Arsenal vs FC Zurich. UEFA Europa League Group A.
Emirates StadiumAttendance48,500.
Match report as Arsenal seal Europa League last-16 spot courtesy of Kieran Tierney's first goal of the season; Arsenal have won all nine of their home games in all competitions this season, their longest such run at the start of a campaign since 2009-10 (11); Bukayo Saka a second-half sub
Friday 4 November 2022 06:08, UK
Kieran Tierney's sublime first-half strike was enough to ensure Arsenal held onto top spot in Europa League Group A as FC Zurich were beaten 1-0 on a nervy night at the Emirates Stadium.
Tierney kept his composure to spear a finish from the edge of the box shortly after the quarter-hour mark, but it wouldn't open the floodgates for Mikel Arteta's side, who finish their group-stage campaign with just eight goals from their six games.
Zurich came close to equalising when Adrian Guerrero's finish was ruled out for offside but the result means the Gunners are now unbeaten in 14 home matches in all competitions, with PSV now facing a play-off against a third-place finisher in the Champions League.
Zurich's failure to better Bodo/Glimt's result means it is the Norwegians who finish third in Group A, qualifying for the Europa Conference League knockout-round play-off, where they will face a group runner-up from that competition.
Attention now turns to domestic action for Arteta, with Arsenal looking to consolidate their position at the Premier League summit when they visit Chelsea on Sunday, but they are set to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu after the full-back was forced off with an injury in the closing stages.
"We always try to start faster but there's always the opponents who look to make it as hard as possible," the Gunners boss said. "We knew it was going to be tough. We struggled to get momentum and we have to adapt as we didn't control certain situations and we have to dig in. We found a way to win.
"Losing football matches is part of it, as it happens, but it's how you react to that, analyse what happened and come back stronger as a team. We've done that in the last two games and now it's onto Stamford Bridge."
The Gunners knew they would top Group A if they matched PSV Eindhoven's result away to Bodo/Glimt - or if the Dutch club failed to win - but they took the lead against the run of play on 17 minutes.
Reiss Nelson, fresh from his double in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest, combined with Ben White down the right before Fabio Vieira's blocked shot landed kindly for Tierney to direct a precise shot low into the bottom corner.
It was the Scotland full-back's first goal of the season, and Arsenal came close to doubling their advantage five minutes later when Vieira set up Eddie Nketiah for a 25-yard drive that was parried to safety by Yanick Brecher.
Zurich arrived in North London in poor form; their comeback victory on Matchday 5 against Bodo/Glimt ended a run of 13 games without a win across all competitions, but they followed up that success with another defeat last Sunday against Sion.
The visitors threatened sporadically in the opening period, with Jonathan Okita's deflected shot drawing a smart save from Aaron Ramsdale before Fidan Aliti's header from a set-piece failed to trouble the Arsenal goalkeeper.
The Swiss club, who had only won one of their previous 17 away games in major European competitions - never beating an English club on their travels - ought to have fallen further behind when Vieira latched onto Nketiah's clever pull-back but his shot was blocked by Gabriel Jesus, standing in an offside position.
Vieira was always involved, having another tame shot blocked by Guerrero before the interval, and moments after the restart it was Jesus who would be denied by Brecher's starfish save from point-blank range. It is now eight games without a goal for the Brazilian.
"It's going to change," Arteta vowed afterwards. "He's getting the chances, he's contributing to the team an awful lot. The way he competes is incredible.
"He needs to be patient as it's happened in the past. He needs to learn from those lessons and not stop doing the things that are helping the team. That will maintain the level of him and the team."
PSV were doubling their lead in Norway, meaning anxious faces in the stands, and those concerns were almost realised when Guerrero found the net after Ramsdale had kept out Antonio Marchesano's first-shot back across goal.
The offside flag came to the rescue of Arsenal, who had summoned Bukayo Saka from the bench in search of the killer insurance goal. Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey were also introduced. Arteta wanted the comfort of a second, but this turned into a disjointed second-half display.
With PSV home and hosed against Bodo/Glimt, Zurich manager Bo Henriksen sensed a famous point which would have meant his side snatching the Europa Conference League play-off berth.
He summoned Bogdan V'Yunnik from the bench and it was his crisp shot which arrowed just wide of Ramsdale's post inside the final 10 minutes.
Arsenal held on for the victory, meaning they will head straight to the last 16 after Christmas, but it would come at a cost. Tomiyasu was a late introduction, but would be replaced before the final whistle with a hamstring injury which could severely impact his chances of going to the World Cup with Japan.
"We don't know [the full extent of the injury]," said Arteta. "He felt something and we didn't want to take a risk. Unfortunately it happened to Tomi today but the rest have to be ready as we're going to need everyone. We don't know yet."
Tierney's winner keeps Arsenal rolling, for now. And onto Chelsea and Aubamayeng on Sunday.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to BT Sport:
"It's job done. It is not easy to win that many games in Europe. I don't think it was the prettiest game we have played but we manage to win it.
"I think we had chances, especially early in the game and at the end of the first half to get it into a more comfortable position. We didn't do that. We did not control the game well enough, especially in the second half. At the end we were a bit leggy I think. We gave them one or two chances but managed not to concede and keep a clean sheet and win.
"We have been rotating. I think we are the team that have been rotating the most in Europe today. Players deserve chances and minutes and also the amount of games we play means we cannot maintain the intensity and players being fit.
"We have all the games and fixtures in our minds to try and be competitive all the time. Today was really important. We know how important it is going to be with all the teams playing in February. Winning helps winning. The atmosphere in the dressing room is much better after a win than a loss.
"It does bother him for sure [Gabriel Jesus not scoring for eight games]. When he scores two he wants to score four. Today he had a couple of good chances. But what he generates for the team is amazing. Last week he gave three assists. Today he was involved in every action again. The goals will come."
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds at the Emirates Stadium:
"Takehiro Tomiyasu pulled his shirt up over his head in frustration. The Japanese full-back had been a late substitute in this tetchy affair but he would not last long on the pitch, replaced by Cedric Soares due to a muscle injury which adds to the growing concerns now facing Arteta.
"Arsenal are top of the Premier League pile, they clung onto top spot in the Europa League, but his squad is now being stretched. For much of this opening chunk of the season the Spaniard has had a starting XI you could almost read out from memory, but having made seven alterations ahead of a crucial London derby on Sunday, he is left again picking up the walking wounded for Chelsea.
"The return of Saka for a second-half cameo was as welcome as it was necessary, given how Arsenal toiled and failed to put an obdurate but limited Zurich to bed. Tierney's goal was a thing of beauty and worthy of winning any match and it is the avoidance of two additional games in a play-off that will delight Arteta the most.
"Fabio Vieira impressed in the opening period, and arguably should have added to Arsenal's lead, with his three shots yielding a game-leading xG of 0.35. He also completed three key passes and had five touches in the Zurich box.
"Defensively he won the ball three times, once of which came in the final third. The Portuguese was involved in eight of the Gunners' attempts tonight (4 shots, 4 chances created). It was an all-action display which will give Arteta hope that the depth is there to compete on multiple fronts once the season resumes after the World Cup."
Zurich boss Bo Henriksen said: "We did what we could and tried our best. We could've got a point. In the first half, Arsenal created a lot of chances but our defensive work was very good. We gave it our all and in the end we could've got a point.
"We needed the luck with the goal that was offside, but we also needed a little bit more quality in the end. It's something we're working at but we looked like a team, which we've been doing over the past seven games.
"It's about time Arsenal started to look like a championship team again. They have the quality and they can score out of nowhere. It doesn't matter if it's the left-back or the right-back. We knew that from the beginning. Fair play to Arsenal, they're a good side and I hope they go on to become champions in England."
Arsenal have three more games before the World Cup. They travel to Chelsea on Sunday November 6; kick-off 12pm. They then welcome Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday November 9; kick-off 7.45pm.
The Gunners' final Premier League game before the tournament sees them travel to Wolves on Saturday November 12, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 7.45pm.
Zurich will also play two further league fixtures before the World Cup, returning to action on January 21.
