Arsenal opened their Europa League campaign with a 3-1 win over FC Cologne last night.
Thursday night must have been one of the most bizarre Arsenal night’s in recent memory. As 20,000 travelling Cologne fans swarmed the Emirates and pushed kick-off back to a very Spanish 21:05, I wondered if I hadn’t dozed off and was having some weird fever dream.
The Clock End had been occupied entirely by Cologne fans and while that section bounced and boomed all game, the rest of the ground was spotty with glum Arsenal fans. Ospina cocked up in goal and was lobbed by a man name named Jhon (yes, it is spelled that way), Arsenal spent much of the game passing between their three centre backs and our play was generally as shocking as the pink on Arsene Wenger’s coat. The boos at half-time were drowned out by the delighted travelling support.
A switch of formation and some keen substitutions turned things around in the second half. Two cracking goals from Kolasinac and Alexis put us ahead before Bellerin made the points safe.
A weird night all round, but a win is a win, and here’s how the players got on.
Subs
Sead Kolasinac 6
Who doesn’t love Kolasinac by now? The Bosnian looks nothing like a player who should be effective in the final third yet there he was, smashing in a volley that Lukas Podolski would have been proud of. Arsenal needed some drive and positivity in the second half and he provided it.
Jack Wilshere 5
Wilshere appeared for the first team for the first time in over a year and as he overran the ball into a group of defenders it was like he had never been away. It’s fair to say Wilshere was a touch rusty, but he did produce one or two moments of class, particularly a smart dummy in the build-up to the third goal.
Reiss Nelson 5
The player everyone wanted to see. He only got 10 minutes to shine when the game was already won, and didn’t get many chances to show off his exciting skills.