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Qarabag 0-3 Arsenal: Young Gunners prove the future is bright

By Kian Long

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - OCTOBER 04: Rob Holding of Arsenal passes the ball under pressure from Innocent Emeghara and Abdellah Zoubir of Qarabag during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Qarabag FK and Arsenal at on October 4, 2018 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - OCTOBER 04: Rob Holding of Arsenal passes the ball under pressure from Innocent Emeghara and Abdellah Zoubir of Qarabag during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Qarabag FK and Arsenal at on October 4, 2018 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal overcame Qarabag FK in the Europa League last night, with a number of youngsters making the most of their opportunity.

The Europa League is a competition in which Unai Emery will look to rotate his squad. As time progresses and the level of competition gets trickier, this won’t be the case, but for now, the Arsenal fans can be sure to get a glimpse of their upcoming starlets.

Last night proved no different, as Emery fielded a heavily rotated side. No doubt he was helped by a few injury returnees, but there was also some players on the fringe of first team football who got their chance.

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One of them being Alex Iwobi. He is a player in hot form at the moment, so I was delighted to see him make the starting eleven last night. And he didn’t let down either, picking up a 7.5 rating from me on the night. Iwobi picked up the assist for Emile Smith Rowe’s goal, while being light on his toes throughout the match. There are definitely signs of blossoming under Emery.

Another youngster who impressed was, of course, Smith Rowe. He picked up his first senior Arsenal goal, and it was a great moment for him. It came at a time of real suspense for the Gunners fans, as they were pinned back by Qarabag, but Smith Rowe pulled through and lifted the weight off their shoulders.

Then, the game was rounded off by a Matteo Guendouzi goal. And nobody can say he didn’t deserve it. He got off to a flying start in Arsenal colours, but the rise of Torreira booted him out of the first team. Seeing what he can provide in the final third may make Emery re-think his decision to remove the Frenchman from the main side.

Goals are all well and good, but they can only be spoken about with pride if the defence is tidy. And Rob Holding made sure to keep things running in that regard. He was partnered alongside Sokratis, with the two of them seeing out any Qarabag attacks which came their way. Sokratis will get the plaudits for his goal, but it’s important we remember Holding’s fine form at the back.

Two of the players mentioned, Iwobi and Smith Rowe, are academy graduates at Arsenal, meaning not a single penny was spent on bringing them to the club. As Arsenal look to re-build under a new head coach and a new-look backroom staff, this will be important for their future. A decent run in the Europa League group stage and these youngsters will be full of confidence.

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What did you make of Arsenal’s performance last night?

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