Arsenal hosted PSV Eindhoven in their rearranged Europa League game, and booked their place in the knockout stages with a hard-fought victory.
Mikel Arteta's team went into the match knowing a point would be enough to send them through after a victory away to Bodo/Glimt last time out. They made a fast start despite manager Arteta naming a much-changed side, but failed to score a goal inside the opening half-hour after doing so in each of their first three games in Group A.
The Gunners continued to push after the restart, with Gabriel Jesus testing Walter Benitez on more than one occasion. However, it needed the introduction of Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey to open up the opposition before Granit Xhaka found the breakthrough, and one goal was enough.
Xhaka leading by example
With Martin Odegaard not involved from the start, Granit Xhaka took the captain's armband in north London. For most of the first half, he kept the opposition in check, but needlessly got himself into the book for a foul on Xavi Simons on the stroke of half-time.
The Swiss international has enjoyed a renaissance this term, and the sight of him captaining the side was far less surprising than it might have been on other occasions during Mikel Arteta's tenure. And when a chance presented itself with 20 minutes to go, he made no mistake with a first-time finish to give the goalkeeper no chance.
While there was little wrong with Xhaka's work on the ball in the first half, the team selection served as a reminder of Odegaard's importance. Arsenal were still able to create, but some of their most threatening moments came via individual brilliance from the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.
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Eventually Arteta acted, introducing Odegaard for Fabio Vieira midway through the second half, and it was little surprise to see the breakthrough come just moments later. The Gunners looked far more threatening once the cavalry had been introduced, but the result may allow Arteta to rest some stars in the other group games.
Tierney getting forward
Arsenal have used Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back in recent games, but the Japan international moved to his more usual position on the right against PSV. This meant a chance for Kieran Tierney to start, and it was clear early on that the former Celtic man was intende to be used as an attacking outlet.
Tierney got forward well to almost feed Fabio Vieira for a chance, before snatching at a presentable opportunity and failing to test visiting goalkeeper Walter Benitez. There were still some nervy moments, though, especially after Xavi Simons was allowed to target him with runs down the PSV right.
Tomiyasu made way 15 minutes from time, perhaps suggesting he is more likely to feature against Southampton on Sunday. It is nice for there to be options, though, even with Oleksandr Zinchenko's return date unknown.
Nketiah's chance
With Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus both starting at the Emirates Stadium, some expected the Brazilian to be the one to drift left as he often did for previous club Manchester City. Instead, though, it was Nketiah who came in from the flank while Jesus occupied a more central role.
In the lead-up to the game, there had been reports the Gunners' number 14 still saw a future for himself in the England national team rather than pushing for a spot in Ghana's World Cup squad. However, there was only one man who took the bull by the horns in attack and that was Jesus.
With Jesus wide and Nketiah central, there's a chance to draw defenders and leave the England under-21 man with more space to show his finishing quality. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli did as much as Nketiah from the left in a fraction of the time, which is unlikely to fill the striker with confidence.
Gakpo subdued
After being linked with a Premier League move over the summer, Cody Gakpo had a chance to demonstrate what he could do against the leaders of the competition. It was a frustrating first half for the Dutchman, though, as he barely got a sniff.
Instead it was Xavi Simons who looked to pose more of a threat. Even he couldn't trouble Matt Turner too much, though, with the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet keeping defenders on their toes but not doing a great deal more.
Next week's return fixture should hand Gakpo a chance to show this was just a blip. It was a forgettable evening for him, though, and he will need to be much better.
Progress secured
Going into the game, Arsenal knew a point would be enough to see them through thanks to their head-to-head record against Bodo/Glimt. A win was always going to be the target, though, given the format of the Europa League.
With a busy schedule, any chance to avoid an extra game would surely be snapped up. Arteta's team already need to find room for the Manchester City game moved to accommodate this fixture, so topping the group - and avoiding an extra play-off round - felt key, and it's something which they can make official in Eindhoven.
On top of that, there may now be a chance to rest the likes of Saka and Jesus in the last two group games. Arsenal will need to keep their key men fit for the domestic battle, while minutes for fringe players could help get them up to speed for the task ahead as well.
