Arsenal youngsters Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka claimed goals as a rotated Gunners side romped to a 3-0 win at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday in the Europa League.
Willock, 20, one of seven changes by Arsenal manager Unai Emery to the team which started Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Watford, gave the Gunners a first-half lead after a deflection off a Frankfurt player.
Then 18-year-old Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed late goals as Frankfurt were reduced to 10 men for the final 11 minutes when midfielder Dominik Kohr was shown a second yellow card and sent off for fouling Saka.
Last season’s Europa League finalists Arsenal rebounded from throwing away a two-goal lead at Watford, with playmaker Mesut Ozil left out for the trip to Germany.
Club record signing Nicolas Pepe and midfielder Dani Ceballos made second-half appearances off the bench.
Aubameyang started up front flanked by teenager wingers Emile Smith Rowe, 19, and Saka.
Celtic draw with Rennes
Ryan Christie scored a second-half penalty as Celtic kicked off their Europa League group-stage campaign with a battling 1-1 draw away to French Cup holders Rennes.
Christie’s 59th-minute spot-kick cancelled out M’Baye Niang’s penalty which had given Rennes the lead in the first half in Brittany in the Group E game.
The Scottish champions finished with 10 men as substitute Vakoun Issouf Bayo was sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession in injury time, but the result gives them a platform on which to build before their next match at home to CFR Cluj, who shocked Lazio 2-1 yesterday.
Arsenal’s Joe Willock (third from right) celebrates scoring his goal with teammates during the Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, yesterday. (AFP)
