Bate Borisov 1-0 Arsenal: Europa League last 32, first leg – as it happened

Stanislaw Dragun’s first-half goal gave Bate a famous victory over Arsenal, who struggled on a poor pitch and had Alexandre Lacazette sent off near the end

Lacazette sees red as Arsenal shocked by Bate Borisov

8.14pm GMT

Here is Amy Lawrence’s match report:

Related: Arsenal slip at Bate Borisov with Lacazette denied goal and sent off

7.53pm GMT

More football!

Related: Malmö v Chelsea: Europa League last 32, first leg – live!

Related: Celtic v Valencia: Europa League last 32, first leg – live!

7.49pm GMT

That’s a famous victory for Bate Borisov, and an entirely miserable night for Arsenal. They had lots of the ball but struggled to move the ball smoothly on a poor pitch, and never really looked like equalising Stanislaw Drahun’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

Their mounting frustration manifested itself in a red card for Alexandre Lacazette, who crumped his elbow into the coupon of Aleksandar Flipovic. He will miss the second leg at the Emirates a week today. You would still expect Arsenal to go through. But that really wasn’t good.

7.46pm GMT

Peep peep!

7.45pm GMT

90+3 min Guendouzi shoots meekly at Scherbitski from 20 yards.

7.44pm GMT

90+1 min It’s not happening for Arsenal. All night, their attacks have broken down on the edge of the area.

7.42pm GMT

90 min Four minutes.

7.41pm GMT

90 min Torreira shoots well wide from 30 yards.

7.41pm GMT

89 min Bate were 9/1 to win this match - not the whole tie, just this match - a couple of hours ago.

7.40pm GMT

88 min Arsenal will go through, I am almost certain of that, but this has been a desperate night for them.

7.37pm GMT

85 min It’s a straight red for a retaliatory elbow into the face of Filipovic. Lacazette was dragged back near the halfway line, swung his arm in frustration and can have few complaints about the referee’s decision.

7.36pm GMT

84 min Arsenal are looking increasingly desperate. They have had so much of the ball, yet they haven’t created many chances since half-time.

7.34pm GMT

82 min A lovely break from Bate almost brings a second goal. Rios plays the ball down the right to Berezkin, who hits a superb cross on the run towards the unmarked Dubajic. Cech does very well to dive in front of Dubajic and palm the ball away at the near post.

7.32pm GMT

80 min Bate’s last change: Hervaine Moukam replaces Skavysh.

7.30pm GMT

79 min Yet another Arsenal corner, this time from Mkhitaryan, is headed away at the near post.

7.29pm GMT

78 min Lacazette plays a one-two with Suarez and wins a corner. Suarez’s delivery is poor.

7.27pm GMT

76 min Bate are starting to look tired and are really struggling to get out of their own third, never mind their own half.

7.27pm GMT

75 min I don’t think a 1-0 deficit would unduly worry Arsenal ahead of the second leg. But if it were to finish 2-0...

7.26pm GMT

74 min The last Arsenal change - Denis Suarez replaces Kolasinac.

7.25pm GMT

72 min Lacazette’s low cross from the left is blocked. But the attempted clearance goes straight to Kolasinac, who belts the bouncing ball wide of the far post. That was a good chance, though he had to take it quickly.

7.23pm GMT

72 min “And to think,” says Ian Copestake, “that Ramsey is going to swap this to sit next to Emre Can on the Juve bench.”

7.23pm GMT

71 min The new arrival Dubajic is booked for a robust challenge on Koscielny.

7.22pm GMT

70 min Arsenal have switched to a 4-2-2-2 shape, with Mustafi at right-back.

7.21pm GMT

69 min Bate make their second change, with Bojan Dubajic replacing Milic.

7.20pm GMT

69 min A double change for Arsenal: Aubameyang and Torreira replace Maitland-Niles and Xhaka.

7.19pm GMT

68 min The willing Kolasinac, who has been Arsenal’s biggest threat going forward, wins a corner for Arsenal. Xhaka’s first effort hits Rios and goes behind, so Mkhitaryan has a try. He plays it short to Kolasinac, who hits it straight out of play on the other side of the field. Nice one.

7.18pm GMT

66 min Though Arsenal have dominated possession throughout, they have struggling to find space between the

tractors
lines. It’s been a very frustrating night on an old-fashioned heap of a pitch.

7.16pm GMT

65 min Meanwhile (2).

Related: Malmö v Chelsea: Europa League last 32, first leg – live!

7.16pm GMT

64 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Apparently the acronym BATE stands for Borisov Automotive and Tractor Electrical (equipment). Maybe it’s time for Arsenal to park the bus? A big one.”

BATE have parked the whole factory in the second half.

7.13pm GMT

61 min: Good save from Cech! Stasevich shovels the ball to the edge of the area and hits a bouncing shot across goal that is pushed away by Cech, diving to his right.

7.10pm GMT

59 min Bate have rationed their counter-attacks cleverly. They know they can’t beat Arsenal in an open match, so they are sitting very deep, but when they spring forward they do so decisively and at pace.

7.09pm GMT

57 min A first substitution for Bate: Yevgeniy Berezkin reeplaces Aleksandr Hleb.

7.07pm GMT

55 min Kolasinac’s low cross is put behind for a corner. Bate thought the last touch was off Iwobi, and replays suggests they were right. The corner is taken short and eventually leads to a disallowed goal from Lacazette, who slammed Kolasinac’s cross into the net from six yards. He looked fractionally offside.

7.02pm GMT

50 min Lacazette whips a long-range shot that is patted down by Scherbitski and claimed at the second attempt.

7.01pm GMT

50 min Arsenal have started the second half with renewed intensity. Iwobi floats a cross to the far post that just evades the leaping Mkhitaryan and Maitland-Niles.

7.00pm GMT

49 min Meanwhile.

Related: Celtic v Valencia: Europa League last 32, first leg – live!

7.00pm GMT

48 min “I’d never made the Iwobi/Erotica connection (although, heaven knows I will from now on. Thanks),” says Matt Dony, remembering to thank me. “But if you’ve ever heard Hamilton and you can still say ‘Lacazette’ normally, then you’re a better man than I...”

6.59pm GMT

47 min A near-post corner breaks for Mustafi, whose snapshot on the turn is blocked by Volkov on the six-yard line.

6.57pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Bate begin the second half.

6.55pm GMT

6.45pm GMT

Half-time reading

Related: England or Ireland? Declan Rice’s difficult decision was about identity | Eni Aluko

6.43pm GMT

Hands up who predicted that scoreline? No, me either. But there were a few danger signs for Arsenal, who started to lose their way after a fast, authoritative start. They don’t have anything to worry about in terms of the overall tie - not yet, anyway - but this is an irritating and unexpected setback.

6.42pm GMT

Stasevich curled the free-kick towards the near post, where Drahun escaped his marker Kolasinac just outside the six-yard box and looped a smart header over Petr Cech into the far corner.

6.41pm GMT

And it leads to a goal!

6.40pm GMT

44 min The lively Skavysh twists past Monreal, who brings him down. The free-kick is on the right wing, in line with the edge of the area...

6.38pm GMT

42 min “Are we supposed to be talking about football?” says Bill Hargreaves. “What chance of this turning into a St Valentine’s Day massacre, given the difference between the teams on paper?”

There will only ever be one Valentine’s Day massacre.

6.38pm GMT

41 min Mustafi’s cross from the right slithers between the legs of Milic at the far post and falls to Kolasinac, who splatters it wide of the near post from a tight angle.

6.36pm GMT

40 min Mkhitaryan turns smartly on the edge of the area and plays an angled pass to Maitland-Niles, whose shot is blocked. Moments later, Mkhitaryan gets to the byline and hits a cross just behind Lacazette, who can’t control it.

6.34pm GMT

37 min Maitland-Niles’s cross takes a deflection and loops beyond the far post to his fellow wing-back Kolasinac. His header back across goal - and possibly towards goal, I haven’t seen a replay so I’ve no clue to be honest - is blocked by the head of Rios.

6.32pm GMT

36 min “In the absence of inside information about the Arsenal team, I suppose we have rely on, er, outside information,” says Charles Antaki. “Fortunately there is plenty on show today, and it all points to an impending Arsenalisation of this game, as passes go awry, people fall over and the opposition eventually score.”

6.31pm GMT

34 min Arsenal have started to lose their way after an excellent start.

6.28pm GMT

32 min Maitland-Niles ... Mkhitaryan ... Xhaka ... Guendouzi ... Iwobi passes it straight to the keeper.

6.26pm GMT

30 min “I am not going to say that Big Cup’s little brother does not appeal to me,” says Ian Copestake, “but I do have some German tax letters I should open. Happy Valentine’s!”

6.25pm GMT

28 min: Great chance for Bate! Skavysh skinned Guendouzi down the right and drove a low cross towards the near post, where Milic flicked the ball into the side netting from a few yards. Cech might have had it covered had it been on target. But he might not!

6.23pm GMT

27 min Guendouzi lofts a nice pass over the top for Lacazette, who can’t control the dropping ball under pressure.

6.22pm GMT

25 min Stasevich wins a corner off Maitland-Niles, which he’ll take himself. It’s half cleared at the near post and comes to Rios, whose shot from the edge of the area is blocked by Iwobi.

6.19pm GMT

23 min This is a good game. Stasevich dupes Maitland-Niles on the left of the box and smashes a low cross that beats Milic for pace at the near post and deflects behind off Kolasinac. That could easily have gone into his own net.

6.19pm GMT

22 min: Lacazette misses a sitter! A loose ball comes to Kolasinac on the left side of the box. He who floats a lovely cross straight onto the head of Lacazette at the far post, but he plants it over the bar from six yards. That was a great chance, particularly for a player of his class.

6.18pm GMT

21 min Guendouzi appeals for handball in the area when his cross is blocked by Drahun. It hit his trailing arm as he slid forward to block the cross, so a penalty would have been rather harsh.

6.17pm GMT

19 min “Torreira has been very impressive so far this season,” says Matt Dony. “He leaves some big shoes to fill. But, (wait for it...), if anyone can do it, (I’m really sorry...), Xhaka can. Xhaka can. I’m here all week. Try the kluski.”

When that email started I honestly thought you were going to start singing ‘Iwobi’ to the tune of Madonna’s Erotica, so I feel like the rest of us got off lightly.

6.15pm GMT

18 min In the first few minutes it looked like Arsenal would run away with this match, but it’s more of a contest now. Arsenal have probably had 70-75 per cent of the possession. Bate look pretty well organised defensively now that the match has settled down.

6.12pm GMT

14 min Bate are playing like the away side, sitting deep and springing onto the counter-attack.

6.11pm GMT

13 min ... which leads to a chance on the counter for Bate. They break three on three after a mistake from Guendouzi, and Stavysh forces a save from Cech with a stinging shot from a very tight angle on the right edge of the area.

6.10pm GMT

12 min Kolasinac plays in Iwobi, who tries to flick the ball over the advancing keeper. It bounces over his foot, hits the thigh of a sliding defender and loops towards goal. Scherbitski stretches to flap it behind for a corner...

6.08pm GMT

12 min Inside info!

6.08pm GMT

11 min “Rob, do you have any inside info about what’s up with Monreal?” asks Charles Antaki. “Guardian journalists have their ears to the ground. Anyway he’s looked a shadow of his recently-former self. That’s quite good enough to get him into the Arsenal back line (even a quarter would have done), but still, it’s odd.”

Inside info! Inside info! He’s 32, so maybe the inexorable decline of the thirtysomething sportsman has started.

6.07pm GMT

10 min Bate’s free-kick is partially cleared and lobbed back into the area, where Milic fails to control the up and under. A better first touch would have given him a half chance.

6.06pm GMT

9 min Guendouzi slips on the dodgy pitch and loses the ball to Skavysh, who breaks down the right. Xhaka pulls him back and is booked.

6.05pm GMT

8 min The atmosphere in the stadium is brilliant, the kind of thing you used to hear in England. The fact Bate are being totally outplayed doesn’t seem to bother the home fans one bit.

6.02pm GMT

6 min “Surely against unfit, inferior opponents it’s the perfect opportunity for Emery to let Suarez showcase his skills & ability?” asks Sam. “What does he need to do to start a game for the Gunners?”

I’m sure he’ll play next week if Arsenal get a decent lead tonight. The pitch is so bad that I’m not sure there would have been that much value in playing him.

6.01pm GMT

5 min Arsenal are all over Bate. A short corner is returned to Mkhitaryan, whose inswinging cross is headed just wide of the far post by Mustafi.

6.01pm GMT

2 min: Scherbitski makes a fine save to deny Mkhitaryan! Iwobi played a superb angled pass inside the right-back Rios to find Kolasinac, who slid a first-time pass across the face of goal. It was right into the path of Mkhitaryan, whose close-range sidefoot was blocked by the sprawling Scherbitski.

5.57pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! After a minute’s applause in memory of Emiliano Sala, Arsenal get the match under way. They are in red and white; Bate are in yellow. It’s freezing and the pitch is a mudheap. Great stuff!

5.45pm GMT

Unai Emery speaks

“Petr Cech has experience and quality, and his commitment is very big. Today is a good chance for him to play. [TELL US ABOUT MESUT OZIL, UNAI] Today, the priority is the players who are here, and I think it’s much better to speak about those players.”

5.01pm GMT

Read all about it!

Related: Arsenal’s Petr Cech dreams of ending career in Europa League glory

Related: Europa League: four intriguing fixtures worth following this week

Related: The Fiver | Unfit to face inferior players who have hardly run a lap since Christmas

4.59pm GMT

Bate’s team includes former Arsenal charmer Aleksandr Hleb. As you probably know already, future former Arsenal charmer Mesut Ozil has not travelled with the squad. Unai Emery makes two changes from the team that beat Huddersfield at the weekend: Petr Cech and Granit Xhaka come in for Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira.

Bate Borisov (4-3-3) Scherbitski; Rios, Volkov, Filipenko, Filipovic; Baga, Dragun, Hleb; Skavysh, Milic, Stasevich.
Substitutes: Chichkan, Yablonski, Berezkin, Dubajic, Simovic, Moukam, Bessmertny.

12.46pm GMT

Good Valentine’s Day to you. Unai Emery was born to succeed in the Uefa Europa League. Just look at the initials on him! He has won the tournament three times, a record he shares with Giovanni Trapattoni, and it’s quite conceivable he could make it four this year. Arsenal are one of the favourites for the tournament, though there’s a strong field that includes Chelsea, Napoli, Internazionale, Benfica, Lazio, Eintracht Frankfurt - and Emery’s old clubs, Sevilla and Valencia.

It’s strange that Arsenal never won a European trophy under Arsene Wenger, though they had terrific chances in 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2018. That missed opportunity in 2003-04 still haunts me, and I don’t even bloody support them. The last time they won a European trophy, then, was the criminally unsung Cup Winners’ Cup victory in 1993-94. In the parlance of our time, they are due.

Continue reading...