Arsenal 5-0 Lens – Champions League LIVE: Gunners steamroll French side with FIVE different scorers on target in first half

Arsenal are communicating really well in the press. Not letting Lens play through the pockets and turn when they get possession. They confidence is oozing out of them. But don’t be fooled, Lens are good enough on the counter.

Rice is commanding the midfield so well. He skipping past players, linking the playing and finding his team-mates in dangerous areas. Arsenal are enjoying a lot of success down the right-hand-side and will continue to do so unless Lens change something up.

Arsenal are more than comfortable. Which comes as no surprise considering the scoreline. But, they are playing as such. Moving the ball around, maintaining possession and picking their moments.

Are you ready for another action packed half of football? Well, you better be as things have gotten back underway. Couple of changes for you… White and Kiwior coming on for Tomiyasu and Zinchenko.

Lens have made a triple change with Machado, El Aynaoui and Thomasson coming on for Samed, Medina and Sotoca.

What a first half that was from Arsenal. I would love to be in their dressing room right now, I can only imagine what Mikel Arteta has to say about that performance. However, they must maintain concentration heading into the second half.

WHAT A GOAL! Saka, once again, picks up the ball on the right-hand-side and drives hard down the flank… covering at least half a pitch before cutting inside. He slips it to Tomiyasu who tees up Odegaard. The Arsenal captain came running onto the ball and made an unbelievable connection to fire it into the bottom corner.

Two minutes of additional time have been added on to the first half. Arsenal probably would have liked more considering how enjoyable the first 45 minutes have been for them.

Arsenal need to maintain their concentration. They were almost caught out by a good ball into the area from Wahi. A laspe in concentration could see Lens score…

The first yellow card of the game has been awarded to Mendy as he takes out Jesus. Silly foul to be giving away really.

Chance for Lens! But, the flag goes up. Lens do well to turn the ball over in the middle of the pitch, drive forwards and unleash a rocket from distance. Raya tried to get down but couldn’t cover it and the ball hit off the post! However, the flag went up anyway.

Lens earn themselves another free-kick. However, little came of it as Raya was quick off his line to punch Fulguini’s delivery away. He did clip Medina on the follow through.

Havertz looked nervous but thankfully for Arsenal fans… the check is over and no penalty has been awarded. Play resumes but Lens are not happy.

Lens are appealing for a penalty! Lens earned themselves a free-kick on the left-hand-side of the pitch. It was played into the box and appeared to hit off Havertz’s arm as he looked to intercept it. VAR are checking for a possible penaltly.

Saka takes another knock. He’s had a few this evening but thankfully for Mikel Arteta… the England international is back on his feet and able to continue.

It may come as no surprise… but Arsenal are full of confidence this evening and that confidence is only growing. It could be a very long evening for Lens at this rate.

ARSENAL HAVE SCORED AGAIN! THEY ARE RUNNING RIOT! Another fantastic goal from Arsenal. A long ball from right to left finds Martinelli on the wing. He beats his defender, drives into the box and curls it into the bottom left corner.

ARSENAL SCORE AGAIN! Havertzs picks up the ball, drives forwards and slips in Rice. He cuts inside and breaks into the box before getting a shot off. The keeper made the save but it falls into the path of Saka – who taps it home (/let it hit him to go in!)

ARSENAL EXTEND THEIR LEAD THROUGH JESUS! But, the credit has to go to Saka. He picks it up on the right-hand-side, drives infield and beats several players. He reaches the edge of the box and tries to battle through. The ball bounces off his defender and falls into the path of Jesus… who reacts quickly and slots it home.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have equalised with Napoli thanks to Rodrygo after Simone gave the Italian side the lead in the opening nine minutes.

ARSENAL TAKE THE LEAD! Havertz finds the back of the net and Jesus headed the ball into the middle of the box for him to slot it home. However, VAR are checking the goal…

Great chance for Arsenal! Saka picks up the ball on the right-hand-side, draws his player in as Tomiyasu overlaps him on the outside. The England international slipped his team-mate in. He drove towards the box before playing it into the area for Havertz. Havertz rose above his defender but headed it just wide of the post.

Declan Rice is controlling the middle of the pitch, picking passes and connecting with his team-mates as Arsenal look to build-up their possession.

Arsenal’s first chance of the game. Zinchenko played the ball in towards the back post. Jesus ran onto it but couldn’t keep his effort down.

Rice and Saka link-up nicely on the edge of the box, playing one touch football before being dispossessed by their opposite numbers. Good start for Arsenal.

Arsenal are threatening forwards from the midfield, looking to drive at their opponents and engage in 1v1’s. Confident start from the Gunners… they just need to link in that final third now.

Both teams easing themselves into the game. Lots of turnover in the middle of the pitch. Arsenal are winning the majority of the 50/50’s as it stands’

Arsenal looking to play the ball around the back, switching it from right-to-left before going long. However, it’s not the best conditions out there… looks as though a flare has been set off. Very foggy out on the pitch.

And… just like that, the action is underway! It’s Arsenal who kick off the proceedings this evening. Just a reminder, the Gunners only need a point to secure their place in the knockout stages.

The players are in the tunnel, they will be making their way out onto the pitch soon. Not long until the action gets underway so make sure you stay tuned for all the live updates!

Arsenal need just a point to reach the knockout stage of the competition thanks to PSV’s late comeback against Sevilla. However, a win will see them confirm their place as Group B winners.

Arteta on Fabio Vieira: ‘He’s been having some discomfort and we tried to have alternative treatment with him, and he wasn’t improving so we’ve sent him to see a specialist and that was to get an operation done in his groin, and we did that yesterday,

‘We’re expecting him to be out for weeks now. We don’t expect him to do that [be back this side of the break], so let’s see how he evolves and obviously, the operation was done yesterday so we’re going to have to wait and see, but we will take it as it comes.’

Midfielder Panduro is rated as one of Denmark’s best young talents and captains their under-16s, doing so most recently in a four-team friendly international competition in Alicante during the last week.

Scouts from clubs across Europe were in Spain to run the rule over 15 year-old Panduro in games against Netherlands, Mexico and Saudi Arabia who he scored against on Sunday to help Denmark win the tournament.

Recap Mail Sport’s blog to see Isaan Khan’s answers all the big questions regarding Arsenal. Make sure you check it out through the link below…

• Referee: Artur Dias
• Assistants: Paulo Soares and Pedro Ribeiro
• Fourth official: Miguel Nogueira
• VAR: Tiago Martins
• Assistant VAR: Hugo Miguel

Lens XI: Samba, Gradit, Danso, Medina, Frankoweki, Mendy, Samed, Haidara, Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi.

Substitutions: Leca, Pandor, Aguilar, Machado, Pereira Da Costa, Diouf, Maouassa, Said, El Aynaoui, Khusanov, Thomasson.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.

Substitutions: Ramsdale, Hein, White, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric, Trossard, Jorginho, Nelson, Elneny, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri.

‘High energy, at it from the start and full gas,’ he said. ‘We didn’t let them breathe. I think they had one shot all game. All round, just a really good performance, especially with them sitting so deep and playing in a back five, which is always hard to break down.’

The Gunners boss said: ‘It is a possibility but it will depend on how they evolve,

‘Emile has been already on the pitch doing some jogging, so I don’t know how long it’s going to take. Normally he is a quick healer, and Thomas is the same.

‘We have to make sure that when they come back they are at their best as well. We don’t want to rush them, but at the same time the team needs them because at the moment we are missing some key, key players.’

Speaking ahead of the game, Haise said: ‘The ambitions are always the same. We know that the opponent is stronger than us but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to pose problems. We will have to raise our level of play in all aspects to try to compete.

‘What is certain is that if we want to be there, we will have to be there with our usual principles, our arguments and our strengths.’

Arteta said: ‘We want to be top of the group and the opportunity is there for us, against a team that causes problems, and that we’ve already experienced against them, so we have the right motivation to do that.

‘We have to win at home, and we have to win the group if we can. That’s the mentality of the team, that’s for sure.’

Lens followed their Champions League victory over Arsenal with draws against LOSC and Le Havre before putting four past Nantes and drawing 0-0 with FC Lorient.

These two teams last came head-to-head in October. It was night to forget for Arsenal as they suffered their first defeat of the season against Lens.

It was particularly disppointing for Arsenal as they had taken the lead before throwing it away to give the French side a win in their first Champions League home game in 20 years.

Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta gave the following update. He said: “Yeah we’ve got a problem with him [Vieira].

‘He’s been having some discomfort and we tried to have conservative treatment with him.

‘He wasn’t improving so we sent him to see a specialist and the advice was to get an operation done on his groin.

‘We did that yesterday [Monday] and we expect him to be out for weeks now. We don’t expect him [back this side of the winter break].’

Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta said: ‘For sure. I think it is not that we have to prove, we had to come back into Europe being the club we want to be, have that presence and the results that tell them we are back in a strong way. We haven’t done that yet and it needs to be done.’

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Arsenalhost Lens in the Champions League, plus updates from the rest of the 8pm games.