a slight deflection from substitute Bukayo Saka’s pass, and Saka added the third himself after slick interplay with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, who were introduced alongside him after the opening goal.
Mikel Arteta used the visit of Lille to rotate his side, making five changes from the 2-1 win over Leeds as Arsenal begin a run of eight games in 25 days, but their substitutes helped to ensure they followed up last month’s win over Napoli with another victory.
The Gunners should have led earlier with Bruno Guimaraes, starting for the first time at the Emirates Stadium as an Arsenal player, and Eze missing their best chances of the first period.
But Lille’s resistance broken with Timber’s opener and Davide Ancelotti’s side couldn’t contain the Gunners, whose substitutions underlined their strength in depth, with Saka particularly impressive before another eye-catching cameo from Max Dowman.
At the other end, Lille did not register a shot on target, although striker Olivier Giroud received a positive reception on his return to the Emirates Stadium as a substitute.
The victory continues a positive start to Arsenal’s Champions League campaign, and extends their winning run in the league phase to 14 games, as last year’s runners-up aim to go one better.
Analysis: Saka takes up Arteta’s challenge
Arteta challenged Saka to start scoring “two or three goals per game” in his pre-match press conference. He must have been listening. He only needed six minutes to find the net after coming off the bench. And that was after providing an assist with his first touch.
“If that’s the case I’m very happy and welcome it,” Arteta said with a smile when asked if his comments had motivated the 25-year-old. Saka is up to four goals for the season for Arsenal and there were another two on international duty with England.
Bukayo Saka celebrates with his Arsenal team-mates
His display against Lille was all the more impressive given it came after an illness, according to Arteta. “He wasn’t feeling that good today and yesterday. He had a bit of an illness but was really keen to contribute. He came on and made a huge impact.”
His goal, struck from around eight yards out, was one of several from close range this season and provided further evidence of him getting into more dangerous areas. It was fitting that the assist, from the right-hand side, came from Havertz, the striker with whom he has often been seen interchanging positions.
The positional fluidity is helping Saka as he tries to boost his numbers in front of goal. This was another step in the right direction.
Arteta: It was a joy to watch our goals
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “We had moments in the first half where we arrived into a very dangerous position with a lot of advantage.
“Our technical quality wasn’t good enough to deliver moments of real threat and sustain real attacks.
“We made a change at half-time and our technical level increased.
“It was a joy to watch the goals that we scored, three different players and a number of different players participating.”
On his triple substitution: “I felt that it was the right moment to do it. With the way the game was panning out, the way the opponent was behaving, we needed different kinds of players.
“But credit to the starters and the ones who came on.”
Saka’s European record
- Saka has scored 19 goals in major European competitions for Arsenal, the outright second most of any player for the club after Thierry Henry (42).
- Saka has provided nine assists in the Champions League for Arsenal, with only Henry (16) and Cesc Fabregas (14) providing more.
- Arsenal have won their last 14 Champions League group stage or league phase games, keeping nine clean sheets in the process.
Ancelotti: We couldn’t match their rhythm
Lille boss Davide Ancelotti:
“It’s really tough. With the players they always have on the bench, they can change the rhythm of the game.
“For us it was difficult to keep up with the rhythm they put after 60 minutes.
“We have to keep the good things we did for 55 or 60 minutes.
“To come here and get a good result, you have to have many things aligned and we didn’t have that.
“It’s too hard on the players, the score. They didn’t deserve this score.”
The key moments at the Emirates
- 20: WASTE! Guimaraes sends a simple chance wide from Timber’s cut-back
- 22: SAVE! Mikel Merino heads straight at Berke Ozer from another Timber cross
- 23: OFFSIDE! Ayase Ueda has the ball in the net for Lille but the goal is ruled out for offside
- 37 CHANCE! Eze sidefoots his finish too close to the goalkeeper following a Myles Lewis-Skelly cut-back
- 64 GOAL! Arsenal make the breakthrough as Timber controls and finishes brilliantly from Madueke’s low cross
- 67: GOAL! Eze doubles Arsenal’s lead from Saka’s pass via a slight deflection
- 71: GOAL! Saka adds a goal to his earlier assist with a close-range finish from Havertz’s cut-back
- 78: CHEERS! Former Arsenal striker Giroud receives a positive reception as he is introduced from the bench for Lille
