Arsenal 6-0 BATE Borisov: 5 Talking Points
Score: Arsenal 6-0 BATE Borisov
Scorers: Mathieu Debuchy 11', Theo Walcott 37', Jack Wilshere 43', Denis Polyakov (OG) 51', Olivier Giroud 64', Mohamed Elneny 74'
A rampant Arsenal side brushed aside BATE Borisov in their final Europa League group game and blitzed their way into the final 32 with a 6-0 win. Arsenal had topped their group before this game itself, but three goals on either side of the break solidified their European form this season.
The likes of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere were on fire and got on the score sheet. Apart from a comical own goal from the Borisov centre-back, the other scorers were Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud and Mohamed Elneny.
So without further delay, let's head straight in and look at the 5 talking points from Arsenal's 6-0 hammering of their Belarussian opponents:
#5 Arsene Wenger goes back to his traditional system
It was the return of Wenger's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation at the Emirates last night as the Gunners boss decided to return to his well-tested system. Playing three at the back has produced decent enough results for Arsenal this season but Wenger has always seen that formation - similar to that of Antonio Conte's Chelsea as a stop-gap solution.
Though Wenger has admitted that the 3-4-3 system gives his side additional defensive cover which they lacked at times in their traditional formation, it is evident that which system Wenger truly favours. But just as against Manchester United, Arsenal lined up in their natural formation, and in all fairness, have looked more dangerous going forward than before.
Arsenal's attack created chances after chances in the Manchester United game and against BATE, there was no exception. With the festive period being upon us, expect Arsene Wenger to revert back to his traditional formation permanently.