Result: Arsenal 3-0 Dundalk
Date: 29 October 2020
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Arsenal extended their winning start to the UEFA Europa League group stages after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Dundalk on Thursday evening.
Mikel Arteta rested most first-team regulars on the bench, including goalkeeper Bernd Leno, as new signing Runar Alex Runarsson got his debut in goal while Nicolas Pepe, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson led the front line.
The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute after Joe Willock went through on the right side of the box but his dangerous cross towards the back post could not find a teammate to tap it in.
Mikel Arteta's charges had another opening with ten minutes left of the first stanza after Sead Kolasinac's header at the near post was parried away by shot-stopper Gary Rogers.
Nketiah eventually gave Arsenal the lead just before the break with a clinical strike from close range from a rebound inside the box fell into his path from a corner situation.
Willock doubled the lead for the Gunners on the stroke of half-time with another tidy finish after a deflected shot by Pepe sent him clear on the left side of the box.
Pepe killed off any hopes of Dundalk coming back into the game, as he made it 3-0 for Arsenal barely a minute from the break with a right-footed strike into the top corner after finding space on the edge of the box.
Arteta was not giving the Irish side any rest, as he brought on Willian in place of Pepe while Daniel Ceballos came on for Shkodran Mustafi.
Nketiah should have added a fourth goal for the hosts in the last 18 minutes after Willock beat his marker on the byline but the former blasted his shot over the bar.
The Gunners had the momentum in the closing phase, creating plenty of chances but they could not find the back of the net and settled for a 3-0 win to maintain their perfect start in Group B.
