Match ends, Arsenal 1, FK Qarabag 0.
Laurent Koscielny played for the first time since May as Arsenal completed their near-perfect Europa League group stage with an easy win over Qarabag.
Unai Emery's side had already qualified for the knockout round and go through as Group E winners, with five victories and one draw from their six matches.
Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal of a tame match with a slick 16th-minute winner from Mesut Ozil's pass.
After the break, Eddie Nketiah had a headed goal ruled out for offside.
And in the 89th-minute, 17-year-old winger Bukayo Saka missed a chance to become Arsenal's youngest goalscorer in Europe as he smashed a finish into the face of Qarabag goalkeeper Vagner.
Koscielny, 33, ruptured his Achilles in last season's semi-finals defeat by Atletico Madrid.
He had very little work to do against Qarabag, who only went close when Donald Guerrier headed over, before being replaced in the 72nd minute.
Victory extends Arsenal's unbeaten run into a 22nd match. It is their longest run without defeat in all competitions since a 28-game stretch that ended in November 2007.
As group winners, Arsenal will avoid the four best-placed teams teams dropping down from the Champions League in the draw for the last 32, which takes place on Monday at 12:00 GMT.
The first legs will be played on 14 February, with the return legs on 21 February. As a seeded team, Arsenal will play their second leg at home.
Koscielny: I've started a new chapter
Captain Koscielny's quiet night
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has been fielding teams with a blend of youth, experience and first-team fringe players during this European campaign and it was more of the same on Thursday.
Before a modest crowd, there was a first senior start for Saka, in front of club captain Koscielny and alongside Mohamed Elneny and Ozil in midfield.
Koscielny had already featured for Arsenal's under-23s on his road to recovery, in a 2-1 defeat by Portsmouth in the Checktrade Trophy on 4 December, when Saka scored the Gunners' goal.
Against a team who have now lost all six of their meetings with English sides by an aggregate score of 1-18, the French defender had little work to do.
Azeri champions over the past five years, Qarabag had no real attacking threat and made numerous mistakes in possession.
Koscielny made one tackle and two clearances, also finishing his match with a 100% pass success rate. The minutes he played will be of more significance, especially considering the recent injury to Rob Holding.
Ozil labours and creates, Saka shines
It was Ozil's first appearance since 11 November, having spent five games out with a back injury. He looked uncomfortable on occasion in the first half - twice appearing to struggle back to his feet after falling in a 50-50 challenge.
He was replaced in the 83rd minute, having created the goal and three other good chances. His four key passes were more than any Arsenal player has created in a single Europa League game.
Lacazette was perhaps the more surprising selection - given he has played a regular and prominent role for Emery in the Premier League so far this season.
His goal, taken with five smart touches and a zipping low finish, was the game's only true moment of quality, as Arsenal soon after assumed full control of an already sedate fixture now removed of any real jeopardy.
One of very few points of interest was the impact of the side's youth players, and perhaps the brightest showing came from Saka, who came alive in the second half especially.
Aside from Lacazette, he was the only player among both sides to have a shot on target, and it was his excellent cross that found Nketiah for the disallowed goal.
Man of the match - (Bukayo Saka)
'His personality is important for us'
Arsenal manager Unai Emery: "We have the responsibility to give every young player chances, first to train with us and to be demanding with their performances.
"Saka played with a good performance, with a very big personality, his personality is very important for us to continue trying to go 1v1 and break lines with his quality.
"He played with a very big personality and sometimes with a very good performance. It's very important for his confidence and for us also, because we can look at this player and see quality to help us."
Gunners make it five without conceding - the stats you need to know
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 22 games in all competitions (W17 D5 L0) last losing against Chelsea back in August - the Gunners longest unbeaten run since November 2007 (a club record 28 games).
- Unai Emery has lost just one of his 24 UEFA Europa League group games in charge of Valencia, Sevilla and Arsenal combined (W14 D9) and is unbeaten in the competition group stages since his Sevilla side were beaten 0-2 against Feyenoord back in November 2014 (P7 W6 D1 L0 since).
- Arsenal have gone five Europa League games without conceding a goal since MD1 against Vorskla Poltava - excluding qualifiers, the Gunners last went on a longer run of consecutive clean sheets in European competition during the 2005/06 campaign, keeping 10 straight shut outs on their way to the Champions League final.
- FK Qarabag have lost all six of their meetings with English sides in all competitions, by an aggregate score of 1-18.
- FK Qarabag have lost seven of their last eight games in the UEFA Europa League (W1).
- Mesut Ozil created four chances in this game for the Gunners - no Arsenal player has created more in a single Europa League game this campaign.
What's next?
Arsenal next play in the Premier League away to Southampton in a 13:30 GMT kick-off on Sunday.
Next up for Qarabag is an Azerbaijan Cup quarter-final first leg with Inter Baku.
Line-ups
Arsenal
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26E Martínez
- 25Jenkinson
- 5Papastathopoulos
- 6KoscielnySubstituted forMonrealat 72'minutes
- 15Maitland-Niles
- 4Elneny
- 59Willock
- 49Nketiah
- 10ÖzilSubstituted forGilmourat 83'minutes
- 87Saka
- 9LacazetteSubstituted forMedleyat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Mkhitaryan
- 18Monreal
- 29Guendouzi
- 43Gilmour
- 44Iliev
- 47Medley
- 72John-Jules
FK Qarabag
Formation 5-3-2
- 13da Silva
- 5Medvedev
- 55Huseynov
- 14Sadiqov
- 52RzezniczakSubstituted forOzobicat 85'minutes
- 77Guerrier
- 8Marcos MaderaSubstituted forAbdullayevat 61'minutes
- 2QarayevBooked at 82mins
- 6Slavchev
- 11MadatovSubstituted forQuintana Sosaat 75'minutes
- 17Zoubir
Substitutes
- 4Mammadov
- 9Abdullayev
- 10Quintana Sosa
- 12Mahammadaliyev
- 19Ozobic
- 25Agolli
- 91Diniyev
- Referee:
- Jens Maae
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home67%
- Away33%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away1
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away0
- Corners
- Home10
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 1, FK Qarabag 0.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match (Arsenal).
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Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Wilde-Donald Guerrier.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match Vagner (FK Qarabag) because of an injury.
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Attempt saved. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eddie Nketiah.
Substitution
Substitution, FK Qarabag. Filip Ozobic replaces Jakub Rzezniczak.
Post update
Foul by Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal).
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Abdellah Zoubir (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Charlie Gilmour replaces Mesut Özil.
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Foul by Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal).
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Wilde-Donald Guerrier (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Qara Qarayev (FK Qarabag) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Qara Qarayev (FK Qarabag).
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) because of an injury.
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Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
The press aren't on your backs because you are a small, insignificant little team.
Before you say anything else stupid
Don't.
Definitely obsessed.
If Arsenal had lost, then yes: come on here bragging if you like, but it's pretty pathetic: especially since your trophy cabinet has more cobwebs than a spider's toilet.
Spurs have it more difficult as Poch has a long history of failure, not unlike Spurs
Also good to see Kos smiling whilst being subbed.
If it's possible to integrate some of these youngsters plus Smith-Rowe into first team Arsenal could be on to something.
This is is the UAE: Unai-ted Arsenal Emery-ates
Spurs are doing well in league and in CL, thanks to a little bit of luck admittedly.
Arsenal, after a difficult couple of seasons, are going well again, 22 unbeaten, they can only play the games in front of them!
Lets all just except that things are looking promising for both teams at the moment!
(Spurs fan)