Timber, Eze and Saka help Arsenal to routine win over Lille

Bukayo Saka celebrates the third. Pic: John Walton/Press Association

Champions League: Arsenal 3 Lille 0 

Mikel Arteta has not hidden from his desire to upgrade his Premier League champions into the best team in Europe and become the first Arsenal manager to win the coveted Champions League trophy for the north London club. And what started as night of mourning for one of Arsenal’s favourite sons, the Life President Ken Friar who died after 80 years of service to the club dating back to 1945 aged 11, ended as one of unabashed celebration for club legends past and present.

Friar’s contribution to the existing Arsenal culture cannot be overstated. He also joined an Arsenal club that had long campaigned for the introduction of a tournament contested between Europe’s elite clubs, so it was in some way fitting they marked his passing with a victory A second half goal blitz of three goals in seven minutes ensured Arsenal emerged as one of only four of this season’s 36-strong Champions League teams with a perfect start to the embryonic European season.

There was even time for an old fan favourite from more cent times to grace the occasion as 40-year-old Lille forward Olivier Giroud, came on as a late substitute. The Frenchman won FA Cups and scored 105 times in well over 200 games for the club, but as ever with sport, the misty-eyed memories of the past gave way to the stars of the present.

Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka scored the Arsenal goals as Lille failed to match the standards required at this level.

Their young Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti, 37, is the son of Italian football legend Carlo. After a miserable five months in charge at Brazil side Botafogo he is in his first season as boss of a mainstream European team, with a Champions League education from his father that few can match. Don Carlo won this tournament twice as a player and a record five times as a coach. Surely some of the know how would have been passed on to his only son.

At 44, Arteta, in the opposing dugout is not much older and still in his first managerial role. The Spaniard has, however, already proven his European pedigree by first ending Arsenal’s long absence from the shiniest of all club competitions and then steering the side to quarterfinal, semi-final and runners-up finishes. He has convinced his players they are destined to go one better next May.

Eberechi Eze (left) breaks out his trademark celebration after scoring Arsenal's second on the night. Pic: John Walton/Press Association

And not winning this match against one of the lesser-fancied sides in the competition was almost unthinkable to the massed ranks of Arsenal fans crammed into this stadium on a balmy October night.

Summer signing Bruno Guimaraes almost marked a rare start with a 20th minute goal and recalled Mikel Merino also squandered a good headed chance and all seemed well, if not entirely convincing, from a side lacking conviction and flow with five changes from the weekend win over Leeds.

And when Ayase Ueda had a good effort narrowly ruled out for offside, it was no wonder Arteta looked the most animated of the two men in black with white-soled trainers prowling their technical areas on the touchline.

Maybe he should have shown Lille more respect and not relegated Myles Lewis-Skelly to left back to accommodate Guimaraes and play an entirely new look for the forward line. Clearly he was prioritising Sunday’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest, a place they have struggled to win at in recent years.

Turkish keeper Berke Ozer denied Guimarães and Viktor Gyokeres the chance to settle Arsenal anxiety with a crucial double save as the passionate visiting French support then celebrated the half-time whistle with honours, even with a mass display of their team scarves.

Lille struggled to compete after the break, but their 11-man defensive block kept chances to a minimum for an Arsenal side bereft of creativity where it was most needed.

Arteta waited until there was about half an hour to go before he whistled up the cavalry in the form of Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz. And just like in Saturday’s comeback win over Leeds, the mere presence of Arteta’s three international attacking stars on the touchline inspired Arsenal into scoring.

Timber took a pass inside the right-hand area from Noni Madueke and glided past a defender with a world class touch before dinking a striker’s finish over the advancing Ozer. Not bad for a right-back.

Again Arteta did not deviate from his tactics and made his triple substitution. Moments later it was Eze who was rewarded for his hard work and outrageous ability who side-footed in a left foot shot from just inside the area as if he was on the training ground routine with England team-mate Saka. Quality from both Arsenal men.

Saka’s silky 71st minute fish was just as good as the others. Havertz picked him out and his fellow Arsenal sub bought himself even more space with a classy first touch before rolling a left-foot shot inside the corner of a post.

ARSENAL: Raya 7, Timber 7 (White 78), Konsa 7, Gabriel 7, Lewis-Skelly 7, Rice 7, Merino 6 (Odegaard 65), Guimaraes 6, Madueke 6 (Saka 65), Eze 6 (Dowman 85), Gyokeres 6 (Havertz 65). 

Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Meslier, Mosquera, Calafiori, O'Neil, Hashi, Salmon.

LILLE: Ozer 7, Ngoy 6, Alexsandro 6, Bentaleb 5 (Sahraoui 72), Bakwa 6 (Diaoune 82), Haraldsson 6, Perraud 5 (Verdonk 78), Mukau 5 (Kjaergaard 72), Ueda 6 (Giroud 78), Andre 6, Goffi 6. 

Substitutes: Gill, Sajous, Srdanovic, Giroud, Sahraoui, Basar Onal, Nianzou, Cossier, Perrin.

Ref: Felix Zwayer (Germany) 6.