Dundalk 2-4 Arsenal: Gunners finish Group B with a 100% record

Arsenal ended their Europa League Group B campaign with a 100% record by beating Dundalk in muddy conditions at Aviva Stadium.

Mohamed Elneny doubled the lead with a superb shot before Jordan Flores made it 2-1 with an angle shot.

Joe Willock and Folarin Balogun scored late for the Gunners before Sean Hoare took a second for Dundalk.

Nketiah passes the audition

Although this was a dead rubber, the selected players had the opportunity to show coach Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans that they could be the ones to turn the fate of the failed team in the Premier League.

However, only a handful made a strong claim, with club record winger and signing of £ 72 million, Nicolas Pepe, suspended nationally after his red card against Leeds, particularly disappointing on the right for his poor shot of decisions and deliveries.

Of the attackers, forward Nketiah probably made the strongest claim of being in the XI against Burnley on Sunday.

The 21-year-old, who hasn’t started a league game since October 4, became the club’s top scorer this season with five goals in his first game, and produced four more efforts.

Winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles and midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, left, made a good pair on the left, with Arsenal looking more dangerous when they broke that flank.

Midfielder Willock impressed once again and took his low effort well, while 19-year-old substitute Balogun, who scored that goal, maintained his composure for his side-footed shot.

At the back, Calum Chambers was making his first start after his cross injury last year and made an outstanding block at 2-1 to deny Darragh Leahy a near-certain draw.

This was Dundalk’s last game of the season, after they won the FAI Cup last weekend.

In a cut off field from Aviva Stadium, they caused problems for Arsenal, especially in the first half.

Flores lit up the night with her angled punch that, while not as impressive as her impressive entrance to Fifa Puskas Award, he was still superbly beaten, and Hoare’s late header was just a reward for the team’s efforts.

These are uncertain times for the Irish club, with 14 of their players without a contract.

Arsenal continue to excel in Europe – statistics

• Arsenal are unbeaten in nine major UEFA away games (seven wins and two draws), the longest streak in Gunners history without a loss away from home.
• Arsenal have won six consecutive major UEFA matches (qualifiers excluded) for the first time since November 2005.
• In all European competitions, Dundalk is winless in eight games against English teams (D1 L7), scoring four goals and sending 28.
• Elneny’s three goals for Arsenal have been scored in European competition, two of them from outside the area.
• Arsenal have won all 11 games in which Nketiah has found the back of the net, with the forward scoring 12 in total.
• Arsenal are the first team to have three English players aged 21 and under (Balogun, Willock and Nketiah) score in a major UEFA game since the Spurs in 1982 against Coleraine (Garry Brooke, Terry Gibson and Gary Mabbutt).
• Arsenal have scored twice as many goals in the Europa League this season (20 in six games) than in the Premier League (10 in 11).

Whats Next?

The Gunners are at home to Burnley on Sunday (19:15 GMT).