BBC-Goals from academy gradates Joe Willock
and Bukayo Saka helped Arsenal overcome a difficult test against Eintracht
Frankfurt and begin their Europa League campaign with a victory.
Willock put the Gunners in front with a deflected shot in the first half
before Saka smashed in his first senior goal for the club in the 85th minute.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added a third two minutes later as Arsenal ended
their three-game winless run.
The Gunners had created further chances but also relied on goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez to come to the aid of their fragile defence.
The Argentine produced excellent low saves to deny Filip Kostic and Andre
Silva in the first half.
The second period was frantic in front of a vociferous home crowd with
Arsenal’s late goals only coming after Dominik Kohr was shown a second yellow
card for a cynical foul.
The Gunners, beaten finalists in last year’s Europa League, are top of the
early Group F table on goal difference after Standard Liege beat Vitoria in the
night’s other game.
Another English side, Manchester United,
grind out a lone goal victory over Astana. Teenager Mason Greenwood’s first
senior goal ensured Manchester United made a winning start to their Europa
League campaign against Astana at Old Trafford.
On a night the 17-year-old will never forget and with the visitors from
Kazakhstan threatening to hold out for a draw, Greenwood produced a clever
finish in front of the Stretford End to become United’s youngest scorer in
Europe.
Earlier, Brazil midfielder Fred hit the bar from 25 yards before forcing a
fine save from a free-kick, while England forward Marcus Rashford wasted a
string of chances against the European minnows, who did not register a shot on
target.
But frustration turned to celebration when Greenwood, who has been at United
since the age of six, popped up with the winner.
