Arsenal are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners after beating Basel 4-1 and Ludogorets held PSG to a 2-2 draw at home. It means that the Gunners will avoid any of the other group winners in the draw for the last-16 of the competition.
Lucas Perez opened the scoring for the Gunners early in the first-half in Switzerland. Kieran Gibbs played a dangerous ball into the penalty area which fell at the feet of Perez, who took time to control the ball before finding the back of the net.
Soon after, Perez had his second. After Mesut Ozil was denied, Perez was in the right place at the right time to find the back of the net from virtually the same spot he scored his first.
Just two minutes into the second half, Perez completed his hat-trick. A smart finish found the bottom corner of the Basel net and gave Arsenal breathing space. He had only scored two goals for the Gunners prior to this game, he scored three tonight alone.
Arsenal were not done there, though, as Mesut Ozil unselfishly found Alex Iwobi with a smart cut-back. The Nigerian duly found the back of the net to make it four.
Basel scored a consolation goal through FIFA fan-favourite Seydou Doumbia, but it was not enough to put the Gunners’ lead under any genuine threat.
Arsenal player ratings: Ospina 6, Gabriel 6, Holding 7, Koscielny 7, Gibbs 7, Ramsey 6, Xhaka 8, Perez 10, Ozil 8, Iwobi 7, Sanchez 6
Man of the match: Lucas Perez: Perez showed that he has all the makings of a natural striker this evening. It was not the greatest hat-trick you will ever see, and certainly not as aesthetically pleasing as Alexis Sanchez’s against West Ham. It was, however, effective; and it secured Arsenal all three points this evening.