Arsenal wilt in Lens furnace as Elye Wahi and Thomasson apply the heat
Arsenal had been delayed by one storm in the buildup to this match and then, on a night that may have wider consequences, wilted under another. They were deservedly beaten by a relentless, passionately backed Lens side in a reminder that progress to the round of 16 cannot be taken remotely for granted; there was another cost to count, too, Bukayo Saka leaving the field in the 34th minute with the latest and potentially most serious of a seemingly endless string of knocks.
Mikel Arteta will regret their loss of control after Gabriel Jesus had put them ahead, Adrien Thomassen and the excellent Elye Wahi both finishing superbly to turn matters on their head. He may also have pause for thought about the prodigious workload he has demanded of Saka given a vital Premier League meeting with Manchester City lies in wait next.
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Given the local energy levels a fast start was inevitable from last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up, who had won their previous two games after a stuttering first month. From the second of two early corners their centre-back Kevin Danso, once of the MK Dons academy, was allowed to control before dragging a presentable chance just wide.
Lens were compacting the space and steaming into tackles, Facundo Medina somehow managing to emerge from consecutive challenges with Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Jesus while retaining possession. But they needed to match enthusiasm with accuracy and Arsenal made them pay for their first significant moment of sloppiness. Thomasson had clearly underestimated Saka’s razor-sharp levels of anticipation when attempting a backwards pass midway inside his own half and was immediately left regretful. Saka laid off to Jesus, who was still 30 yards from goal but carried the ball towards the penalty area and made space for an unerring low finish across Brice Samba.
Shortly afterwards Havertz tried to make it two, Samba repelling an angled volley. Thomasson went looking for redemption and hooked wide at the near post, but in the 25th minute he banished those earlier ghosts with a glorious finish. David Raya is feted for his ability to build possession but here his pass towards Tomiyasu was seized upon by the left wing-back Deiver Machado, who immediately looked for Elye Wahi up front. Wahi’s control and deft, gymnastic flick towards Thomasson were of the highest order; the shot, curled around Raya on the half-volley from 16 yards, was thrilling.
Lens 2 vs 1 Arsenal
The news swiftly worsened for Arsenal. Saka, whose levels of robustness routinely defy belief, had been passed fit despite departing early against Bournemouth but pulled up with what appeared a muscular problem and was eventually withdrawn. Fábio Vieira replaced him and by half-time the game’s flow had broken up considerably, not that the Lens faithful were especially concerned.
Arsenal had struggled to create in the half’s latter stages, beyond a late off-target effort from Jesus. It was the Brazilian who fashioned an opening four minutes into the second period, some prodigious harrying laying the groundwork for a chance that Trossard hit against Samba’s legs.
