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Alexandre Lacazette (10th minute) with a great long shot, Pablo Mari (18th) and Eddie Nketiah (44th) gave Arsenal an indisputable 3-0 lead for the 14th of the English Premier League in the first half. Rapid Defense had nothing effective to oppose the frenetic direct football of the Londoners. A Koya Kitagawa goal in the 47th minute helped Rapid improve the result. Emile Smith Rowe made the final score 4-1 in the 66th minute.
For the “Gunners” it was the fifth victory in the fifth game, Rapid, however, conceded the third loss, but still has a chance of reaching the knockout stages. Despite the clear defeat, Rapid’s home game against Norwegian Club Molde next Thursday (6:55 pm) is still in force: with a 1-0 or each victory in a direct duel with Molde after the 0- defeat 1 in the first leg, you are in the knockout phase of the Europa League in spring. El Molde beat Dundalk, the last of the Irish group, 3-1 in a side game at home on Thursday.
“Promotion Finals” Cast Shadows Ahead
From the beginning, Rapid was determined to head toward the “promotional finale” against Molde next Thursday. The result of the match at the traditional London club was almost irrelevant, with a victory in the direct duel against Molde on the last day of the match, the Hütteldorfer are underway. That is why coach Dietmar Kühbauer also experimented with the lineup. Deni Alar, who only played 23 minutes in the Bundesliga this season, was able to play in the storm alongside Japan’s Kitagawa.
But “Gunners” coach Mikel Arteta also mixed in vigorously. The team had nothing to do with the team that suffered a 2-1 home loss to Wolverhampton at the weekend. For example, Lacazette played in attack in place of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. “We are really looking forward to the game, I hope you see it too,” said the Burgenlander before leaving for London. His wish did not come true.
After an opening phase without great stages, a 35-meter-long shot from Lacazette behind Richard Strebinger, who returned to play in place of Paul Gartler, suddenly hit the net to make it 1-0 (10th). Strebinger was caught off guard by the shot, positioned too far in front of goal and then misjudged trying to defend himself as the ball drifted away from him.
Rapid is powerless against Arsenal attacks
As Mari headed for the far corner at 2-0 (18th), Strebinger was helpless this time, but Maximilian Hofmann let the scorer pass undisturbed. On the contrary: the Rapid captain even grimaced and stepped away from the ball. The 2,000 “Gunners” fans, who were allowed to attend a game in England for the first time since March, didn’t mind. They cheerfully applaud the new score. Like Lacazette’s shot from pole in the 27th minute.
After about 30 minutes, the Londoners let the game take a more relaxed approach, Rapid entered the opposite field with several players for the first time, but could not do anything with the space there. Unlike Arsenal. Shortly before the halftime whistle, the “Gunners” combined with “One-Touch-Football” down the ranks of the Hütteldorfer to the end of Nketiah from the penalty spot. Strebinger was able to reject the first attempt with one hand, but could no longer stop the second with his head at 3-0 (44th).
Kitagawa also knows where the door is
The Austrian Bundesliga third had no shots on goal until half-time. Rapid started the second half with a goal. First, Kelvin Arase hit defender Sead Kolasinac twice just before the line, then Kitagawa was able to accommodate the rebound to 1: 3 (47th) in goal.
However, the goal did not cause a radical change in Rapid. Arsenal again pressed the 4-1, and the green and white defense could barely counteract. With a header in the 58th minute, Strebinger was able to stand out from a shot from Nicolas Pepe, a pass from Stangl in the 65th minute didn’t go anywhere either.
Arsenal keeps raiding
In the 66th minute the moment had come. Smith Rowe, who had just been substituted, pushed the ball from a suspicious offside position to make it 4-1 (66th). Because there is no video referee in the Europa League group stage, the goal was recognized without review. Arsenal kept charging, driven by substitute Dani Ceballos.
But nothing accounting came out. The English public were glad to have seen another match in a stadium and applauded their own team. There was no applause for Rapid. The Hütteldorfer may be able to pick him up on Sunday (2.30pm) in the league outside Hartberg.
UEFA Europa League, matchday five, Group B
Thursday:
Arsenal – Fast 3: 1 (3: 0)
London, Emirates Stadium, 2,000 spectators, SR Petrescu (ROU)
Sequence of objectives:
Sequence of objectives:
1: 0 (10.) Lacazette
2: 0 (18.) Mari
3: 0 (44.) Nketiah
3: 1 (47.) Kitagawa
4: 1 (66.) Smith Rowe
Arsenal: Runarsson – Soares, Mustafi (70./Cámaras), Mari, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles – Nelson (63./Willian), Pepe, Elneny (63./Ceballos) – Nketiah (81./Balogun), Lacazette (63. / Smith Rowe)
Quick: Strebinger – Sonnleitner, Hofmann (46./Barac), Greiml – Arase, Demir, Schuster, Ritzmaier (66./Knasmüllner), Ullmann (46./Schick) – Kitagawa (65./Kara), Alar (77./Sulzbacher )
Yellow cards: Elneny, Mustafi or Ullmann, Sonnleitner
The best: Pepe, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles and Strebinger
