Bukayo Saka once again served as the driving force behind Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over AS Monaco on Wednesday, giving them a huge step closer to the Champions League knockout round.
Mikel Arteta’s team had a lot of work to do to avoid being forced into the playoffs and started the match outside the top eight in the enlarged league stage.
Saka ensured that Arsenal climbed into third place in the table with two games remaining, but it was not all smooth sailing for them due to some careless finishing.
After a Gabriel Jesus assist broke the tie in the 34th minute, he was given his second goal in the 78th minute, just when it appeared like a string of squandered opportunities by his teammates could prove costly.
Replace In the 88th minute, Kai Havertz rubber-stamped Arsenal’s fourth victory in six games this year.
Monaco, who started the evening tied with the London club, are now in 16th place with 10 points, while Arsenal has 13 points.
Due to injury, Arteta gave 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly his first Champions League start, and the left defender was instrumental in Saka’s first goal.
Defying a tackle, he displayed excellent vision by cutting through Monaco’s defence with a precise pass to Gabriel Jesus, whose low cross Saka stroked in.
Monaco was lucky not to be buried before the interval, but their initial serenity vanished. Martin Odegaard scored after Soungoutou Magassa made a terrible error.
The Norwegian appeared to have scored, but his effort went wide of the post. Jesus, a Brazilian whose goal touch has failed him this season, had earlier missed a good chance and a one-on-one, both of which were stopped by Monaco custodian Radoslaw Majecki.
Gabriel Martinelli was also at fault because Arsenal was only one goal ahead when they arrived at halftime.
Encouraged by those escapes, Monaco attempted to punish Arsenal in the second half when former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino shot too near to David Raya after the ball was cut back to him in the area, and Thilo Kehrer flashed a header just wide from a swinging free kick.
However, in the 78th minute, they gave Arsenal an early Christmas surprise, undoing all of their hard work.
Saka scored his ninth goal of the season in all competitions and calmed any last-minute anxiety thanks to a mistake made by his keeper and defender Mohammed Salisu.
