Arsenal 3-0 BATE Borisov: Europa League last 32, second leg – as it happened

The Gunners avenged their shock defeat in Belarus and eased into the last 16.

8.33pm GMT

And that’s your lot. Amy Lawrence was at the Emirates, and here’s her verdict. Thanks for reading! Nighty night!

Related: Shkodran Mustafi header helps Arsenal to progress at expense of Bate Borisov

8.07pm GMT

Unai Emery speaks to BT Sport: “The result is good. We are improving, and our mentality was good for this match. This competition is important for us, and the result in the first match was not good. So the team did very well to come back. We spoke this morning, and in the dressing room before the match: if we score, carry on. If we score a second goal, carry on. If we score a third goal, carry on. We need this mentality. The players did the gameplan like we want.”

7.58pm GMT

Some post-match platitudes from Arsenal’s goalscorers. “It was better than last week,” begins Shkodran Mustafi. “We managed it well. We showed that we wanted to play our game and score our goals. We work on our set pieces and it was good that it paid off. There is a lot to improve still, but we are doing well.” Sokratis Papastathopoulos adds: “We are happy and now we look to the next game. The Europa League is very important for us.”

7.48pm GMT

And that’s that! Arsenal are through to the last 16 of the Europa League, Unai Emery’s dream of a fourth title still alive. The Gunners were thoroughly professional tonight. They went ahead early, and after surviving a couple of scares during a brief spell when BATE threatened an away goal, eased clear of limited opponents. “Your Portuguese-speaking readers might get a kick out of the fact that ‘Arsenal bate Borisov’ means ‘Arsenal beats Borisov’,” notes Peter Oh.

7.47pm GMT

90 min +2: Dubajic shoulder barges Monreal to the floor. It’s a garden-variety foul, but Xhaka takes great exception to it and races in, chest out, baiting Dubajic like Scrappy Doo. For goodness sake, man, you’ve won the match and there are about ten seconds to go! A totally disproportionate response to not very much. He’s lucky the ref doesn’t at least book him, because he’s right up in the official’s grille, swearing like billy-o.

7.43pm GMT

90 min +1: But that’s not going to happen, is it.

7.43pm GMT

90 min: There will be two added minutes. A goal a minute, and BATE are through on away goals.

7.42pm GMT

88 min: More of the Arsenal possession. It’s been a thoroughly drama-free second half. The loudest noise for a while is generated when the guy on the PA announces that Finsbury Park tube station is shut, causing all manner of effin’ and jeffin’.

7.38pm GMT

86 min: Suarez and Ozil buzz around the edge of the BATE box, but can’t find the combination to unlock the door.

7.37pm GMT

84 min: A ball rears up in the BATE area and hits Simovic on the arm. The referee considers giving Arsenal a penalty, raising his whistle to his lips momentarily, but then changes his mind, perhaps after consultation with his linesman.

7.36pm GMT

83 min: Arsenal continue to ping it around in the relaxed style. The crowd get a little agitated, because they’d like to see a couple more goals whistling into the BATE net, but the players don’t seem too fussed, which is fair enough given they’re the ones who have done all the running tonight.

7.34pm GMT

81 min: Arsenal play keep-ball in the midfield. Time is their pal now.

7.31pm GMT

79 min: Mkhitaryan is replaced by Suarez.

7.31pm GMT

78 min: A rare period of BATE possession in the Arsenal half. Simovic sends a heatseeker towards the top left from 30 yards. A really good effort from such a long way out, but always curling wide of the post. Cech calmly watches it sail out for a goal kick.

7.29pm GMT

76 min: Aubameyang takes, fizzing the free kick through the wall but straight down the throat of Scherbitski, who has had a very good game if you factor out the unfortunate flap for Arsenal’s third.

7.28pm GMT

75 min: Volkov hangs out a tired leg to bring down Monreal, who was cutting in from the left, 30 yards from goal. A free kick, and Aubamayang fancies it.

7.27pm GMT

74 min: Arsenal ping it about in the clock-watching fashion, just because they can.

7.25pm GMT

72 min: BATE make their last change of the night, and almost certainly their last of their Europa League run. Dubajic comes on for Skavysh, who has run himself into the ground.

7.24pm GMT

71 min: Mkhitaryan slips a clever pass down the inside-right channel to release Aubameyang into the area. He draws the keeper as he glides a little to the right, then dinks the ball over him towards the unguarded bottom left. Agonisingly, his effort bounces inches wide of the post.

7.23pm GMT

70 min: Aubameyang jigs down the inside-right channel but upon reaching the byline can only slap a shot-cum-cross into the side netting. Torreira was waiting, hoping to be set up.

7.22pm GMT

69 min: The Emirates is calm. Nothing much going on. A sense that everyone just wants to pack up and go home now. This is done.

7.20pm GMT

67 min: Stasevich tries to clear, but slices backwards into the mixer. Mustafi wins a header, and the ball drops to Ozil, in a pocket of space 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. He’s not offside. In going for the near post, he flashes a first-time shot inches wide of the goal. A real chance; he smiles ruefully.

7.18pm GMT

66 min: Iwobi races down the left and slips Monreal free on the overlap. Monreal’s cross is deflected out for a corner, from which ...

7.17pm GMT

64 min: It’s all change at the minute, with Dragun, BATE’s first-leg goalscoring hero, making way for Berezkin.

7.16pm GMT

63 min: Guendouzi departs to warm applause. The Arsenal fans have taken to him. They’re big fans of Torreira, too, and he’s cheered to the rafters when he comes on.

7.14pm GMT

62 min: Arsenal are as good as in the last 16 now, unless something very odd occurs, because BATE aren’t doing anything in attack. Lichtsteiner clearing off the line seems an awfully long time ago now.

7.14pm GMT

Mkhitaryan bursts down the right and very nearly gets a shot away from a tight angle. Filipovic does extremely well to slide in and block for a corner. But it’s only brief relief. Xhaka whips the corner towards the far post. Scherbitski comes off his line to punch, but makes an awful balls of it, flapping at thin air. Sokratis, only just on, heads home from a couple of yards.

7.11pm GMT

58 min: Ozil is now wearing the captain’s armband. He sends Iwobi away down the left; a dink to the far post is headed wide by Mkhitaryan. Then a lovely moment as former Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb comes on for Baga. He’s given an ovation of great warmth as he takes to the pitch.

7.10pm GMT

57 min: The Arsenal captain is on the bench getting his calf checked out by the physio. Hopefully that’s nothing too serious; he’s had hellish luck with injury of late.

7.08pm GMT

56 min: Koscielny has picked up a knock, and is replaced by Sokratis.

7.07pm GMT

54 min: The corner leads to very little.

7.07pm GMT

53 min: Rios slips a ball down the right for Skavysh, and for a second Arsenal are on the back foot. But Monreal holds him up well, and Arsenal break upfield. Iwobi drives into the BATE box from the left and tries a low curler towards the bottom right. Scherbitski parries well. BATE half clear, Mkhitaryan’s shot from the right deflected out for a corner.

7.04pm GMT

51 min: Ozil plays a cute ball down the inside-right channel to release Mkhitaryan into the BATE area. Mkhitaryan shapes to shoot but slips. The ball breaks back to Xhaka on the edge of the area. He balloons a wild effort off target.

7.03pm GMT

49 min: A worrying game of pinball in the Arsenal box. Monreal falls over backwards while attempting to clear, and only succeeds in gifting the ball to Skavysh, who shifts his feet in tight space and snatches a shot straight at Cech. A reminder that one slip could cost Arsenal dear.

7.01pm GMT

48 min: Now Guendouzi takes a potshot from outside the BATE area. That one’s not on target either, but not a bad effort at all, looped in from the right and not a million miles away from the top corner.

7.00pm GMT

47 min: Monreal has a dig from distance. No. Meanwhile here’s Paul Bowes, who knows full well what I meant: “With regard to your remark at 29 minutes: surely Aubameyang has always been within his rights to shoot himself? But it seems excessive for one miscued shot.”

6.59pm GMT

And we’re off again! Arsenal get the second half underway; there have been no half-time changes in this Europa League tie. “Not that it takes too much to turn my thoughts to the notion of heavy metal football, but crikey that Big Vase arm badge seems like a nod to The Object from Zep’s seventh album,” writes rock music’s Grant Tennille. “Given the travel distances and fixture quantity, it’s not a bad reference, really; considered to be a bit of a downer by all but the most committed fans, Jimmy Page always fancied it as their ‘album against adversity’.”

6.48pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. There’s been plenty of European action already this week, of course. Max Rushden and pals pick over the bones in Football Weekly. Enjoy!

Related: Champions League, angry Ronaldo and a Row 32 penalty – Football Weekly Extra

6.44pm GMT

That brings a satisfactory half of football for Arsenal to an end. They should ease clear in the second half, but will remember that BATE seriously threatened during the early exchanges, and an away goal will change everything. Back in 15. No flipping!

6.42pm GMT

45 min: Ozil, Iwobi and Guendouzi attack as a trio down the left flank. BATE are light at the back, and the correct passing sequence should send one of the three clear on goal. But Ozil goes inside to Guendouzi when he should find Iwobi on the left, then Guendouzi finds himself unable to reach Iwobi with a threaded pass. All three have the good grace to look frustrated.

6.40pm GMT

43 min: Iwobi’s brought down 30 yards from goal, just to the left of centre. Ozil takes it quickly, dinking a ball down the inside-left channel to release Aubameyang into the area. He’s clear, but faced with a tight angle and Scherbitski again shows his quality by narrowing the angle further and denying the striker a chance to shoot. That’s fine last-ditch keeping.

6.38pm GMT

41 min: So this match can’t go to extra time now. It could be over soon, too, if BATE don’t clear their heads. Volkov plays a weak backpass down the Arsenal right, and Ozil nearly latches onto it. Not for the first time, Scherbitski does extremely well to read the danger, race from his box, and clear.

6.36pm GMT

Aubameyang’s good work earns a corner on the left. Xhaka sends the set piece towards the penalty spot, where Mustafi rises above a dozy Baga and plants a header into the bottom left! Simple, and Arsenal hit the front in this tie for the first time.

6.34pm GMT

38 min: This is much better from Mkhitaryan, who dances this way and that down the right wing, reaches the byline, and dinks a cross to the far post that’s half cleared. The ball drops to Ozil, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post. He creams a rising volley towards the top left ... but it’s a little bit too high. Lovely effort, though.

6.33pm GMT

36 min: Mkhitaryan drives towards the BATE box from the right wing. He’s got Lichtsteiner on the overlap, and tries to release him into space, but the pass is no good, clanked at the full-back’s feet instead of in front of him. Lichtsteiner has no chance to control, and that’s the danger over.

6.31pm GMT

34 min: Milic comes through the back of Mkhitaryan and is slightly fortunate to escape a booking. It’s not exactly been a physical battle so far, and that might explain the referee’s lenience.

6.30pm GMT

33 min: The Iwobi-Monreal combination nearly opens BATE up down the left again. Not quite, but it’s enough to earn another corner. From the set piece, the ball drops towards Lichtsteiner, who attempts a volley from 25 yards. No Matthew Le Tissier he.

6.28pm GMT

32 min: Iwobi races down the left and slips Monreal clear on the overlap. Monreal cuts back towards Ozil, who takes a comedic fresh-air swipe at the ball. It breaks to Xhaka, trundling in from deep. Xhaka lashes a wild shot high and wide right.

6.26pm GMT

30 min: Arsenal are beginning to find some rhythm. Iwobi tears down the left and floats one into the centre. Aubameyang heads harmlessly over.

6.25pm GMT

29 min: Lichtsteiner hooks a cross into the mixer from the right. Aubameyang brings it down on the penalty spot, his back to goal. He spins and sends a pea-roller into the arms of Scherbitski. He had Ozil totally free to his left, though in fairness was within his rights to shoot himself.

6.24pm GMT

28 min: Arsenal are beginning to press BATE back. Mkhitaryan reaches the byline to the left of goal, but his cutback doesn’t find a red shirt. Again the visitors hack clear.

6.23pm GMT

27 min: Monreal crosses deep from the left. Ozil, just to the right of the area, wedges it into the centre. Volkov does very well to head over his own bar under pressure from Aubameyang. Not a great deal occurs at the corner.

6.22pm GMT

26 min: Ozil conducts from deep. He slips a ball wide for Mkhitaryan, who slams a low cross into the area. Filipenko hoicks clear. Guendouzi storms back at BATE and nearly releases Lichtsteiner down the right. Just a little too much pace on the pass.

6.20pm GMT

24 min: As things stand, this match is going to extra time, and perhaps penalties. However it’s hard to see both of these defences holding out for another 66 minutes plus stoppages. We’re surely not here for the long haul.

6.20pm GMT

22 min: Monreal makes his way down the left and hopes to break into the box. No luck, as he loses control and runs into Rios. He wants a penalty but that’s never going to happen.

6.16pm GMT

20 min: Xhaka sends a rising pearler towards the top left from 25 yards. It’s a fine effort, but Scherbitski is behind it all the way and punches over. The resulting corner is worked to the right wing where Mkhitaryan flashes a low cross towards Aubameyang. Volkov is on hand to blooter clear. This game is fun, if a little frantic.

6.15pm GMT

18 min: Milic dinks a ball down the left-hand channel. Lichtsteiner covers well, with Stasevich hovering. There were huge gaps in the Arsenal defence there; had BATE moved the ball quicker, there’d have been bother.

6.13pm GMT

16 min: Milic is OK to continue. A couple of corners for Arsenal out on the right, but nothing much comes of them. At least they’ve calmed everything down, because BATE were beginning to build up a head of steam, a little uncertainty bubbling up in the stands.

6.11pm GMT

14 min: Milic accidentally boots a stooping Koscielny in the grid, then injures himself falling awkwardly. A passage of play that in an ideal world would have been soundtracked by trombone slides.

6.10pm GMT

12 min: Space for Stasevich out on the left. He reaches the byline and dinks one to the far post, but Skavysh can’t get to it and Arsenal clear. BATE are threatening to score the away goal that’d put the Gunners in all sorts of bother.

6.08pm GMT

10 min: Then almost immediately, Arsenal break forward, Aubameyang chasing a long punt down the right. Scherbitski races from his area and clears to touch, just in time. Had he not got there, Aubameyang was clear.

6.07pm GMT

9 min: And BATE come again! Baga surges down the right and loops a cross into the centre. Dragun meets the dropping ball, six yards out and level with the left-hand post, and drives goalwards. Lichtsteiner is forced to hack off the line!

6.06pm GMT

8 min: But Arsenal can’t get too carried away. One simple ball down the inside-right channel and Skavysh is romping ahead of Koscielny and into the Arsenal area. Hearts in mouths as he slams his shot into the side netting. Should have done so much better.

6.04pm GMT

7 min: Ozil combines well with Iwobi down the inside-left channel. Reaching the byline, he cuts back for Mkhitaryan, who slashes a first-time shot miles over the bar, and wide to boot. He had more time than he thought.

6.03pm GMT

6 min: Iwobi bustles down the left and earns another Arsenal corner. Ozil’s delivery isn’t all that, and Stasevich tries to break upfield. But Xhaka presses hard and wins the ball back immediately. It breaks to Iwobi, who is unchallenged on the left-hand corner of the box. He opens his body and attempts to send a curler into the top right. Not quite; it floats wide. But this is some start by Arsenal!

6.01pm GMT

The Gunners are level in the tie already! Aubameyang bombs down the right and crosses low. There’s no red shirt nearby, but no worries, because Volkov, facing his own goal, hangs out a leg and slices the ball into the bottom left, his keeper wrong footed and given no chance.

6.00pm GMT

3 min: Ozil’s in the thick of it already, one-twoing with Xhaka down the left, then earning a corner off Volkov. The set piece is worked to Mkhitaryan, just to the left of the box. His low cross is punched clear by Scherbitski.

5.58pm GMT

2 min: A fast start for Arsenal, as Guendouzi slips a fine ball down the right wing for Lichtsteiner to chase. Lichtsteiner whips in a low cross, and it’s met by Iwobi, who slams a first-time shot straight at Scherbitski. That’s got the crowd going!

5.57pm GMT

We’re off! BATE get the second leg underway, all attention on the returning Mesut Ozil. On that subject, here’s Kári Tulinius: “Through the years Unai Emery has reminded me of several co-workers I’ve had through the years who were excellent at their jobs but weren’t there to socialize and make friends. Perfectly pleasant but a bit distant. However, at Arsenal it’s all about his personality, especially his connection with Özil, while his work is merely good. Even here, in the cup where he’s had his greatest triumphs, thoughts turn immediately to how Özil will perform, rather than the prospect of a title.”

5.53pm GMT

The teams are out! Arsenal are in their famous red shirts with white sleeves, while BATE wear their first-choice yellow. The Emirates is far from full, but fans keep streaming in, and those already here are doing their best to make some noise. We’ll be off in a minute, but before it all gets going, here’s a wild idea from mad professor Charles Antaki: “If the Arsenal backroom staff were up to it, they might conjure a hybrid Lichtsteiner/Maitland-Niles to be a decent full back - young, athletic, purposeful, but wise, single-minded and not above some enjoyable tactical fouling. On the other hand the creature might as easily come out as old, positionally dodgy, prone to giving the ball away and just generally pants. Alternatively they could push Carl Jenkinson onto the field and hope for the best.”

5.49pm GMT

Unai Emery talks to BT Sport! “Good afternoon! We need to come back at home, push from the first minute to the 90th, and to be competitive. But they have shown that they are competitive too, and strong, and will continue doing their defensive work. We need passion, and must be clear with our game plan. Ozil is going to play and I am sure he is going to play a good match. We need every player to play well, and make combinations in attack near the box.”

5.46pm GMT

It’s fair to say this is unlikely to become one of those Great European Nights for the ages. The pre-match atmosphere at the Emirates is somewhat subdued, though you can’t really blame the fans, simply because they’re not there, so many unable to make this preposterous kick-off time. Arsenal fans desirous of finding a popular scapegoat will be thrilled to hear that Chelsea can be blamed for this farce in its entirety: because they’re playing in the Europa League in London tonight too, they get first dibs on the later kick-off time, on account of having a better Uefa ranking.

5.20pm GMT

Pennant watch. Quality ceremonial memorabilia, much as you’d expect from a classy old institution like The Arsenal. Just a shame about the badge, really; they never should have got rid of the grand and gorgeous 1949 crest, Victoria Concordia Crescit, all that. Copyright schmopyright.

5.03pm GMT

Mesut Özil is back! He’s one of only two changes to Arsenal’s starting XI in Belarus last week. He replaces the suspended Alexandre Lacazette. Meanwhile Stephan Lichtsteiner takes the place of the poorly Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

BATE make just one switch. Slobodan Simović replaces Alexander Hleb in midfield, the former Gunner dropping to the bench on his return to his old north London stomping ground.

5.02pm GMT

Arsenal: Cech, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Iwobi, Aubameyang.
Subs: Leno, Papastathopoulos, Ramsey, Torreira, Suarez, Kolasinac, Nketiah.

BATE Borisov: Scherbitski, Rios, Volkov, Filipenko, Filipovic, Simovic, Dragun, Milic, Baha, Stasevich, Skavysh.
Subs: Chichkan, Yablonskiy, Berezkin, Dubajic, Hleb, Nemriko, Moukam.

11.22am GMT

Thursday evening, 5.55pm. It’s no time to kick off a big football match, as irritated Arsenal fans who can’t get to the stadium in time from work will tell you. “It’s totally unacceptable and inconvenient,” a spokesperson for the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust told our national broadcaster. “Arsenal fans have to travel to the game after work from across London, the south-east and further afield. The result will be a huge number of empty seats and many fans having to pay for a ticket on their season tickets which they cannot use.” Well done, Uefa! Well done, everyone!

But here we are. Arsenal are a goal adrift in this Europa League round-of-32 tie, having lost embarrassingly at BATE Borisov in the first leg. It shouldn’t be an irredeemable problem, given they beat the Belarusians 6-0 at the Emirates only last season. But they’ll have to turn it around without Alexandre Lacazette, who got himself sent off in Belarus last week.

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