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Score: Bate Borisov 2 - 4 Arsenal
Goal(s) for BATE: Ivanic 28' (assist Rios), Gordejchuk 67'
Goal(s) for Arsenal: Walcott 9', 22', Holding 25' (assist Mertesacker), Giroud 49'
Arsenal came away with all three points from their visit to Belarus after seeing off a spirited BATE Borisov side 4-2. The game was never going to be easy, but the Gunners got off to the perfect start and found themselves three goals to the good within the first half hour.
While the hosts found some fight in the second half and threatened to make matters interesting, Arsene Wenger's men did enough to secure the W and maintain top spot in their group.
Here are five takeaways from the encounter at the Borisov Arena:
#1 Mixed bag for 'keepers
It was a strange night to be a goalkeeper. BATE custodian Denis Shcherbitsky had a shocking opening 30 minutes, at fault for two (maybe all three) of Arsenal's first-half goals.
The Belarusian was caught in no man's land for the opener, scrambling at his near post while watching Theo Walcott ultimately tap in a sublime Jack Wilshere cross. It may be a wee bit harsh to criticise the keeper for the first goal, but there was absolutely no one else to blame for the second. Receiving a harmless back-pass from centre back Gayduchik, Shcherbitsky suffered a complete brain-fade, proceeding to aimlessly pass the ball out to Walcott stationed at the edge of the penalty box.
The English striker couldn't believe his luck, slotting into the bottom corner past the horrified keeper.
The night was to get worse before it could get better for Shcherbitsky. The 21-year-old charged out to claim an Arsenal corner. Realising he wasn't going to get near it, he backtracked quickly only to see the ball fly past him and into the back of the net courtesy a Rob Holding prod. He had no chance of saving it considering Holding was just a couple of yards out, however, had he stayed on his line, he may have had a bit more time to stick out a leg and make a save.
He did make amends soon enough though, preventing a Walcott hat-trick in glorious fashion, tipping away a fierce effort at full-stretch.
Meanwhile, Ospina too was at fault for BATE's first goal, unable to keep out a powerful header that was directed right at him by Ivanic. However, he made a couple of great saves later in the first half to keep his side comfortably ahead.
#2 Controversial decision helps Olivier Giroud reach milestone
With BATE looking to stage a comeback in the second half, Arsenal knew they needed to try and close out the game in the early stages of the 45. They were aided in their attempts by the referee, who wasted no time pointing to the spot after spotting an infringement in the penalty box in the 49th minute, something no one else had managed to witness.
Just prior to the decision, Arsenal had received a free-kick which Theo Walcott made a meal of in his attempt to get a hat-trick. However, the man in uniform, Daniel Stefanski, felt that Dragun had caught a piece of Shkodran Mustafi's shirt, resulting in him awarding a soft penalty to the Gunners.
Olivier Giroud stepped up and made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way and making it 4-1 to the Gunners. To add to the Frenchman's delight, it turned out to be his 100th goal for the club. What is more interesting is the fact that he is the 12th quickest to the landmark, achieving it in a game fewer than Robin van Persie. Not bad, eh?
#3 BATE scintillating in attack, but it's the defence that needs to step up
BATE had Arsenal in all sorts of trouble in the second half, creating chance after chance but failing to convert. Their quick counter-attacking play from the flanks especially had Arsenal in quite a pickle and they could, arguably, have scored four themselves.
However, their defence let them down badly on the night. While the Gunners carved the hosts open for the first goal, and a goalkeeping error led to the second, the marking was simply non-existent for the third. They also afforded Jack Wilshere and co. way too much time and space on the ball in midfield, allowing them to thread through-balls and exchange one-twos with no pressure whatsoever.
They need to shore up their defence if they are to stand a chance of qualifying from their group. Their next game against Koln is a must-win and they will fancy their chances against a side that are struggling to find the back of the net. The German side have scored just once in two games in the current campaign, firing blanks at home against Crvena Zvezda. Koln have managed just two goals in their last eight games in all competitions and shouldn't pose the Belarusian outfit as much of a threat as Arsenal. However, that being said, BATE's backline cannot afford to put in such a shambolic display in the future.
#4 Arsenal's impressive scoring record in European away games
When Theo Walcott opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 9th minute, he did not just give them the lead in the game, but also ensured that their goal-scoring streak in European away games was maintained.
The Gunners have now scored in 12 consecutive away European fixtures, a run in which they have breached the defences of some of the continent's top clubs, including Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Monaco. A record to cherish indeed.
The last time they failed to score away from home was against Borussia Dortmund way back in the 2014/15 group stages.
With trips to Koln and Crvena Zvezda, two teams that do not boast of the best of defences, remaining, that streak is set to continue.
#5 Does Arsene Wenger really care about the Europa League?
It is clear from the team that took the field, or rather the players occupying the cold benches, that Arsene Wenger is not a big fan of the Europa League. While the likes of Theo Walcott, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud did start the game, the Arsenal bench consisted of names even most staunch Arsenal supporters would have a hard time identifying.
Matt Macey, Edward Nketiah, Marcus McGuane, and Charlie Gilmour all found themselves on the bench while the likes of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles featured in the XI. In hindsight, it seemed a brilliant decision by the manager to rest the big guns for arduous Premier League tests in the future, but against better opposition in the latter rounds, he cannot afford to be complacent and field anything but a full-strength squad.
