Arsenal's seven-minute Lille demolition

Arsenal went into this one unbeaten in the Champions League league phase and left it the same way, but the manner mattered as much as the result. A goalless, feeling-each-other-out first half gave way to a second-half spell in which Arteta's side scored three times inside seven minutes, turning a cagey European night into a 3-0 scoreline that flattered no one but Arsenal.

According to Capital Sports, the hosts were the better side for long stretches before the floodgates opened, and once the first goal went in, Lille simply had no answer. That kind of swing, three goals in under ten minutes against a side competing in Europe's top competition, is not something that happens by accident. It takes control of the game, patience to wait for the right moment, and finishing that doesn't waste the openings once they arrive.

Unbeaten through the league phase

Arsenal's Champions League form now reads as unbeaten through the league phase, and increasingly difficult to live with once they find their rhythm in a match. The second-half burst against Lille is the clearest evidence yet of a side that can turn a cagey night into a rout inside minutes.

Arsenal's European position

For Lille, this was always going to be a tough away night against a side with Arsenal's resources and European pedigree this season. For Arsenal, it is another box ticked in a competition they clearly see as winnable. A perfect record through this stage of the league phase puts them in control of their own route through the knockouts, and a second-half performance like this one will have given Arteta plenty to work with heading into the rest of the campaign.

The scoreline reads as a cruise. The first 45 minutes suggest it was earned the hard way first.