Pressure eases on Wenger

Arsenal 3 - Fenerbahce 0

Gibbs opened the scoring in the first leg of last night’s play-off against Fenerbahce in Turkey in the 51st minute, netting from close range after good work by Theo Walcott and Ramsey.

The latter doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a low 20-yard effort which Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel should have saved.

And Giroud rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot in the 77th minute, after Walcott had been brought down.

Although the Gunners lost defender Laurent Koscielny to a facial injury sustained in the first half, it was just the morale-boosting performance Wenger was seeking.

The result also made some amends for their weekend drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa in their Barclays Premier League opener, and Ramsey was more than happy with the performance.

“It wasn’t the ideal start to the Premiership (sic) but we bounced back tonight,” the Welshman said.

“We played really well as a team. We’ve been under a lot of criticism of late but it was vital that we stayed switched on and got a great result here, which we did.

“We look very comfortable now going back to the Emirates for the second leg.”

Walcott agreed, although added a note of caution ahead of next week’s return match.

“It felt like, with the tempo of game, we dominated it in the centre of park and if we kept on going at a high intensity we’d get a goal, and we did that,” said the forward.

“It was three great goals and it’s a great result going to the Emirates now on Tuesday night.

“Its nice and comfortable but we’ve got to be professional on Tuesday. They’re going to want to come and make it up to the fans for tonight and we have to be ready for that.”

Arsenal, despite missing several first team players through injury, started brightly, with Walcott seeing the night’s first chance — a low driven shot — blocked by defender Bruno Alves in the fourth minute.

The Gunners were forced into a change after 30 minutes when Koscielny was caught in the face by Pierre Webo’s high boot as the pair jostled for possession.

The Fenerbahce striker got a yellow card, while a bloodied Koscielny was replaced by Carl Jenkinson.

The Gunners continued to play the tidier football and were deservedly ahead just after the break when Ramsey found Walcott with an excellent ball and the England man crossed for Gibbs to convert from barely four yards out.

It was nearly 2-0 soon after when Walcott was denied from six yards by Demirel — before play swung to the other end and Wojciech Szczesny was out bravely to deny Webo.

Webo skewed a shot wide in the 59th minute, then Wilshere saw a 62nd-minute effort parried to safety by Demirel.

However, the goalkeeper was not so convincing two minutes later. Demirel appeared to be keeping out Ramsey’s low shot from 20 yards out – but the ball eluded his grasp and squeezed into the corner of the net.

Moussa Sow shot over for Fenerbahce in the 71st minute and former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles fired wide in the 75th, but Wenger’s men were well in control of the tie.

And it was 3-0 when Walcott won a penalty in the 76th minute when he was bundled over by Michal Kadlec and Giroud converted emphatically, sending Demirel the wrong way.

Substitute Emmanuel Emenike came close to a consolation goal in the 90th minute — but Szczesny was equal to his shot.

FENERBAHCE: Demirel, Irtegun (Gonul 46), Yobo, Bruno Alves, Kadlec, Topal, Meireles (Potuk 82), Emre, Sow, Webo (Emenike 62), Kuyt.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny (Jenkinson 33), Gibbs, Rosicky, Wilshere, Ramsey, Cazorla, Giroud (Podolski 82), Walcott (Monreal 87).

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy).