Emile Smith Rowe joins the maiden goalscorers to fire Arsenal to victory over Qarabag
In years to come, Arsenal fans might well look back at this otherwise unremarkable Europa League win and say "wasn't that the game Emile Smith Rowe scored his first goal for us?"
Whether Smith Rowe's well-taken finish will be the first of many we will have to wait and see, but the early signs are that the 18-year-old academy graduate has a very bright future.
Lining up in a team filled with experienced internationals, it took Smith Rowe - stationed on the right wing - to take charge in Azerbaijan and help deliver a 3-0 win for Arsenal against Qarabag.
For much of the game, Arsenal laboured against limited opposition, with a few players performing as though they thought the assignment was beneath them. Smith Rowe by contrast was like a bright young thing on their first day of a graduate scheme, brimming with ideas and always keen to impress. He'd probably have photocopied the team sheet if he'd been asked.
But effort levels aside, Smith Rowe's performance was also one of high quality - capped off with a well-deserved goal in the 53rd minute that saw him run onto Alex Iwobi's pass, take a neat first touch and slip a low finish under Qarabag goalkeeper Vagner from about six yards. It doubled Arsenal's lead and killed the match as a contest. The goal also saw Smith Rowe become the first player born since 2000 to score for Arsenal, and the club's youngest scorer since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2011.
A dream night for @emilesmithrowe_ ✨
And he's got a message for you, too... pic.twitter.com/eEE6IEYxok— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) October 4, 2018
After the game, head coach Unai Emery paid tribute to Smith Rowe's mentality. "If I have to say one thing it is his mentality as he is humble and he listens every day.
"He has the physical quality and mentality. Also quality with the right foot, and combination in the attacking moment with another player."
Emery could also feel satisfied with the result, if not always the performance, against Qarabag, which means Arsenal have won eight games in a row in all competitions and are top of their Europa League group.
As with each of their previous seven victories though, this was not an entirely convincing display. Mahir Madatov, Filip Ozobic and Abdellah Zoubir were all denied by smart Bernd Leno saves, while Maksim Medvedev also went close for Qarabag.
In slight mitigation, Emery made nine changes to the side that beat Watford on Saturday and for the first time at Arsenal lined up with a back three.
So a degree of getting used to one another and the different system was perhaps inevitable. Strangely Arsenal were at their most fluid in the opening minutes when Sead Kolasinac galloped onto Matteo Guendouzi's pass and squared for Welbeck, whose close-range shot was blocked by Vagner.
From Mohamed Elneny's resulting corner Sokratis bundled in Monreal's header from a few yards out.
For most of the rest of the game, Arsenal relied on Smith Rowe for attacking inspiration. In the first-half alone, he got three shots away - the first of which saw him finish a move he'd started with a stretched effort that hit the side netting.
Smith Rowe's dribbling also caught the eye, as did his maturity in always picking the right pass even when he was being closed down.
The ovation he received from the 200-strong Arsenal support when he was substituted for Mesut Ozil in the second half suggested that he has quickly entered 'fans' favourite' territory. As he left the pitch, Smith Rowe also received words of encouragement from his manager.
"I said to him that he can go into the box and score more," Emery explained.
Speaking on BT Sport, Glenn Hoddle added: “He’s got to put his chest out and say ‘I can play. I’m as good as you and in the end I’m going to take your shirt off you’. That’s the attitude you’ve got to have as a young kid.”
Arsenal were less fluid after Smith Rowe went off, but with Qarabag forced to chase the game at 2-0 down, gaps began to open up.
Guendouzi duly finished off a counter-attack with a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box in the closing stages.
But ultimately the night belonged to Smith Rowe. A star may just have been born.
Table talk
Sporting have come back from a goal behind to beat Vorskla 2-1 in Ukraine so Arsenal top the group on goal difference.
Full time
Eight successive wins for Arsenal and Unai Emery. Thoroughly deserved but they did look vulnerable at times in the first half. Reverting to a back four didn't give Lichtsteiner and Kolasinac the support they needed but Arsenal's midfielders were too good for Qarabag and Iwobi, Welbeck and Smith Rowe worked very well together, spotting each other's runs and picking their passes and moments.
90+2 min
Guendouzi runs forward to join the attack, lurks at the edge of the area in case he can be of help and Ozil spots him, plays the ball across the 18-yard line to him but he flays his shot over the bar.
90+1 min
Welbeck wastes another scoring opportunity set up by Geundouzi with another shonky attempt at a finish. Not his night in front of goal though he has done well elsewhere. We'll have three minutes added on in total.
88 min
Welbeck squanders a golden chance. The move, a rapid counter, began with Sokratis's long ball up the right for Lacazette to chase. He took it on,engaged Rzezniczak, beat him so forced Huseynov to come over on the cover as he entered the box then slipped a pass inside to Welbeck. The England forward wraps his right foot round it, aiming for the top right corner but smashes it over and on to the athletics track.
86 min
From the corner Delarge is called offside, probably wrongly, when the first cross was defended but the second was sent back in menacingly from the right with Arsenal pushing up.
84 min
Zoubir receives the ball 25 yards out in the middle of the pitch. He takes a touch to push the ball forward and open up a shooting opportunity and thunders a left-footer that Leno soars to his right to tip over. Decent shot, good save.
82 min
You wait for 22½ years for an Arsenal goal scored by a player who hasn't been managed by Arsene Wenger and suddenly you get three in one night. Arsenal counter swiftly after Delarge got behind Lichtsteiner and wasted his good movement with a wretched pass to Welbeck who set the break moving. He played it over to the right for Lacazette who gave it to Ozil and he held it before waiting for Guendouzi's supporting run down the inside-right channel. Ozil rolled the pas perfectly into his pass and Guendouzi finished with a sweetly-struck right-foot shot.
GOAL!!
Qarabag 0-3 Arsenal (Guendouzi)
77 min
Delarge strides upfield through the centre-circle as Torreira backs off but the forward's pass, intended for a unmarked Emeghara 20 yards out, is skewed and Torreira is luckily ideally placed to pick it off.
76 min
Lacazette chases a pass up the right wing from Elneny but can't beat Rzezniczak to it so give shim a push instead. The centre-back goes flying, gets up shakes hands and takes the free-kick quickly.
74 min
Arsenal are playing keepball even close to the Qarabag goal.
73 min
Some air has been let out of the balloon following the sequence of substitutions.
71 min
Final Arsenal substitution: Iwobi leaves the stage. Enter Lacazette.
69 min
Ozil takes a nap in possession on the left, just inside his half and Emeghara, who is an impressive ball-thief, mugs him for it and races away. But when he gets to the box, his attempt to flick it to Abdullayev is intercepted by Sokratis.
66 min
Kolasinac hurts himself heading the ball and rubs his bonce. Qarabag make a second substitution. Araz Abdullayev comes on for Ozobic. A striker for a No10.
64 min
Smith Rowe's time is up. Mesut Ozil takes his place. The official, 'fourthers' as Brian Johnston would have called him, originally put up the number four but Emery was straight out of his seat to correct it to No55
61 min
Madatov has been hooked after wasting the two best Qarabag chances. Delarge replaces him. Prior to his introduction a cross from Agolli eludes Holding and Emeghara looms so Guendouzi has a swing at it and slices it over the bar. From the corner, Arsenal head it out, get caught playing offside when it's knocked back in and Emeghara times his run. He cleverly tries to flick it past Leno but doesn't connect ideally and Arsenal are spared.
58 min
Zoubir leaves Lichtsteiner on his tuchas as he turns him inside out by the byline. Holding bails him out with a block tackle.
56 min
Arsenal are passing it around, probing patiently and looking to get in behind the full-backs. A touch more precision and they would be in but Elneny's longer passing is not as accurate as his short game.
54 min
A debut goal for the 18-year-old. Welbeck wins the ball in the air, nods it to Iwobi who takes it forward, draws Rzezniczak out then slides the pass between the ecntre back and Agolli for the teenager's run and he turns it crisply past Vagner from an angle of about 60 degrees.
GOAL!!
Qarabag 0-2 Arsenal (Smith Rowe)
51 min
Another chance for Madatov whine Zoubir lofts a diagonal from the left-wing over Kolasinac's head. Madatov has only Leno to beat from 10 yards but can't control the dipping ball and prods it at the keeper.
49 min
Madatov races on to Emeghara's pass. Emeghara had tackled the dawdling Guendouzi and then turned to slide a pass between Holding and Sokratis. Madatov opened his body and flicked a shot into the right bottom corner with Leno racing out to try to close the angle but the winger had mistimed his run and gone a fraction too early. The crowd's jubilation is curtailed by the offside flag.
48 min
Now Garayev has a shot, spanking a 30-yarder over the bar. Phyllosan in the half-time tea?
47 min
Ozobic has a crack from 25 yards when played in by Zoubir's pass. He takes a touch then pulls it past the post.
46 min
Arsenal introduce Torreira at the break for Nacho Monreal and revert to a back four.
22 years later ...
Sokratis is the first player to score for Arsenal, who never played a competitive game under Arsene Wenger, since Glenn Helder in January 1996
— Tom Ede (@TomEde1) October 4, 2018
Half time
No significant stoppages equal no added time. Enjoyable game for those with no investment in it but Arsenal are worryingly open at the back, particularly down the flanks and flighted passes over the wing-backs' heads. They look fluent as an attacking force, though. Iwobi and Smith Rowe have been impressively slick and Guendouzi continues to look born to this stage.
45 min
Arsenal look vulnerable to anything over the top and this time it's Kolasinac caught snoozing when Garayev lofts a diagonal from right to left to pick out Madatov's run but the best the right-winger can again achieve is a lunging shot that billows into the sidenetting.
43 min
Guendouzi holds aposition just on the periphery of the Qarabag box when Smith Rowe tries to dribble past Rzezniczak, guilty of taking an extra touch instead of shooting. The ball deflects out to Guendouzi whose shot is blocked by a thicket of shins. Qarabag try to hit Arsenal quickly on the counter up the left but Holding stops them with a deliberate hand ball for which he is booked.
41 min
Agolli takes a couple of strides in from the left flank and shoots when fed by Zoubir. It's mishit but falls kindly to Emeghra by the penalty spot who tries to control it and instead inadvertently knocks it to the edge of the box to Ozobic who hits it crisply and Leno pulls off another smart diving save.
39 min
Iwobi, who looks as good as he ever has for Arsenal, takes the ball from the centre out to the left and rolls a pass to Kolasinac out by the touchline. The wing-back chips a cross to pick out Smith Rowe who, because of its unusual height, tries to improvise a scissor side volley and bundles it wide.
37 min
Kolasinac has taken out a long lease on the space down the Arsenal left and canters into it again but is tackled and has to make do with a corner.
36 min
Iwobi sprints up the left, chased by Medvedev who yanks his shirt to try to stop being burned off. He holds on for a couple of metres until Iwobi, piqued, stops and shoves him over. Yellow card for the offender and a telling-off for Iwobi ensue.
34 min
Emeghara slips into the space vacated by Lichtsteiner and Holding but Leno is vigilant and comes to the edge of his area to clutch it to stop the forward hooking a shot on from Agolli's pass.
32 min
Sokratis goes on an upfield gallop, gets to halfway and laces the ball forward to give Smith Rowe a hare to chase. He bounds after it but Vagner has the advantage and sprints out of his box to clear.
29 min
Now Zoubit floods into the space high on the left wing and whips in a left-foot cross that Madatov, from an offside position, stretches to try to turn in. He bludgeons it into the sidenetting but it wouldn't have counted. Worrying signs for Arsenal, though.
27 min
Sharp save from Leno after Madatov cuts in from the right, nutmegs Kolasinac and fires a left-foot shot through the sliding Monreal's legs. Leno gets down quickly to his left to smother it, five yards from his goalline. The move began when Agolli joined the attack up the left and overloaded Holding with Zoubir.
24 min
Iwobi looks in fine nick, running at defenders, picking passes, and almost slips in Smith Rowe but Vagner scrambles across to beat him to it and get it behind for a corner that comes to naught.
22 min
Qarabag enjoy a spell of possession but too far from goal. When Rzezniczak tries to force something with a long diagonal out to the captain and right-back Medvedev who was in miles of space ... unfortunately because he was also miles offside.
20 min
Scrap that - Smith Rowe did get there but just brushed it with his studs. Arsenal corner after goo dhounding work from Welbeck. Elneny takes it again, this time towards the penalty spot. Welbeck loses Huseynov, wins the header but steers it into the ground and wide of the left post.
18 min
Smith Rowe cuts in from the right wing and takes the ball horizontally to the edge of the D. Iwobi receives it and picks out Kolasinac's run down the left. The wing-back drills a first-time cross through the six-yard box and Smith Rowe slides in by the right post to try to turn it in but it was about half a metre ahead of him at the full extent of his lunge.
16 min
Zoubir works a two v one with Agolli against Holding down the left in the space behind Lichtsteiner. He takes it into the box and then hits a hybrid cross-shot that was no use as either. Leno gathers.
14 min
Zoubir nips the ball away and holds off Guendouzi and bullocks over to the left to stand up a cross. Arsenal exploit the lack of a runner from the right side to head it clear but the way the hosts are snappily pressing Guendouzi and Elneny is unsettling Arsenal.
12 min
Much better from Qarabag as Arsenal drop very deep. Garayev keeps floating accurate passes over the top that Arsenal see out by the skin of their teeth and then Huseynov chips a diagonal out for the overlapping left-back Agolli who takes on Lichtsteiner successfully before his cross is blocked.
9 min
Better from Qarabag, a ball over the inside-right channel for Emeghara to chase is put behind by Sokratis. Monreal defends the corner and the subsequent cross back in with a header but Emeghara has a nother chnace from a right-wing cross as Arsenal push out but he can't reach it and down when Holding, on his wring side, clumsily knocks him over. He wants a penalty but doesn't get one.
7 min
The home side, which fell silent as soon as the ball went in for a goal, have taken to whistling every Arsenal touch.
5 min
Elneny hits a right-wing corner deep, swinging it out beyond the far post. Monreal wins the header and directs it towards the six-yard box where Papastathopoulos spins and bundles it in with his thigh. It was almost as if he was stuck between leapfrogging the ball and trying to flick it in with his pelvis. Ungainly but effective.
GOAL!!
Qarabag 0-1 Arsenal (Sokratis)
3 min
Arsenal stroke it about at the back and then up to Guendouzi in the centre-circle. He arcs a pass out to the left for Kolasinac who beasts Medvedev, bustles past him and stabs in a cross that after some pinball ends at Iwobi's feet. He tries to sidefoot it goalwards but it's blocked by a member of the penalty box crowd and out for a corner.
1 min
Smith Rowe loses the ball on the right after a ball in to him from Lichtsteiner. Qarabag shift the ball quickly to their right, Michel pings a couple of slick passes but Guendouzi guards the back three and mops up the ball.
Monreal tosses up for Arsenal
Arsenal are wearing red shorts with their home shirts and white socks.
Martin Keown
BT Sport's traditional ray of sunshine is in the studio in East London. Him and Glenn Hoddle. There must be someone else.
Unai Emery speaks
“The system is not important. All the players are tactically doing things in attacking and defensive areas. Today we are starting with three centre-backs. [What's important is] finding our control in the game with this positioning - with and without the ball - and our capacity to do good pressing.”
Emile and the detectives
Smith Rowe has no hyphen in his name on the shirt nor on Arsenal's official site. Obviously you don't need a hyphen to be a bona fide double-banger, as David Lloyd George, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sacha Baron Cohen could attest. I look forward to a scion of the quadruple-banging Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax dynsty to make his league debut.
Teams in black and white
Qarabag Vagner; Medvedev, Huseynov, Rzezniczak, Agolli; Madatov, Michel, Garayev, Zoubir; Ozobic, Emeghara
Substitutes Halldorsson, Mammadov, Slavchev, Abullayev, Delarge, Hurseynov, Diniyev
Arsenal: Leno; Holding, Sokratis, Monreal; Lichtsteiner, Elneny, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Smith-Rowe, Iwobi; Welbeck.
Substitutes Martinez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Xhaka, Torreira, Ozil,Lacazette.
Referee Davide Massa (Italy)
My colleague Jacob Leeks contributes a backgrounder on the tie
Previous meetings
This is the first ever meeting between the two sides in European competition.
Records versus opponent's country
Arsenal have never before faced a team from Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan Premier League champions meanwhile are yet to avoid defeat against an English side, losing to Chelsea and Tottenham in the only four matches they have played against a team from the Premier League.
Other statistics
Champions of Azerbaijan for the fifth successive year last term, Qarabağ are also competing in a UEFA group stage for the fifth season running, three appearances in the Europa League preceding last season's landmark Champions League adventure, when they became the first Azerbaijani team to appear in Europe's top-tier.
However, Qarabağ have never progressed past the group stages, while they have won just two of their nine home games, their last home group stage victory at the Bakı Olimpiya Stadionu being in 2016.
Gurban Gurbanov's men have conceded only once in four European home games this season (W2 D1 L1) – having shipped four goals against Chelsea in their final European fixture last term.
They were though able to hold Atlético Madrid to a 0-0 stalemate in Baku as well as a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital – results that contributed to Atlético's 'relegation' from the Champions League to the Europa League, which they went on to win.
Gurbanov, who is also the head coach of Azerbaijan, recently celebrated ten years in charge at Qarabag. He has led them to five successive national league titles and four Azerbaijani Cups.
The 4000km that Arsenal have travelled to Baku is their longest ever away trip, in what is their second successive appearance in the Europa League.
Champions League ever-presents for 19 consecutive seasons until last term, the Gunners reached the semi-final stage in their last campaign, going out to Atlético.
They had a solid away record under Arsene Wenger's stewardship during that run, winning four, drawing once and losing only twice. The 4-2 win at BATE Borisov on matchday two last year also kept a remarkable record intact, with the Gunners yet to taste defeat as the visiting team in their second match in the group stages, winning five and drawing twice.
Head Coach Unai Emery has a strong record in this competition, having taken charge of more Europa League games than any other coach, and leading Sevilla to three successive European titles.
Arsenal team news
Rare start for Kolasinac. Looks like a back three in a 3-4-2-1.
�� Here's how we line up for tonight's clash with @FKQarabaghEN#UELpic.twitter.com/aoMM8OiLpr
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) October 4, 2018
Good afternoon
Arsenal fans used to sing ‘Thursday nights, Channel 5’ at their beloved Tottenham neighbours with magnificent patrician disdain but for the last couple of years it has come back to bite them on the backside as prince and pauper (and porpoise) have switched roles.
Had ‘Thursday nights, BT Sport 2’ scanned it would no doubt have been thrown back in their faces yet after the first two rounds of their Champions League group Spurs would be wise to avoid the hubris as they may find themselves parachuted in come next February.
Arsenal’s reduced circumstances propel them to Azerbaijan, erstwhile second home of uberGunner Tony ‘Big Tone’ Adams, to play Qarabag, displaced from Agdam by the war and now in permanent exile in the capital Baku. The home side are top and unbeaten in the Azerbaijan Premier League after six matches this season but went down 2-0 against crisis club Sporting at the Alvalade a fortnight ago.
You may remember them from their 4-0 and 6-0 gubbings by Chelsea last season but they also drew twice with Atletico and went on to win their fifth successive title in the spring. Look out for Iceland goalie Hannes Halldorsson, who saved Leo Messi’s penalty at the World Cup and thwarted England at Euro 2016, former Birmingham attacking midfielder Michel and his compatriot Dani Quintana on the left wing.
As for Arsenal, after seven successive victories in all competitions perhaps the assertion made by three-times winner Unai Emery that this competition may be their best route into the Champions League begins to look a little premature. Nonetheless winning it should still be a priority this season, although the make-up of the group allows him to use the full extent of his squad. Bernd Leno, Alex Iwobi, Emil Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichtsteiner all played well against Vorskla and should get more opportunities to impress tonight.
