Europa League: Theo Walcott inspires Arsenal victory at Bate Borisov

Arsene Wenger also singles out Jack
Wilshere for ‘outstanding’ display

Match Report

Walcott scored twice in the first quarter and when Rob Holding
made it 3-0 on 25 minutes it was effectively game over. Satisfying
for Arsene Wenger, and just reward for putting his faith in fringe
players such as defenders Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson,
and midfielder Joseph Willock.

Nonetheless for the neutral Arsenal’s early
goals rather diluted the spectacle as a serious contest and even
when Mirko Ivanic pulled one back for the Belarusians on the
half-hour mark one sensed a comeback was never on the
cards.

When Olivier Giroud – one of the few experienced
players on show – scored his 100th Arsenal goal from the penalty
spot in the second-half after Shkodran Mustafi was adjudged to have
been fouled it allowed the Gunners to ease up.

Wenger, who made nine changes overall to the
side that beat West Brom on Monday, took advantage of the
three-goal cushion to introduce a couple of teenagers in Marcus
McGuane and Edward Nketiah, and not even another Bate goal could
detract from the Frenchman’s pleasure.

%u23F0#UEL Results! %u23F0
Kyiv come from 2 down at ht to win 3-2! Were 1-0 down at ht on MD1
then won 3-1. %uD83D%uDC4F%uD83D%uDC4F%uD83D%uDC4F
DETAILS %u27A1%uFE0F https://t.co/1F6yFGexzJ pic.twitter.com/iJcxhCGDuL — UEFA Europa League
(@EuropaLeague) September 28, 2017

“We had a good cohesion, we played football like
we want to play it with good pace in our game,” said Wenger. “We
maintained it for 65 minutes – the last 25 minutes were a bit more
difficult. But overall I’m pleased with the
performance.”

Wenger singled out Jack Wilshere for praise,
describing the midfielder’s creativity as “outstanding” and adding:
“I think he is on a good way back to his best and he showed that.
He has only been stopped by a series of injuries. I just pray that
he is not hampered any more by any problems, then you will see him
getting stronger and stronger. He has shown again he has not lost
his quality.”

In the other Europa League tie involving an
English club, Everton were booed off the field at Goodison Park
after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Cypriot minnows Apollon
Limassol.

With Lyon drawing against Atalanta in the other
pool tie, the Toffees are bottom of Group E after two games and
manager Ronald Koeman couldn’t conceal his frustration with his
players.

“The feeling is a defeat, not even a draw,” he
said. “It is really disappointing… I cannot say they are not
running or fighting, but they are scared to play
forward.”