Friday 29 September 2017 07:41, UK
Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal beat BATE Borisov 4-2 in an open encounter in their Europa League group-stage clash in Belarus.
Walcott's early double put the visitors in control, Rob Holding's close-range finish made it 3-0, but Mirko Ivanic pulled one back before the break for BATE.
Olivier Giroud regained the three-goal cushion with a penalty after half-time, but Mikhail Gordeichuk made it 4-2 with just over 20 minutes remaining from six yards.
The result means Arsenal are in control of Group H, sitting top with six points from two games, two points ahead of Red Star Belgrade.
Arsenal went close early on through Walcott, who hit the post via Jack Wilshere's deft through ball, but Walcott did score moments later, tapping home on the rebound after his initial header from Wilshere's superbly-worked cross was saved.
An error from BATE goalkeeper Denis Shcherbitski handed Walcott his second, capitalising on a woeful clearance before drilling into the bottom left corner from 12 yards.
It was 3-0 within 25 minutes as Holding got his first Arsenal goal, turning into the net from close range after Walcott's corner was glanced on by Per Mertesacker.
BATE pulled one back three minutes later through Ivanic, who headed into the top right corner from the near post from Aleksey Rios' pacey cross.
Walcott was inches from a hat-trick before the break, forcing Shcherbitski into a superb fingertip save, before Holding hit the post from the resulting corner as BATE struggled to deal with Arsenal's set pieces.
It was 4-1 just after the break as Stanislav Dragun pulled the shirt of Shkodran Mustafi inside the box, with Giroud making no mistake from the penalty spot for his 100th Arsenal goal.
The sixth goal of the night fell to the hosts as Gordeichuk cleaned up from six yards after David Ospina had parried a close-range header, and moments later Aleksandr Volodko blazed over a clear chance from 12 yards out as Arsenal began to show fragility in the closing stages.
"Wilshere had an outstanding first half. He fights until the end. He's on his way back to his best and showed that. He's at an age where a player normally gets to the best of his career. He's on the way up. He's only been stopped by a series of injuries.
"Hopefully, I just pray, he is not hampered by any more problems and that will see him getting stronger and stronger. He's shown again that he's not lost his football."
Making his second start in just over a week, Wilshere reminded us all why Arsenal fans fell in love with him in the first place.
The midfielder's first thought was always to penetrate the BATE defence, and with a mix of balance and skill, the Belarusian side had no answer early on.
His assist for Walcott's second, a lovely piece of skill and cross from the left, summed Wilshere up, but can he stay fit and keep that form up enough to be considered in Premier League games?
Arsenal host Brighton at midday on Sunday in the Premier League, before going to Watford a fortnight later after international break. Their next Europa League game is in Belgrade against Red Star on October 19.
