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Arsenal recorded an emphatic comeback victory over Vitoria courtesy of a couple of phenomenal free-kicks from summer signing Nicolas Pepe.
After having trailed twice in the game, it needed a bit of individual magic for a rusty-looking Gunners side, who were far from their fluent best.
Marcus Edwards opened the scoring following a sustained spell of pressure from the visitors before Bruno Duarte scored in the 36th minute to give his side the lead for the second time, as Gabriel Martinelli had levelled the scoring just after the half-hour mark.
It was the away side that enjoyed the better chances as the evening wore on, only before Pepe took the field off the bench in place of Alexandre Lacazette.
The Ivorian curled the ball into the back of the net, not once but twice, to maintain Arsenal's perfect record in the Europa League, as they now have a three-point advantage over second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt in Group F.
On that note, we underline five players who rose to the occasion during an otherwise turgid display against Vitoria.
#5 Dani Ceballos
As we've seen from Unai Emery, he was bold enough to make quick substitutions to a playing XI that totally struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and work in tandem with or without the ball.
He replaced an out-of-sorts Joe Willock with the Real Madrid loanee, who infused direction, order and precision into the system. Ceballos started quite a few attacks all by himself, while also driving forward with purpose.
He at least carved out a few openings and offered a better touch. Although his delivery has significant scope for improvement, Ceballos looked to have eased a few nerves in the Arsenal midfield.
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#4 Shkodran Mustafi
Shkodran Mustafi put in a solid shift at the heart of defence alongside Rob Holding, which is admittedly a rare sight. The latter was far from what the Arsenal faithful wish for him to become, but Mustafi on the evening, was robust across the backline.
While Holding looked a tad shaky at times, Mustafi was there to make up for his rustiness and cover-up as a foil.
In possession as well, the German was much better, as he kept the momentum going with neat and safe distribution. A slide-rule through pass to Hector Bellerin in the second half led to a fine opening, although Arsenal couldn't capitalize and make it count.
In the air, Mustafi was clearly the best of the lot as he won almost every aerial duel and out-muscled the opposition forwards. However, in order to make his performance a more notable one, he really should have done better with the header late on - a chance that was a potential winner at the time.
He is not quite there in terms of preference and consistency but is more than a handy asset in European games.
#3 Matteo Guendouzi
Just when you wondered what was going wrong in terms of Arsenal's lacklustre staging, Matteo Guendouzi's inclusion provided many possible answers. The midfielder played as a link between defence and attack and infused a sense of urgency and directness into his side's game.
Guendouzi appeared to be the most determined and gritty than any other Arsenal shirt as they charted a comeback. The youngster was simply effervescent with his work rate, distance covered and purpose.
He combined well with the ones around him and ensured Arsenal kept the ball a little longer than they initially were, which in turn, was resulting in the chances that flew to the likes of Davidson and Duarte.
His thrust and ball-carrying abilities won praise as well, as Guendouzi went on to complete more take-ons than any of his teammates despite spending just 45-odd minutes on the pitch.
Defensively, the central midfielder was a total nuisance for the visiting side owing to the press and pressure he provided. He summed up his all-round display when he won the free-kick that led to the winner, following a jinking run.
#2 Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli has been a bit of a surprise package for the Gunners this season.
He was signed by the club for his potential as a top-class young forward, but seems to have defied expectations for the better by consistently stepping up with well-taken goals and other significant contributions whenever awarded a start.
Martinelli played a couple of good exchanges with the likes of Lacazette, was always willing to spin off the back of defenders and create space for himself. His goal exemplified his acumen as a striker, as it was necessary to check his run and get in front. The finish from ten yards out with his head was a well-planted one too from a Kieran Tierney cross.
The Brazilian has now taken his Europa League tally to three goals and an assist, in just three games.
From what we've witnessed in his brief Arsenal career thus far, the 18-year-old is a real predator; someone who thrives on cultivated end product and finishes chances with aplomb. Surely one to look out for in the future.
#1 Nicolas Pepe
Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Nicolas Pepe, dare I say, seems to have arrived at the Emirates.
So far this season, the explosive winger has shown only glimpses of what he can do with the ball, but a more all-round contribution, chemistry with his teammates on the pitch in possession, decision-making and most importantly, finishing, has been subject to scrutiny.
Arsenal's marquee summer signing's glaring miss at Sheffield United from two yards out in the Premier League served as proof, but on the evening, Pepe was in complete control of what he meant to execute.
He lit the spark that Arsenal were in dire need of, and completely turned the game on its head by shifting momentum. Speaking of execution, the winger lashed two beautifully crafted free-kicks to the respective corners - bottom and top - of the left side of the net.
He left Macedo Silva with absolutely no chance in either shot, as while one was more thunderous and pacy, the other was all about the technique and placement. Not to mention, before he actually won it for Arsenal in extra time, Pepe almost created another potential winner.
It's these regular chances that Arsenal require from him, as well all know, there's no shortage of ability in this man's locker.
