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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
JOE KRISHNAN

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-3 Arsenal: Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock and Aubameyang strike in promising Europa League win

Bukayo Saka scored his first goal for Arsenal as the Gunners secured an impressive 3-0 win away at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt.

Joe Willock scored the opener with a deflected strike on 38 minutes in an entertaining end-to-end contest in Germany.

But after Dominik Kohr saw red for a second yellow card, the Gunners piled on the misery late on when Saka curled home before Aubameyang added a third two minutes from time.

Unai Emery boldly opted to select an attacking midfield triumvirate with an average age of just 19, selecting Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe alongside Willock behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

But it was the visitors who had the first chance. Saka floated a cross to the unmarked Lucas Torreira at the far post and the Uruguayan really should have opened the scoring, but instead blazed over from six yards.

The chances started coming thick and fast at both ends, with Filip Kostic proving a danger down the left for Frankfurt before Aubameyang went close on the counter-attack.

Smith Rowe then had a golden opportunity to put Arsenal in front when Granit Xhaka robbed Djibril Sow high up the pitch and played in the 19-year-old, but under pressure from David Abraham his effort was saved by Kevin Trapp.

The north London side were beginning to find acres of space on the break as Frankfurt committed men forward and found the breakthrough seven minutes before the break.

Willock surged down the left, cut inside and his powerful effort took a wicked deflection before going in off the underside of the bar.

The hosts came quickly out of the blocks in the second half with Kostic and Andre Silva both wasting chances.

But their comeback hopes took a blow when midfielder Kohr was sent off for a second yellow card after clipping the impressive Saka.

The 18-year-old made it a night to remember when he curled home from the edge of the box and grabbed an assist when Aubameyang added a late third to seal an impressive away victory.

Relive the action from Frankfurt!

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Team news and starting lineups

Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp, Abraham, Hasebe, Hinteregger, Kohr, Da Costa, Sow, Kamada, Kostic, Dost, Andre Silva

Subs: Ndicka, Falette, Fernandes, Joveljic, Chandler, Ronnow, Paciencia

Arsenal: Martinez, Chambers, Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Smith-Rowe, Willock, Saka, Aubameyang

Subs: Leno, Ceballos, Maitland-Niles, Pepe, Nelson, Guendouzi, Martinelli

Referee: Davide Massa

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