Red Star Belgrade 0 Arsenal 1: Giroud's special winner lights up drab encounter

After 85 minutes of cagey fare, Olivier Giroud produced a special bit of skill to snatch Arsenal a win over Red Star Belgrade.

Published : Oct 20, 2017 00:37 IST

After sparkling inter-play between Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Giroud executed an overhead kick into the top corner five minutes from time.
After sparkling inter-play between Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Giroud executed an overhead kick into the top corner five minutes from time.
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After sparkling inter-play between Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Giroud executed an overhead kick into the top corner five minutes from time.

Arsenal limped past Red Star Belgrade 1-0 as Olivier Giroud's stunning goal lit up an otherwise entirely forgettable Europa League encounter.

After sparkling inter-play between Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Giroud executed an overhead kick into the top corner five minutes from time to lift returning pressure from Arsene Wenger.

The weekend's defeat to Watford, after which the Hornets captain Troy Deemey claimed the Gunners lacked "Cojones", reopened some Arsenal fans' frustrations with Wenger and the players - and this performance did little to help.

Wenger reverted to the patchwork approach he has taken to European team selections this season, Mathieu Debuchy playing for the first time in nearly a year, while Mohamed Elneny featured alongside the Frenchman in a back three and Reiss Nelson, scorer of six goals in five Under-23 games this season, was deployed at wing-back.

The result was a stunted performance in attack, until Red Star defender Milan Rodic was dismissed in the 80th minute and the Premier League side's three most senior players linked up to brilliant effect at Rajko Mitic Stadium.

Progression from Group H now looks a certainty, with the Gunners sitting five points clear in first place after three wins from as many matches.

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