Arsenal extended their winning run to twelve matches with a 3-0 Champions League victory over Lille at the Emirates, on an evening when the club paid tribute to Ken Friar. The life president, whose death at the age of 92 was confirmed earlier in the day, had been instrumental in Arsenal’s move from Highbury to the Emirates in 2006, and the players wore black armbands as a mark of respect.
Friar worked his way up from the box office to club secretary before becoming managing director in the 1980s. It was fitting that Mikel Arteta’s side should mark the occasion with another Champions League milestone at a home that has become a fortress.
Bukayo Saka’s goal, Arsenal’s third, was the 36th they have scored at the Emirates in the league or group stage since returning to Europe’s top table under Arteta three years ago. Arteta’s side have now racked up 14 successive league-stage victories in this competition, with their formidable record here stretching back to the 2023-24 season, when they returned after an absence of six years. It is little wonder that Arteta was so reluctant for redevelopment plans to go ahead, given the disruption any temporary move away to Wembley or elsewhere would have caused.
Arsenal were without Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi, both injured during the warm-down after Saturday’s victory over Leeds, though Arteta was still able to make five changes to his side.
Lille’s manager, Davide Ancelotti — who worked under his father Carlo at Everton and Real Madrid among others before being appointed in the summer in only his second senior role — resisted the temptation to start 40-year-old Olivier Giroud against his former club. Giroud received a standing ovation on his return to north London. Aside from former Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb anchoring the midfield, the French side, who have made a promising start to the new campaign, largely went with youth over experience.
They kept the hosts quiet for the opening 20 minutes without really threatening David Raya. Restored to his favoured right flank after excelling on the left against Leeds, Noni Madueke was once again Arsenal’s most dangerous outlet, combining with Timber to set up Bruno Guimarães and then Mikel Merino for chances that were spurned. Ayase Ueda had the ball in Raya’s net after Bentaleb’s shot deflected off Timber and hit Hakon Haraldsson on the way through, but the video assistant referee confirmed the Japan striker was marginally offside.
Arsenal lacked creativity with captain Martin Ødegaard only watching from the bench, while Viktor Gyökeres showed plenty of hustle and bustle yet made little real impact. Merino, normally such a reliable finisher, snatched at a chance from 10 yards out after Lille failed to clear a cross, and Gyökeres could not get out of the way after Eberechi Eze forced Berke Özer into his first proper save and was promptly flagged offside. Özer then had to scramble the ball away from the feet of the Sweden striker after spilling a shot from Guimarães on the stroke of half-time.
Arsenal resumed their domination of the ball after the break and continued to find Lille’s defence a tough nut to crack. The German referee waved away appeals when Guimarães went down in the area under pressure from Alexsandro, though the Arsenal midfielder seemed to be looking for the contact. A wayward effort from Madueke that almost made it into the upper tier was the signal for Arteta to summon Ødegaard, Saka and Kai Havertz from the substitutes’ bench — but before they could be introduced, Arsenal finally found the breakthrough. Madueke set up Timber to apply a deft finish with his right foot after a brilliant first touch. Saka made an immediate impact by setting up Eze to dispatch the second with his left foot less than three minutes later, before adding a third himself after combining with Havertz and Ødegaard.
As well as the chance to pay their respects to Giroud, the Arsenal fans were treated to a late cameo from the dazzling teenager Max Dowman to round off another very satisfying evening that has become the norm in these parts.