3 positives and 2 negatives from Arsenal's stunning 3-0 UCL win against Lille

Mikel Arteta urged Arsenal to “earn the right” for back-to-back Champions League finals and, so far, they have not let him down.

One tack is to not peak too soon, like PSG demonstrated in each of their past two UCL campaigns by only reaching the KO play-off rounds. The Gunners tried it out in the first half against Lille and almost put everyone to sleep.

3 positives and 2 negatives as Arsenal claim an impressive 3-0 UCL win against Lille

But they mixed things up after the break with Plan B: playing football the Arsenal way. It suited them much better than the first method and their newfound zip, movement and style put them on course for an ultimately easy win.

Here are three positives and two negatives for Arsenal from a blistering 3-0 UCL win at the Emirates Stadium.

Positive #1: Second Half FC

Set-Piece FC has had a rebrand.

Fans know the boss likes to draws inspiration from other walks of life and he seemed to pursue ‘rope-a-dope’ in the first half. Little pressure was put on the ball and the teams were 0-0 at half-time after a non-event first 45 minutes.

But it all changed in the second period as Lille found themselves pinned deep in their own half, backs against the wall as Arsenal launched wave after wave of attack. This spell of domination would result in three goals inside seven minutes.

Muhammad Ali would have been proud.

It follows on from a similar upturn in performance versus Leeds United last weekend and you wonder why it takes so long for them to click into gear. If the results keep coming, no one will care, but boy is it painful to watch at first.

Not the worst habit to have, though.

Negative #1: Same old Arsenal (in attack)

If Arsenal could ever find that elusive, clinical touch up front, then it is SO OVER for the rest of world football.

Chances were scare the first half against a well-drilled Lille side yet the home team still had the odd sight of goal and wasted them dreadfully.

Mikel Merino was the chief culprit on two occasions, sending a free header straight at the goalkeeper and, later, a great left-foot chance harmlessly over the bar. Bruno Guimaraes also had an opportunity from close range but fired wide.

Lille defended well which made it all the more important for Arsenal to capitalise when chinks would appear in their armour. Instead, they spurned any chance they got (in the first half anyway) and it left a game against tough opposition hanging in the balance.

In the end, they had far too much for the French outfit but those misses can cost you on another UCL night.

Positive #2: Substitutes come up trumps

I suppose it helps when the bench features star-studded talent that is actually first choice for Premier League matches.

Like he did on Saturday, Arteta made a triple change early in the second half just as the Gunners had scored – Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were all summoned to help finish off French resistance.

Again, it is fair to say that it worked well. Saka set up Eberechi Eze with a fine pass to make it 2-0 just two minutes after his introduction before he found the net himself moments later, teed up by fellow substitute Havertz.

It almost feels like cheating to have such depth in reserve (not 115 charges levels of cheating though) and it saw Arsenal turn the game on its head in the final half hour against tired legs, just like they did against Leeds.

This is what good squad building looks like.

Negative #2: Poor quality in the final third

Frontline problems at Arsenal are not just about scoring goals, but also about the good work which comes before it.

Pass selection and execution matter, too. It happened on a few occasions here, and happens a lot in general with this team, that the ball is sent into ‘dangerous’, congested areas rather than being used to directly pick out a teammate in a good position.

Noni Madueke was guilty of it throughout the match with his mix of under-hit and over-hit crosses, while Myles Lewis-Skelly fired poorly into the goalkeeper’s arms at one point when there was a nice, ‘easy’ pass on to Merino just six yards out.

Their inability to get the final pass right has persisted for the past 12 months and more, and it is such a frustrating (near unforgivable) problem for an elite team to have. Wastefulness could cost us a first-ever UCL crown this term.

Does anyone have a number for Vinicius Jr.?

Positive #3: 100% start maintained

Two wins from two in the UCL for Arsenal, and 14 in a row for them across all editions of the League Phase.

This win resembled the one in Naples, as poor finishing again made the match closer than it ought to have been. However, it was impressive nonetheless from the Gunners (in the end), and they are well positioned ahead of their next European game at Bayern Munich.

There was also some welcome game time for Eze – his first appearance since Christos Tzolis got hurt on international duty – and perhaps his well-taken goal can inspire some confidence/form over the coming games.

Eight wins out of nine in all competitions – you cannot ask for much more than that. Hopefully, the team can now enjoy a nice rest, and they need it too, because a tough trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday awaits.

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