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RICE’S STUNNING FREEKICK DOUBLE FIRES ARSENAL TO 3-0 WIN OVER REAL MADRID.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice’s two fantastic free kicks and a striker’s finish from Mikel Merino secured a 3-0 victory over shocked holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at The Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The hosts had the better of the first half as Real began slowly, with Eduardo Camavinga almost conceding a calamitous own goal when he blocked Antonio Rudiger’s clearance before Thomas Partey shot straight at goalkeeper Thibault Courtois.

Real, bidding for a record-extending 16th title in the competition, grew into the contest and threatened on the break, though their few opportunities came from Arsenal errors and the visitors looked disjointed throughout the contest.

Courtois was by far the busier keeper and produced a stunning double save, the first from a powerful Rice header, on the stroke of halftime.

There was no stopping Rice’s opener, though, a fierce curling shot around the wall and beyond Courtois in the 58th minute for his first senior goal from a direct free kick.

“It’s been in the locker, but I’ve hit the wall too many times or it’s gone over the bar. Originally I was going to cross it and then I’ve just have seen the wall with the goalkeeper’s position. I thought … just go for it,” Rice said.

Arsenal could have been 2-0 up shortly after but for more heroics from Courtois, who produced a diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli followed by another from makeshift striker Merino in between David Alaba’s goal-line block.

Rice’s second free kick was even better than the first, curled straight into the top corner in the 70th minute, to leave the 15-times European champions looking stunned.

Merino then coolly fired Myles Lewis-Skelly’s pull-back into the bottom corner 15 minutes from time, following a pass from substitute Leandro Trossard, to give Arsenal a sizeable lead to take to Madrid next week.

The winners of the tie will face either Aston Villa or Paris St Germain, who meet on Wednesday, in the semi-finals.

‘BRILLIANT GAME’

“We’ve had a brilliant game, we had a lot of motivation, that’s why we won,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “We have a game next week in the Bernabeu, we have to demonstrate we can do that again next week.”

Real will have to try and overhaul Arsenal’s lead without Camavinga, who was shown a second yellow card in the closing seconds for kicking the ball away.

The visitors did have some half-chances, most notably through Kylian Mbappe who scuffed his shot at the end of a fast break with the score at 0-0 in the first half.

But Real were unconvincing in attack and have now conceded 11 goals in their last four games in all competitions, while Arsenal have not lost a European tie when scoring three goals in the first leg.

Unused substitute Lucas Vazquez conceded Real were nowhere near their best but nonetheless, given his side’s European pedigree, warned Arsenal his team were far from finished.

“The tie is complicated, but if there’s one team in the world that can turn it around, it’s us, in our stadium and with our fans,” he told Movistar Plus.

Real will hope to take heart from the 1975-76 European Cup when they lost 4-1 away to Derby County in the first leg of the second round but won the return 5-1 at home.

REUTERS

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ARSENAL’S GABRIEL MAGALHAES RULED OUT FOR REST OF SEASON AS HAMSTRING INJURY NEEDS SURGERY

Arsenal have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Real Madrid after Gabriel was ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Gunners confirmed the Brazil defender will require surgery on the hamstring injury he sustained in his side’s 2-1 Premier League against Fulham on Tuesday.

Gabriel, who has starred at the heart of Arsenal’s defence in recent seasons, went down in the 16th minute with the injury and was unable to continue.

The north London side host Real Madrid in the opening leg of their quarter-final clash at the Emirates on Tuesday before the return leg eight days later.

Arsenal said in a statement: “Further to being substituted during our match against Fulham on Tuesday, we can confirm that Gabriel Magalhaes has sustained a hamstring injury which requires surgery.

“Gabi will undergo a surgical repair procedure to his hamstring in the coming days, and immediately begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season.

“Everyone at the club will be fully focused on supporting Gabi to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”

Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge has been derailed by injuries to pivotal players. Just as manager Mikel Arteta welcomed back Bukayo Saka, he will now be without Gabriel for the last-eight clash against the 15-time European Cup winners.

Gabriel’s season-ending injury leaves Arsenal desperately short on numbers in defence with major doubts over Jurrien Timber, who went down twice holding his right knee against Fulham before being replaced in the second half, and Ben White.

The latter was not even fit enough for the squad on Tuesday. Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.

Gabriel, who has played 49 times for Arsenal and Brazil this season, was replaced by Jakub Kiwior with the Pole making his first appearance in the league since December.

Arteta has been without several influential players this season. Captain Martin Odegaard missed 12 matches with an ankle problem, Saka was sidelined for 101 days after tearing a hamstring and Kai Havertz also suffered a hamstring injury – during Arsenal’s warm-weather training camp in February – which ruled him out for the season.

Gabriel Jesus ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in January and faces a significant period on the sidelines.

The Champions League is Arsenal’s only realistic hope of silverware. Liverpool are 12 points clear in the race for the title with 24 points to play for across the remaining eight fixtures.

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NEWCASTLE SEAL DOMINANT WIN OVER ARSENAL TO REACH CARABAO CUP FINAL

Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle to a second Carabao Cup final in three years as the Magpies secured a thumping aggregate win over Arsenal and moved a step closer to ending their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.

Murphy and Gordon struck either side of half-time to seal a 2-0 victory over the Gunners at St James’ Park, to go with their win by the same scoreline at the Emirates Stadium last month, to book a Wembley showdown with either Liverpool or Tottenham.

Fourteen years to the day from a remarkable 4-4 Premier League draw between the sides which was secured by the late Cheick Tiote’s wonder strike, his son Rafael was among the mascots as the Magpies dispelled the pre-match nerves of the home fans to claim a 4-0 semi-final win on aggregate.

If Eddie Howe’s three-man rearguard – he had drafted in central defender Sven Botman as a replacement for injured midfielder Joelinton – set the tone for an uncompromising display, it was the pace and potency of striker Alexander Isak, for so long the subject of speculation linking him with the North London club, which terrified the visitors.

Isak’s stunning early finish may have been ruled out by VAR but it was his incision which led to the opening goal and the attention the Gunners had to pay to him throughout was instrumental in what followed.

The game kicked off amidst a cacophony as the home fans attempted to roar their side on after back-to-back home defeats.

They thought they had got their reward within four minutes when Gordon slid Isak in behind Gabriel and he sent a thunderous shot high past David Raya and into the top corner, only for a lengthy VAR review to result in an offside decision.

Relieved as the Gunners were, they looked rattled as the Magpies pressed high, although they gradually began to impose themselves with Leandro Trossard in particular making in-roads down the right.

Lewis Hall volleyed Jacob Murphy’s 15th-minute cross into the side-netting from an unlikely angle but Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard forced a block from Botman and then clipped the outside of the post seconds later.

However, Newcastle made the most of their escape with 19 minutes gone when Gordon once again picked out Isak’s run and, although the Sweden international’s shot came back off the post, Murphy steered the rebound past the stranded Raya.

Opposite number Martin Dubravka had to make a solid reaction save to deny Trossard four minutes later with the visitors scrapping for a lifeline.

Mikel Arteta’s men were dominating both possession and territory but they were playing largely in front of the massed black and white ranks.

Early substitute Ethan Nwaneri’s pace down the right gave the Gunners renewed threat but Gordon curled a right-foot shot just wide in first-half stoppage time after leaving Declan Rice for dead.

The former Everton forward might have put the game beyond doubt within four minutes of the restart when he robbed William Saliba with Raya out of his goal but he could not find the target from distance.

But Gordon made no mistake with 52 minutes gone when Fabian Schar caught Rice in possession from Raya’s ill-judged pass and the England international gleefully fired home.

The Gunners were laboured in their efforts to claw their way back into the tie, with Dubravka fielding Nwaneri’s tame 74th-minute attempt comfortably as Howe’s men saw out a third win of the season over Arsenal with little difficulty.

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ARSENAL TRIUMPH IN COME-BACK LONDON DERBY WIN AGAINST TOTTENHAM.

Arsenal breathed fresh life into their Premier League title chase with a 2-1 comeback win against Tottenham in an electric north London derby.

Following consecutive home cup defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United, Arsenal fell behind at the Emirates after Son Heung-min’s 25th-minute opener for Spurs.

But they were back on level terms with 40 minutes gone when Gabriel’s header from a corner rebounded off Dominic Solanke before Leandro Trossard put them ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Arsenal saw out the second half to move back into second place and within four points of leaders Liverpool, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

For Tottenham, it marked a fourth defeat from their last five league matches to leave them 13th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

In a week where a first-leg Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle was followed by a third-round FA Cup exit to Manchester United, this felt like a win-or-bust fixture for Arsenal’s season.

On the eve of the derby, manager Mikel Arteta demanded the greatest atmosphere the Emirates had ever seen, and the home supporters answered his call with a raucous welcome for their arch-rivals.

And the players delivered, too, with a high-tempo opening 20 minutes where the Gunners had Spurs firmly on the ropes.

Trossard and Thomas Partey both had shots blocked before Kai Havertz charged down Antonin Kinsky’s clearance only for the Spurs stopper to rescue his own blunder.

However, for all their possession, Arsenal failed to create a clear-cut opening, and midway through the first half, Gabriel was required to poke the ball off Solanke’s toes with the former Bournemouth man poised to pull the trigger.

From the ensuing corner, David Raya forked out a fine reaction save to deny Dejan Kulusevski but the warning signs were there, and, less than a minute later, the visitors were ahead.

Arsenal failed to clear their lines and Son, hovering on the edge of the penalty area, guided a side-footed volley – with the help of a deflection off William Saliba and through Partey’s legs – into the Arsenal net. Raya had no chance and Ange Postecoglou held his left arm aloft in celebration.

Arteta would have been desperate for a response before the interval and, crucially for the Spaniard, it arrived with five minutes of the first half left.

Kinsky had dealt with all of Arsenal’s previous six corners but, at the seventh time of asking, he couldn’t get near Declan Rice’s delivery. Gabriel got the better of Radu Dragusin at the back post to get his head on the cross, hitting Solanke’s stomach en route to the back of the net. Gabriel led the celebrations but it went down as a Solanke own goal.

Spurs were rightly furious because it should not have been a corner in the first place – Trossard’s cross clearly ricocheting back off the Belgian.

The Emirates crowd did not care and four minutes later Arsenal were ahead. Partey robbed Yves Bissouma on the half-way line, with Martin Odegaard switching the play to Trossard on Arsenal’s left. Trossard drove at the Spurs goal before unleashing his effort on target.

A diving Kinsky got his left glove to the ball but the Tottenham goalkeeper did not do enough and Trossard’s stinging strike flew in.

James Maddison was introduced by Postecoglou to perform a rescue act. Raheem Sterling might have provided daylight but for an air kick on the hour mark and Solanke then saw his shot blocked by Gabriel before Rice slammed his effort at Kinsky’s chest. It remained a breathless affair.

Arsenal were desperate to kill the game but Spurs remained in the contest and, when Gabriel thwarted an attack with 10 minutes left, he celebrated it like his equaliser, beating his chest and conducting the crowd to respond.

Odegaard should have put the game to bed with six minutes left but another opportunity passed by when he shot wide.

Five minutes of injury time were signalled and Pedro Porro’s shot nearly caught Raya off guard when it thudded off his post.

Whistles reverberated round the Emirates before referee Simon Hooper called time on a pulsating fixture that keeps Arsenal in the Premier League hunt.

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ARSENAL’S MARTIN ODEGAARD INJURED IN NORWAY VICTORY.

Martin Odegaard is a doubt for Sunday’s North London derby after limping out of Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Austria in Oslo.

The Arsenal captain was left clutching his left ankle after an innocuous tangle with Christoph Baumgartner on the hour mark and was helped off the pitch in tears by team-mate Erling Haaland.

Odegaard’s apparent injury is a further setback for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who is already without the suspended Declan Rice for the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“He got a small ankle sprain. We will see, maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow,” team doctor Ola Sand told TV2.

Haaland lashed home his 32nd goal in 35 games for his country in the 80th minute to clinch victory after Felix Myhre’s ninth-minute opener was cancelled out by a Marcel Sabitzer effort shortly before half-time.

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RICCARDO CALAFIORI SIGNS FOR ARSENAL

Arsenal have completed the signing of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna as Emile Smith Rowe appears set to depart the Emirates Stadium.

Calafiori, 22, was highlighted as a priority target for the Gunners this season and they have landed their man for a fee of £42million.

Calafiori has signed a five-year deal at the Emirates having played for Italy during their Euro 2024 campaign.

“We welcome Riccardo and his family to Arsenal. He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence,” said manager Mikel Arteta.

“Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies.

“He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive.

“We’re looking forward to working with Riccardo, integrating him into the squad, and supporting him in the years to come.”

Calafiori, who can also operate at left-back, becomes Arsenal’s second major summer acquisition after David Raya’s loan move from Brentford was made permanent.

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ARSENAL 5-1 WIN OVER EVERTON ONLY ENOUGH FOR EUROPA LEAGUE SPOT

Arsenal made light work of Everton in a 5-1 victory at Emirates Stadium yet still had to resign themselves to playing Europa League football next season after Tottenham powered past Norwich.

Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Cedric Soares, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Odegaard were on target but the result became incidental once Spurs secured fourth place in the Premier League by storming Carrow Road with a 5-0 win.

Emphatic defeats by Tottenham and Newcastle had left Arsenal needing a final-day collapse from their north London rivals to have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League but none materialised.

Instead, they had to sign off a disappointing season by crushing an Everton side that had climbed their Everest on Thursday night by delivering a stunning comeback win against Crystal Palace to escape relegation with a game to spare.

Frank Lampard made six changes and beyond a lone strike by Donny van de Beek, they played like a team who had already checked out knowing their season had been saved.

They were particularly vulnerable at corners with Arsenal engineering three of their five goals from the set piece and they looked in danger of capitulating right from the start.

Arsenal had lost the last three Premier League meetings between the rivals but as they poured forward with Bukayo Saka shooting high, that run looked certain to end.

Martinelli aimed a powerful shot on the turn directly at keeper Asmir Begovic as pressure grew on the visiting goal.

Everton had barely ventured from their own half inside the opening 20 minutes but when they did Demarai Gray was kept out by Aaron Ramsdale after being set-up by Dele Alli.

The one-way traffic quickly resumed, however, and when VAR intervened for an Alex Iwobi handball, Martinelli smashed the ball past Begovic.

Four minutes later and Arsenal had surged 2-0 ahead as a scruffy corner was worked to Nketiah by accident as much as design and the forward nodded home from close range.

Everton were in danger of being overwhelmed yet with the help of leaden footed home defence they pulled a goal back through substitute van de Beek, who slotted in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s pass without breaking stride.

It then became the visitors’ turn to lose concentration as Saka worked a corner to an unmarked Soares and the Portugal right-back produced a mighty shot that gave Begovic no chance.

Gabriel Magalhaes was the next to profit from good work at a corner as he blasted in the fourth and by the 82nd minute it had become a rout as Odegaard found the bottom left corner despite his attempt lacking any real power.

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EDDIE NKETIAH BRACE BOOSTS ARSENAL’S TOP-FOUR PUSH AND LEAVES LEEDS IN RELEGATION TROUBLE

Arsenal’s quest for a return to Champions League football continued as they laboured to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Leeds with Eddie Nketiah’s brace sending the visitors into the Premier League relegation zone.

The clash at the Emirates Stadium was always going to have repercussions at both ends of the table and the result leaves the Gunners on the cusp of a top-four finish.

Nketiah, on loan at Leeds during the 2019-20 campaign, appeared to all-but seal the points in the opening 10 minutes before Luke Ayling was dismissed to add to the woes of Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side at least registered a goal through Diego Llorente.

Everton’s victory at Leicester saw Leeds drop into the bottom three at just the wrong time of the season, with Chelsea next up on Wednesday night.

For Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta signed a new three-year deal on Friday, they now know victory at the home of north London rivals Tottenham on Thursday will ensure a first season of Champions League football for five years.

The hosts took the lead early on when Nketiah capitalised on a poor touch from Illan Meslier, closing down the goalkeeper and forcing the ball home.

Nketiah doubled the advantage with a well-taken finish from 12 yards as he turned home Gabriel Martinelli’s low cross having stood completely free inside the Leeds box.

Enjoying their football, Bukayo Saka picked up a delightful flick from Martin Odegaard but shot straight at Meslier.

Things went from bad to worse for Leeds as Ayling was sent off, the skipper seeing red for a two-footed lunge on Martinelli after referee Chris Kavanagh was advised by VAR to review the decision on the pitchside monitor.

Arsenal looked to make their numerical advantage pay, Odegaard forcing a good stop out of Meslier from a free-kick before Llorente hooked the loose ball off his own goal line.

Leeds traipsed off at the break having failed to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes – but Arsenal appeared to take their foot off the gas when the game resumed.

Meslier went largely untested during the opening minutes and Leeds struck with their first effort of the game as Llorente popped up at the back post to turn home Junior Firpo’s flick on from a corner.

The hosts toiled in their attempts to put the game to bed with a third goal, with Arteta turning to Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe off the bench to freshen things up.

Leeds, though, remained a threat, Meslier coming forward for a late corner as tension grew around the Emirates.

He was back in the Arsenal box for a last-gasp free-kick which saw Rodrigo’s flick saved by Aaron Ramsdale, and the final whistle signalled a deep sigh of relief from the majority within the Emirates.

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NKETIAH STARS, SAKA SCORED FROM SPOT-KICK AS ARSENAL BEAT CHELSEA TO BOOST TOP-FOUR HOPES

Bukayo Saka banished his Euro 2020 final penalty shoot-out ghosts by converting a spot-kick as Arsenal toppled Chelsea 4-2 to reignite their bid for a top-four Premier League finish.

The England forward slotted home his first-ever penalty for Arsenal to seal the Gunners’ vital win over the Blues, that drew Mikel Arteta’s men level with fourth-placed Tottenham in the table.

Saka missed the last penalty in England’s 3-2 shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last July.

The 20-year-old won the late spot-kick at Stamford Bridge by drawing a foul from Cesar Azpilicueta, and quickly insisted on taking the penalty himself.

Saka dismissed any nerves by side-footing home to boot, to put the seal on a crucial win for the Gunners.

Eddie Nketiah had twice seized upon slipshod defending to drive Arsenal into a 3-2 lead before Saka’s strike.

Nketiah capitalised on Andreas Christensen’s woefully under-hit back-pass for his first Arsenal goal in 367 days, to open the scoring in west London.

The 22-year-old forward later settled a scrappy but engrossing contest when three attempted Chelsea clearances landed the ball straight into his path and through on goal.

Timo Werner’s deflected effort had Chelsea level quickly after Nketiah’s first goal, with captain Azpilicueta then cancelling out a fine finish from Emile Smith Rowe before half-time.

The fatigued and off-kilter Blues were made to pay for a string of errors however, with £98million striker Romelu Lukaku again failing to fire.

Toni Rudiger’s absence with a minor groin problem destabilised Chelsea’s defence, and Christensen endured a night to forget.

The Denmark international was withdrawn at half-time in a below-par showing, but not even the peerless Thiago Silva could sharpen up the hosts.

Arsenal took full advantage of Chelsea’s malaise to notch just their second win in six league matches, breaking a wretched run of results to move below Spurs on goal difference, leaving the race to finish fourth wide open.

Lukaku’s sole meaningful act of a quiet first half was to drag wide after being played in by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Chelsea had been under precious little pressure from the off, but constituted their own downfall with Christensen’s horror-show attempted back-pass.

The defender majorly under-sold his attempted pass to Edouard Mendy, instead gifting Nketiah a stroll in on goal.

Nketiah needed no second invitation, and duly cantered in before providing a crisp finish.

Chelsea were level just four minutes later however, as Werner’s 20-yard strike took a significant deflection off Granit Xhaka to beat Aaron Ramsdale at his near post.

Smith Rowe quickly had Arsenal 2-1 ahead however, with a sharp sidefooted finish after Saka had combined well with Martin Odegaard, who provided the assist.

The Blues needed just five minutes this time to level, with Azpilicueta sneaking in to provide a poacher’s finish to Mason Mount’s teasing cross.

Smith Rowe had the last word in the half as Arsenal attacked again, but this time could only whip his effort wide of the post.

Silva replaced Christensen at the break, with the 37-year-old clearly drafted in to sure up the Blues’ backline.

Not even the peerless Brazilian could solve Chelsea’s defensive shortcomings however, as Arsenal took the lead again.

Silva won the ball at full stretch only for Malang Sarr to bungle the attempted clearance, allowing Nketiah to pounce for his second of the night.

The ball fell kindly for Nketiah, but Chelsea again set themselves up to fail with woeful defending.

Lukaku was replaced by Kai Havertz moments after the goal, with a large swathe of the Blues support booing the Belgium striker.

Chelsea could find no route back into the contest, and at the death the Blues conceded a spot-kick.

Saka stepped up seemingly well aware of his attempt to erase any lingering Euros memories, and he wrapped up a fine Arsenal result with a coolly converted effort.

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ARSENAL’S TOP-FOUR HOPES TAKE ANOTHER HIT WITH DEFEAT TO SOUTHAMPTON

Arsenal’s faltering quest for Champions League qualification suffered another setback after they slipped to an uninspiring 1-0 Premier League loss at Southampton.

Tottenham’s shock home defeat to Brighton in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off offered the Gunners the chance to move level on points with their fourth-placed north London rivals.

But Mikel Arteta’s men blew a major opportunity to capitalise at St Mary’s as Jan Bednarek’s strike on the stroke of half-time condemned them to a fourth defeat from five games.

Arsenal retain a game in hand on Spurs, albeit a tricky trip to Chelsea, while their latest slip-up provides further encouragement for fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester United and West Ham.

The Gunners dominated possession for much of the afternoon in Hampshire, but in the absence of the ill Alexandre Lacazette they often lacked a cutting edge and rarely troubled Ralph Hasenhuttl’s resolute hosts.

On the occasions they did, they were frustrated by in-form Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who produced stunning saves to keep out joint leading scorers Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe either side of Bednarek’s decisive finish.

Victory for Saints ended a five-match winless league run to boost their aspirations of a top-half finish.

Arsenal ran out into the south-coast sunshine on the back of successive defeats to Crystal Palace and Brighton and without first-choice striker Lacazette due to Covid-19.

Yet the mood of manager Arteta would no doubt have been improved by Tottenham suffering unexpected frustration against the Seagulls.

He handed Eddie Nketiah his first league start of the season in place of the stricken Lacazette, while the hosts’ four changes following last weekend’s 6-0 thrashing by Chelsea included the recall of striker Armando Broja.

Arteta’s visitors – captained by Martin Odegaard – monopolised the ball for much of the opening period as they sought to escape their recent sticky patch. And they would have been ahead but for the inspired Forster.

The Saints stopper was alert to deny Gabriel Martinelli’s curling effort early on before producing a stunning stop to keep out England team-mate Saka.

Brazilian Martinelli was again heavily involved, delivering an inviting low cross from the right after Nketiah had seized on sloppy play from Yan Valery, only for the unmarked Saka’s goal-bound effort to be acrobatically tipped away.

Saints switched to five at the back after being humiliated by Thomas Tuchel’s European champions seven days ago and were looking for opportunities to counter.

They edged ahead a minute before the break following a short period of pressure.

After Arsenal only partially cleared a James Ward-Prowse corner, Romain Perraud recycled the ball and Mohamed Elyounoussi was alert to pull the ball back from the left, allowing Poland defender Bednarek to lash his fourth goal of the season into the roof of the net via the fingertips of Aaron Ramsdale.

The Gunners’ initial response to falling behind was hardly inspiring, prompting Arteta to turn to his bench.

Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe were both introduced and the former almost grabbed a 73rd-minute leveller.

A loose ball in Saints’ box bounced kindly for the creative midfielder but his scuffed effort into the ground allowed Forster sufficient time to scamper across his goal and claw the ball away.

Southampton were dropping deeper and deeper in a bid to protect their slender lead, leading to some tense moments.

Saka thumped a shot straight at Forster and Odegaard and Granit Xhaka also provided scares, but the Gunners could not find a leveller as a raucous response to the full-time whistle signalled further disruption to their European ambitions.