Arsenal vs Lens outcome: Gunners show how to negotiate Champions League in style

It in all probability wasn’t Mikel Arteta’s pre-match crew discuss, but it surely might have been. “Forget brinksmanship. Group stage drama is for amateurs and also-rans. Just go out, do the job and wait until the Champions League’s proper action starts in February.” Perhaps it will have been emphasised with plenty of hand gesticulations, had he taken that method.

After the week’s earlier drama involving fellow Premier League groups, Arsenal followers might need been feeling a bit disregarded in that regard, however they shouldn’t be. Their aspect is much extra full, far additional alongside the team-building course of and way more ready to go far in a serious European competitors. It’s in all probability additionally truthful to be aware they’ve a much more routine group, actually than Newcastle at the very least.

This 6-0 drubbing of a distinctly second-rate RC Lens confirmed as a lot, as does the way more essential reality of Arsenal qualifying for the final 16 with a sport to spare.

Sevilla collapsing to lose to PSV in the sooner kick-off felt as if it would give extra of a contest on the Emirates, maybe create extra of a touch of jeopardy, however in reality it was by no means the case. A win nonetheless assured high spot and in any case, there was greater than a mere gulf between these sides.

The early knockings advised the reality of the expectation of a house win: Lens followers made the noise however Arsenal had all of the management. Takehiro Tomiyasu roused the group with a blockbusting run down the flank to nowhere; Kai Havertz dropped a header vast after the Japanese worldwide crossed deep. If he might need carried out higher that point, Havertz did so solely a minute later: following a cross into the realm, the German bought sufficient of a contact on Gabriel Jesus’s intelligent header into the six-yard field to prod previous Brice Samba and over the road. And that was successfully that.

A tempting line to pursue could be of the aim settling the nerves, however none had been on show. Arsenal have been assured and competent all through, clear by 25 minutes and ready to bask in a fairly literal glow as Lens followers lit a succession of vivid pink smoke flares at that time, with at the very least one hurled upwards into a house followers’ part above them.

Gunners followers responded with a verbal volley of their very own, informing the guests they appeared to be slightly comparable in high quality to some close to north London neighbours, and suggesting they weren’t notably good… in slightly extra rudimentary phrases. If the previous quip bore no semblance to actuality this season, the latter was sadly correct. Lens have been a mile off the standard, depth and even power of their hosts in the primary half, timid and reactive, absurdly out of their depth regardless of arithmetic suggesting they nonetheless had a shot at a last-16 place. They don’t any extra.

The match, the factors and Arsenal’s personal qualification was settled in the area of six minutes.

Bukayo Saka bundled via a few challenges, Jesus picked up the unfastened ball, dummied the final defender and buried a low end for his fourth of the group stage. Injury and inconsistency could have made him a bystander in the early Golden Boot standings domestically, however he has a aim per sport for the Gunners in Europe – the kind of contribution they’ll want in the latter levels if Arteta believes they’ll go deep.

Just two minutes later, two turned three as Gabriel Martinelli darted infield, curled in a shot and Samba this time parried dreadfully into the hip of Saka, the ball bouncing straight in. The least-technically demanding aim of his profession it might need been, however Saka was filled with operating infield and, not for the primary time, made his personal luck along with his dedication to regularly be in harmful areas. It was left to Martinelli, then, to full the set of front-line goalscorers, perfecting his earlier trick to give Samba no likelihood and discover the far nook for 4.

As for Lens, they carried no risk. They supplied nothing: neither diligent, compact defensive construction to frustrate and bide their time, nor committing numbers and having a plan to counterattack with regularity.

Elye Wahi, a proficient younger striker who absolutely has a a lot greater crew in his close to future, made a handful of intelligent runs however the closest Lens got here to scoring was his left-footed strike throughout aim, simply saved. Other than that, their greatest moments have been Wahi skinning William Saliba a number of instances down the left flank and Kevin Danso fascinated with a long-range shot, earlier than opting not to. It was genuinely that poor from them. Even Facundo Medina hitting the publish simply earlier than the interval was an irrelevance, with the offside flag up. At the opposite finish, Samba saved just one shot all half – and it nonetheless resulted in a aim as that was his palm-out into the onrushing Saka.

Yet extra torment for the Ligue 1 aspect was to come earlier than the temporary sanctuary of half time, with Martin Odegaard casually thumping in an injury-time volley: unmarked, unchallenged and unstopped.

To their credit score, or maybe to maintain heat on a freezing London night time, Lens followers remained bouncing and noisy. With Arteta’s crew stepping off the gasoline, job carried out properly earlier than Jorginho’s late penalty, their crew additionally fared higher in the second 45 however all they’ve to play for now could be third and the Europa League.

For Arsenal, each field has been ticked in the group stage: over-excitement, wake-up name, enchancment and professionalism. And, they’re via, which is basically all that issues.

Several seasons of development has carried Arsenal into challenger territory, and with that comes an understanding that scorelines like this merely don’t matter, right now of 12 months. It is 2 and three months from now when all the pieces might be on the road, when the world might be watching and when performances in addition to outcomes can really drive expectations of success. What tonight’s outcome ensured was that they’ll be there – and that few will need to draw them in the knockouts.