Substitute Nicolas Pepe rescued Arsenal with two sublime free-kicks in the last 10 minutes of their Europa League group game against Vitoria Guimaraes at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal were losing 2-1 when Pepe came on in the 75th minute and he scored five minutes later with a curling effort from 25 yards.
He repeated the feat in stoppage time as Arsenal avoided their second straight defeat and retained their place at the top of Group F.
Former Tottenham youngster Marcus Edwards had earlier cut inside and fired into the bottom corners to give Vitoria a shock lead, before Arsenal’s Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli nodded in his fifth goal in just his third start to make it 1-1.
Bruno Duarte restored the visitors’ lead on 36 minutes, pouncing on a rebound to send Arsenal into the half-time break a goal behind.
The Gunners, who were poor for large patches of the game, burst into life in the final 10 minutes as Martinelli was denied from close range before Rob Holding’s header was well held by the goalkeeper.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery made 10 changes from the side that lost to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Monday but was forced to bring on Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos at half-time, before Pepe made the difference.
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Pepe heroics – the start of something?
As if he’s gone and done it again! Nicolas Pepe ???? what a goal! #Arsenal #AFC pic.twitter.com/PmOGBffnay
— Alex (@AlexSilberman_) October 24, 2019
There was huge excitement this summer when Arsenal signed Ivory Coast winger Pepe from Lille for a club record fee of £72m.
He showed glimpses of brilliance against Liverpool on his first Premier League start in August and picked up an assist in the following game against Tottenham.
But the winger has been largely underwhelming and needed to make an impression from the bench in this European tie.
And that is exactly what he did, curling both set-pieces past a helpless Miguel Silva to give Arsenal another three points in the group, as they maintained their 100% record in the competition this season.
Late goals ease pressure on Emery
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said on BT Sport at half-time “pressure is building” on manager Emery.
Fans were booing as the players walked off at the break trailing 2-1 and banners displaying the words “Emery out” and “Unai, stop freezing Ozil out” were seen in the stands.
German midfielder Mesut Ozil was not included in the squad and has made just two appearances this season.
The defeat to Sheffield United on Monday looked set to be repeated even after Emery had ruthlessly pulled off youngsters Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock at half-time but Pepe had other ideas.
And despite discontent, Arsenal remain fifth in the Premier League table and unbeaten in all three matches in Europe this season.
Martinelli continues to shine – the best of the stats
- Arsenal have won seven straight home games in European competition (excluding qualifiers) for the first time since February 2002 (a run of seven in the Champions League).
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six home meetings with Portuguese opponents (W5, D1), scoring 20 goals and conceding just two.
- Vitoria Guimaraes are winless in their last eight away matches in the Europa League (D2, L6).
- Edwards’ goal on eight minutes was the earliest Arsenal have conceded in European competition since Edinson Cavani netted after 42 seconds for PSG in September 2016.
- Edwards is the first English player to score for a non-British side against an English team in Europe since Ben Wright for Viking FK against Chelsea in September 2002 in the Uefa Cup.
- Martinelli has been directly involved in six goals in three starts for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring five and assisting one.
- Pepe is the first player to score two direct free-kicks in a Europa League game since Luis Suarez for Liverpool vs Zenit St. Petersburg in February 2013.
