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Arsenal secured top spot in Group B thanks to a stunning performance against Lens in the Champions League that saw them score six unanswered goals at the Emirates Stadium.
It took Kai Havertz just thirteen minutes to calm his nerves as he scored the first game from a narrow diversity to cap off an aggressive and dominant start. What followed was a series of consistent goals as Gabriel Jesus converted the moment when the inside control against Bukayo Saka scored one over the line.
A shot from Gabriel Martinelli scored 4 goals before the 30-minute mark, but Arsenal kept their foot on the gas. Martin Odegaard added the fifth with a fabulous volley in first-half stoppage time.
The speed naturally slowed down in the second half, but when the hosts conceded a delayed penalty, Jorginho became the sixth scorer of the night.
Relive the following:
Arsenal thrashed Lens 6-0 in the Champions League
The Gunners qualify for the knockout after tonight’s victory
86′ GOAL! – Jorginho takes the penalty kick (ARS 6-0 LEN)
45 1′ GOAL!- Odegaard continues the scoreline with a volley (ARS 5-0 LEN)
41′ POST!- Médina hits for Lens (ARS 4-0 LEN)
27′ GOAL!- Martinelli finishes a very good shot (ARS 4-0 LEN)
23′ GOAL!- Saka adds a goal (ARS 3-0 LEN)
21′ GOAL!- Jesús adds momentum with a great finale (ARS 2-0 LEN)
13′ GOAL!- Havertz gives Arsenal the lead (ARS 1-0 LEN)
6′ CLOSE!- Jesus’ volley goes wide (ARS 0-0 LEN)
Arsenal FC 6 – 0 Racing Club de Lens
22:15, Mike Jones
It wasn’t Mikel Arteta’s pre-match team speech, but it may have simply been: “Forget the tightrope. Group dramas are for amateurs and hikers. Get out, paint and wait for the Champions League to start in February. Perhaps this would have been highlighted by many hand gestures, if he had taken this approach.
After last week’s drama involving other Premier League teams, Arsenal enthusiasts would have arguably felt a little left out in that regard, but they shouldn’t be. His team is much more complete, much more advanced in the process of building the team and much more prepared to go far in a first European competition. It’s probably also fair to point out that they have a much better squad than Newcastle.
That 6-0 thrashing of a decidedly mediocre RC Lens proved that, as did the reality of Arsenal’s qualification for the last 16 with a game to play.
Arsenal show how the Champions League is played: Man Utd and Newcastle take note. . .
22:14, Mike Jones
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka told TNT Sports: “Everyone is happy. It’s our first appearance in the Champions League in a long time and we’ve qualified with one game to spare.
“When we first looked at our organization, we were looking to finish first. We did, so we can be proud of it. The boss is already reminding us to enjoy it a bit and then against Wolves on Saturday.
22:10, Mike Jones
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus told TNT Sports: “We were incredible. Everyone was focused. We control the game. They tried to come back in the second half. In the end, everyone played beautifully. The functionality of the equipment was excellent. We’ll have to keep going.
“Playing at home, we know our game is incredible. They put pressure on us. We need to win the game and qualify. Congratulations to the whole team.
“We didn’t concede a goal. We kept the sheet blank and then scored in the final minutes.
“I watch the Champions League a lot at home. I like football. The Champions League is special, like the Premier League. I’ve already won the Premier League, I want to win here, but I also want to win the Champions League.
22:07, Mike Jones
Arsenal are the first team in Champions League history to have up to five more scorers (excluding own goals) in the first half of a competition.
22:05, Mike Jones
Gabriel Jesus is the first player to score in his first 4 Champions League games for an English club.
22:01, Mike Jones
21:54, Mike Jones
90 3 mins: Wahi shoots on goal in stoppage time, but Saliba crosses and blocks the shot before celebrating as if he had scored a goal. The defender needs the blank sheet tonight.
He one.
The final whistle has sounded. Arsenal stunned Lens at the Emirates Stadium and will finish top of Group B. They qualify for the round of 16 with one game to play.
21:50, Mike Jones
90 mins: There will be 3 minutes of added time to play.
21:47, Mike Jones
86 minutes: It’s six o’clock!
Jorginho was the one who took the penalty after Odegaard placed the ball. The Italian guided it to the goalkeeper’s left and put the icing on Arsenal’s cake.
21:45, Mike Jones
Arsenal goal 5-0
84 minutes: Things are going from bad to worse for Lens. The VAR indicates that there is a handball in the area and Martin Odegaard will have the chance to score six.
21:43, Mike Jones
84 mins: Gabriel Jesus inspired the night, but his night is over and Eddie Nketiah appears for the last 10 minutes or so.
The action is over and dusted off in the first half, but they hope to get on the scoreboard before the end of the match.
21:42, Mike Jones
81 minutes: White drops back and receives the ball on the right wing. He put it into the box for Martinelli, who this time thought about shooting but instead took the ball away from a Reiss Nelson tackle.
However, the ball was intercepted and headed out for a corner.
21:40, Mike Jones
78 mins: Ben White has a chance to run towards the touchline and sends in a decent cross, but Brice Samba is confident and recovers the ball from the air.
21:36, Mike Jones
75 mins: Jorginho comes on for Declan Rice, who applauds the Arsenal fans as he leaves the field.
Arsenal are building a smart squad under the leadership of Mikel Arteta. There are some spaces that can improve, but they looked like contenders for the big trophies in this first half.
21:32, Mike Jones
72 mins: Jakub Kiwior wins the ball after a clearance by Samba. He drove the ball to Martinelli, who tried to dribble down the left but lost control when he reached the edge of the box.
21:29, Mike Jones
69 minutes: Good luck! Kai Havertz draws the crowd in with a winding run towards the signature before putting the ball into the box for Martin Odegaard.
The Arsenal captain shoots and makes a feeble effort in the back right corner. Brice Samba jumped to his left and controlled to push the ball away. Gabriel Jesus flew nearby.
The goalkeeper struggles to smother the ball while Jesus retrieves it. The striker then called a foul and Lens were awarded a free kick.
21:26, Mike Jones
66 mins: Bukayo Saka lasted just over an hour, but now Mikel Arteta takes him to Reiss Nelson. Nelson is being highly acclaimed by Arsenal enthusiasts and will have some time to get going in this game.
21:25, Mike Jones
63 mins: Martin Odegaard is brought down by Massadio Haidara, who dives with a dishonest tackle. The Arsenal player is fine after touching his shin and the Gunners receive a free kick.
21:22, Mike Jones
60 mins: Lens replacement Adrien Thomasson makes a smart run with the ball to reach the Arsenal byline as a threaded pass runs down the right side.
It’s too much for him and David Raya gets to the fumble.
21:19, Mike Jones
57 mins: Gabriel Jesus is still substituting and looking to force the filling of the field. He makes a mistake when looking at the ball, but the attacker has a clever intensity.
21:14, Mike Jones
54 mins: Elye Wahi moves down the right and receives the ball, takes it in the penalty area and tries to cross, but the effort ends up in the hands of David Raya.
21:12, Mike Jones
51 mins: Arsenal retain ownership and slowly move down the pitch moving it from left to right with Declan Rice as a playmaker in midfield.
Martinelli tries to dribble into the box and is forced to head towards the touchline and takes the ball out of play.
21:09, Mike Jones
48 mins: Arsenal are more than in this game. They are satisfied to let Lens have the ball and equally satisfied to possess it themselves.
There is no danger, no urgency, no sense that the French side has to back down.
21:06, Mike Jones
Lens starts halfway through. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu were sent off at half-time, with Ben White and Jakub Kiwior coming on.
21:01, Mike Jones
Arsenal’s 4-0 lead in 27 minutes is the fastest an English side have ever scored four goals in a UEFA Champions League match, along with Manchester United against Brøndby IF in November 1998, en route to winning the festival that season.
20:57, Mike Jones
Kai Havertz has scored in back-to-back games in all club competitions, making it 31 games without a goal or penalty prior to this run.
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka is the second player in Europe’s top five leagues to manage 10 assists in all competitions this season after Florian Wirtz.
20:53, Mike Jones
20:49, Mike Jones
45 2 minutes: What a feature of the Arsenal. Se go into the break with five passes into their squad and consolidated in Group B.
20:48, Mike Jones
45+1 minutes: Arsenal take the lead as a team with Saka advancing the ball. He entrusts it to Tomiyasu, who sends the ball to the penalty, where it falls to Martin Odegaard, who sends a great shot into the back of the net.
20:46, Mike Jones
45 minutes: Opportunity!
Martinelli moves towards the center as Havertz pushes the ball towards the edge of the area. He passes it to Saka, who slides Martinelli into the box as he runs diagonally.
Martinelli reaches the ball and makes it vibrate towards the goal before hitting the net.
20:42, Mike Jones
41 minutes: Post! Facundo Medina returns the ball in the Arsenal area and advances. He shoots from afar as Raya jumps to his left.
The ball goes past the goalkeeper and hits the post!
20:40, Mike Jones
39 minutes: Another free kick for Lens this time it enters the area from the right channel. David Raya goes out to collect the ball but loses the ball under pressure.
There was a fight in the box before the Gunners managed to clear the ball.
20:38, Mike Jones
36 min: The visitors award a free kick in the box and some of their players call the referee for a penalty. They do everything they can to give them a chance to come back.
A replay shows the ball hitting Kai Havertz’s leg and then his arm, but VAR saw fit to call the referee on the monitor.
20:35, Mike Jones
33 mins: Bukayo Saka is bitten and falls into a pile. Mikel Arteta will replace him at half-time. The game is already won and you don’t want to jeopardize your star.
20:32, Mike Jones
30 minutes: Danger!
Arsenal broke on a counter-attack after returning the ball to midfield. Gabriel Jesus is the guy who drops in the box and holds the ball brilliantly.
Martinelli overlapped and headed into the box, but Jesus’ threaded pass failed and he missed the opportunity.
20:30, Mike Jones
27 mins: Arsenal sweep the Emirates Stadium. Less than an hour into the game, they have a four-pass lead.
A clearance from Takehiro Tomiyasu’s helmet took the ball over the top of the box to Gabriel Martinelli. The winger brings the ball into the area, pinches it and fires a nice shot into the back corner.
20:26, Mike Jones
23 mins: A long ball goes up the pitch and heads towards Kai Havertz. He got the ball into the box for Gabriel Martinelli, who rolled it onto his right foot and shot.
Brice Samba made a save but directed the ball straight to Bukayo Saka, who didn’t know much about it. The ball hits him in the chest and bounces over the line.
Saka now has a goal and an assist.
20:24, Mike Jones
21 minutes: Grand finale!
Bukayo Saka receives the ball on the right wing and runs inside, ignoring some tackles along the Array. He pushes him into the penalty area and then releases the ball to Gabriel Jesús.
Jesus bites his right foot and then executes a good shot past the goalkeeper to double Arsenal’s lead.
20:21, Mike Jones
18 minutes: That’s already two goals in two games for Kai Havertz, who is adjusting to life in the Emirates after his move this summer. He’s a quality player there, but he wants more consistency to earn a place in the starting eleven.
Lens goes up in the box but Havertz commits a foul while looking at the ball.
20:18, Mike Jones
15 mins: This goal means Arsenal have four things clear at the top of Group B as things stand. They are the top of the table and head into the round of 16 as organization winners.
PSV Eindhoven, after their victory over Sevilla, are left with eight.
20:15, Mike Jones
13 min: The ball is sent into the box from the inside right lane and Gabriel Jesus fights for the ball. He would possibly be offside when he falls, but he manages to push the ball into the six-yard box where Kai Havertz arrives and pushes it home.
20:13, Mike Jones
12 minutes: Close! Takehiro Tomiyasu comes up the right wing and takes the ball into space. He picks up a cross on the other side of the box and picks out Kai Havertz.
The German rises above everyone and passes it to the post.
20:12, Mike Jones
9 mins: Foreplay is patient and clinical, with Arsenal picking out moments and passing to provide chances in the box.
Lens defended solidly. They move as a well-trained unit and keep Arsenal at bay.
20:09, Mike Jones
6 minutes: Close! The first possibility of the fit is to go to Arsenal. Oleksandr Zinchenko receives the ball on the inside left flank and sends a cross against the post.
Gabriel Jesús arrives from the right and takes a side-kick that grazes the post.
20:06, Mike Jones
3 mins: Arsenal sit their opponents. They had maximum control of the ball in the opening minutes and tested the backline several times without being too penetrating.
20:02, Mike Jones
Arsenal start the attack and return the ball to David Raya. He scored again tonight after missing the Brentford game and remains stuck in the action with a long ball forward.
19:57, Mike Jones
Here are the teams.
After a gentle display at the Emirates Stadium, the players head to the pitch. If they lose tonight, they will be the best in the organization and will qualify for the next level of the competition.
Martin Odegaard wears the captain’s armband again.
19:55, Luc Baker
Reminder of the groups tonight. We are five minutes from the start.
Arsenal XI: Rayá; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Objective XI: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Samed, Haidara; Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi
19:49, Mike Jones
Arteta on the most sensitive place in the organisation: “We need to be more sensitive to the organisation and the opportunity is there for us, against a team that is causing problems and that we have already experienced against them, so we have the right motivation to do it.
“We’ve got to win at home and we’ve got to win the organization if we can. It’s the mentality, that’s for sure.
19:43 , Luc baker
Lens enthusiasts are already in the Emirates.
19:36 , Luc baker
Arsenal are fit to play tonight.
Red and white ? ⚪️ pic. twitter. com/8SaYsJErJc
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2023
7:30 p. m. , Mike Jones
Arteta on Fabio Vieira: “He had some discomfort and we tried to give him a chosen remedy, and he wasn’t getting better, so we sent him to see a specialist and that was for him to operate on his groin, and we did it yesterday,
“We expect him to be out for weeks. We don’t expect him to do that [be back in this aspect of the break], so let’s see how it evolves and obviously the surgery was done, so. “We’ll have to wait and see, but we’ll settle for it as it presents itself.
19:25, Mike Jones
Lens’ first home game in the Champions League in 21 years ended with a 2-1 home win over the Gunners despite Gabriel Jesus giving the visitors the lead in the 14th minute. Adrien Thomasson equalized 11 minutes later and Elye Wahi scored. In the 69th minute, it proved decisive.
The two teams previously met in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup semi-finals, with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal winning 1-0 at home and 2-1 away.
19:20, Mike Jones
Lens have five problems with PSV Eindhoven, who ended their unbeaten return to the Champions League with a 1-0 win in the Netherlands last time out, but have a three-point lead over fourth-placed Sevilla, their rivals the sixth day. . .
19:15, Mike Jones
With a four-point lead at the top of Group B, Arsenal must confirm their position in the Champions League last 16 at home to Lens.
The Gunners have won 3 of their 4 Champions League games this season after six seasons away from home, with the exception of a 2-1 defeat to Lens on matchday two, the first Ligue 1 home game in the Champions League since 2002.
19:10, Mike Jones
Mikel Arteta defended Aaron Ramsdale after the Arsenal goalkeeper’s mistake in the 1-0 win at Brentford.
Even the latest winner of Kai Havertz, who propelled the Gunners to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season, could not mask a horror show at Ramsdale.
The 25-year-old is back in the spotlight in his first league appearance since September 3 under David Raya, now probably the club’s undisputed number one, still on loan from Brentford and ineligible to face his parent club.
Mikel Arteta praises Aaron Ramsdale despite mistakes in Arsenal’s win over Brentford
19:05, Luc Baker
And here is the Lens who will face Arsenal tonight.
Former Nottingham Forest play-off hero Brice Samba captains the French side, while 20-year-old Elye Wahi will be their main attacking threat.
Objective XI: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Samed, Haidara; Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi
#ARSRCL, it’s in an hour! Here are the Sang et Or selected through Franck Haise to start against the 1⃣1⃣ @Arsenal!⌛?➡ First, it starts in #UCL for @MassadioHaidara. #FierDEtreLensois pic. twitter. com/MjYd8Po3Kg
– Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) November 29, 2023
19:05, Mike Jones
Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka: “I don’t know what global elegance means, but he’s a very, very intelligent player, that’s for sure. Coming up with the most sensible thing is one thing.
“The way he moves forward is consistent. He’s been given the right mindset. You have the right people around you. It needs more and that’s because there’s so much more to come.
19:00, Mike Jones
Lens defender Massadio Haïdara’s pre-match comment: “It’s always fantastic to play against big groups in stadiums like this. But we’ll have to know why we made this trip. You have to take care of the environment and concentrate on the game.
“As always, we will do everything we can to win. It will be easy because we will face a great rival. We had clever functionality in the first game.
“The context will be another night, but the team will give it their all. We’ll put what we know into action to leave London with the 3 points. The entire team is aware of what awaits them and is preparing as productively as possible. They can.
18:59 , Luc baker
Tomiyasu is White’s right-back, while Saka, Jesus and Martinelli make up the most sensible three.
Fresh off their weekend winner, Kai Havertz starts with Jorginho as an option on the bench, while David Raya returns ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal XI: Rayá; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesús, Martinelli.
? TEAM NEWS ⚪️? We present our XI for tonight’s match with Lens: COME GET GUNNERS!pic. twitter. com/NylnBgtvLv
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2023
18:55, Mike Jones
Franck Haise, Lens coach: “Our ambitions are the same. We know that our parties to conflict are more powerful than we are, but that doesn’t mean we can’t cause problems for them.
“We’ll have to play our game in all spaces to try to be competitive. What is certain is that if we need to be there, we will have to be there with our same old principles and strengths.
18:49, Mike Jones
Mikel Arteta asked if Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey would be compatible to play before January and replied: “It’s an option but it will depend on how they develop.
“Emile has already been running in the field, so I don’t know how long it will take him. He usually heals quickly and Thomas is the same.
“We want to make sure that when they come back they’re at their best as well. We don’t want to rush them, but at the same time the team wants them because at the moment we are missing key players. “
18:40, Mike Jones
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has explained why the Gunners were so impressive against Sevilla and what Lens can expect when they travel to London for this match.
“A lot of energy, right off the bat and full of gas,” he said. “We don’t let them breathe. I think they only controlled one shot in the whole game. Overall, it’s a really smart performance, especially with them sitting so low and betting on a group of five at the back, which is hard to break.
18:35, Mike Jones
Since taking charge of Arsenal in 2019, Mikel Arteta’s career in Europe has been reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2021.
Asked if he still had anything to do in Europe as Arsenal manager, he replied: “Of course,
“I think it’s not that we have to prove it, we have to return to Europe being the club we need to be, having that presence and effects that tell them that we come back strong. We haven’t done it yet, and that’s what we want. ” to finish. “
18:30, Mike Jones
Arsenal are the most sensible in the table, but are still not confident of a position in the round of 16 after beating Sevilla in the same way last time out. A four-point lead means they are on the right track and a home win against Lens. Wednesday afternoon will seal the job.
PSV and Lens are on points, with Sevilla on two, so there is a fight for second place. Arsenal will play PSV on matchday 6, so they can still close things out there if they fail against the French side.
18:25, Mike Jones
Mikel Arteta admits he still has something to achieve as a manager at the European festival as he aims to lead Arsenal to the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Gunners host Lens at the Emirates Stadium, knowing that a point would secure them a place in the last 16, while victory would secure them the most sensible spot in Group B.
Arteta returned Arsenal to the Champions League after a seven-year absence, apart from reaching the semi-finals in 2020-21, he struggled in Europa League knockout matches prior to his tenure.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes he still has something to achieve in Europe
18:20, Mike Jones
Lens inflicted a defeat on the Gunners in their last match, but Arsenal deserve to secure the win in front of their fans. With that will also come a position in the round of 16.
Arsenal goal 2-0.
18:15, Mike Jones
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Objective XI: Samba; Gradit, Khusanov, Medina; Aguilar, El Aynaoui, Abdul Samed, Frankowski; Thomasson, Fulgini; wahi
18:10, Mike Jones
David Raya will be absent again after losing in-form back-up Brentford on Saturday due to his ineligibility to face his parent club.
Martin Odegaard also has enough compatibility to play, but Ben White could return for the Champions League clash.
Jurrien Timber, Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey on the long-term injured list.
18:05, Mike Jones
The Champions League match will take place at the Emirates Stadium in London and will kick off at 20:00 GMT.
Arsenal vs Lens will be broadcast on TNT Sports 2 with politics from 19:00 GMT. Subscribers can stream movements through the Discovery app.
If you’re traveling and want to watch the event, you may want a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help you and includes the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN deserve to ensure that they comply with all local regulations where they are located, as well as the terms of their service provider.
18:00, Mike Jones
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s policy on tonight’s Champions League action. Arsenal host Lens in Group B at 8 p. m. and can qualify for the next round if they win.
The Gunners led the organization with nine points from their first four games and will reach the round of 16 if they beat the French club tonight.
Lens are the only team to have struggled with Mikel Arteta’s side in Europe this season after beating them 2-1 in their previous home game of the tournament. Currently third in the group, three issues threaten their hopes of advancing to the next stage.
We’ll have the latest updates, team news, and game action that night, so stay with us as we prepare for kickoff.