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Arsenal fans returned to the Emirates Stadium for the first time in nine months as the Gunners secured a comfortable 4-1 victory over Rapid Wien on Thursday. The last time there were spectators at the stadium was on March 7, when Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal against West Ham United.
The Frenchman did not take long to break the deadlock against Rapid Wien as he fired a long-range strike past Rapid Wien's goalkeeper, Richard Strebinger, in the tenth minute.
Pablo Mari doubled Arsenal's lead minutes later as he headed home from close range. The flow of the UEFA Europa League game was in one direction, with Arsenal dominating all the attacking action. Eddie Nketiah scored just before half-time to make it 3-0 for the Gunners.
The match ended 4-1 to Arsenal, with Koya Kitagawa and Emile Smith Rowe scoring for their teams in the second half of the game.
Here are five talking points from the game as Mikel Arteta's side continue their perfect run.
#5 Arsenal welcome defensive options back into the team
Pablo Mari last played for Arsenal in their defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in June. He suffered an ankle ligament injury during that game and had been out of action since.
Nearly six months after his injury, the Spaniard returned to the Gunners' starting eleven against Rapid Wien and scored his first Arsenal goal. Before he arrived at north London, Mari netted 17 goals in 281 club appearances.
Besides Mari, Arsenal also welcomed Calum Chambers back into the first team. The Englishman hasn't played since December 2019 after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. It's been a month since he resumed full training and he made two appearances for Arsenal's Under-23 side.
Chambers came on as a substitute for the remaining 20 minutes of the match. It was encouraging to see Chambers return to action after a long injury layoff.
#4 A step forward as fans return to the Emirates Stadium
It's been a long while since fans headed to stadiums to watch football matches. Even though there were only 2,000 socially distanced fans out of the possible 60,260 spectators, their presence at the Emirates Stadium could be felt.
In fact, the fans might have played a role in inspiring this comfortable victory against Rapid Wien. When Arsenal traveled to Austria for their opening Europa League game, they visibly struggled. Things worked in the Gunners' favor in the 70th minute when David Luiz scored the equalizer and thankfully, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Arsenal take the lead four minutes later.
Despite conceding a goal in this game, Arsenal dealt comfortably with the pressure from Rapid Wien. The Gunners had superior possession, passing accuracy and shots attempted. As compared to their Premier League games, this was a pretty easy game for them.
#3 Rapid Wien and Molde to battle it out for qualification
After losing two consecutive Europa League fixtures, Molde returned to winning ways as they beat Dundalk 3-0 at home. Meanwhile, Rapid Wien lost to Arsenal but their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League Round of 32 remain alive.
Both teams will meet each other at the Allianz Stadion in Austria. While the odds favor Molde, Rapid Wien still stand a chance of advancing to the next round. It will be a must-win game for the Austrian club while the Norweigian side can afford a draw.
In their previous encounter at Aker Stadium, Molde overcame Rapid Wien 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ohi Omoijuanfo. At the moment, Molde are second in the table with nine points while Rapid Wien sit third with six points.
However, the goal difference for both clubs is -2 apiece, which means the result of the next game will decide their fate in the Europa League.
#2 Arsenal look to win all matches in their Europa League group
Before this game, Arsenal had already confirmed their qualification into the Round of 32. They now lead Group B with 15 points from five matches, scoring 16 goals and conceding just three.
Arsenal's next opponent is Dundalk, who are yet to get a point in this season's Europa League. The Irish team netted five times and have let in 15 goals. Next week, Arsenal will travel to Ireland for the final group stage match, a game which the Gunners are likely to win.
Following three consecutive home defeats at the Emirates Stadium, this 4-1 victory will be a big boost for Arsenal ahead of the North London Derby this weekend.
#1 Arsenal's inconsistency in competitions
Despite the perfect run in the Europa League, Arsenal can't seem to get a foothold of all the action happening in the Premier League.
From the first five European matches, the Gunners have scored more goals and won more points than the combined total from their first 10 Premier League this season. It is shocking to see the stark contrast in performances in the two competitions.
Arsenal will also host Newcastle United in the FA Cup in early January 2021, and it remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta can retain the trophy. Right now, the manager's focus will be on the upcoming game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal are without Nicolas Pepe, who has excelled in the Europa League as he continues to serve his three-match ban. Captain Aubameyang hasn't been scoring since his penalty against Manchester United, and the Gunners are struggling with a severe lack of goals.
Lacazette might have scored on Thursday but the inconsistency within the Arsenal team is costing them points in the Premier League.
