Arsenal secured a commanding 3-0 win over Monaco in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night at the Emirates Stadium in London, with Bukayo Saka at the heart of the triumph. The 22-year-old England forward delivered a stellar performance, scoring twice to push the Gunners closer to the tournament’s knockout stages.
The match saw Arsenal rise to third place in the revamped league phase of the competition. With four wins out of six European fixtures so far, Mikel Arteta’s side is well-positioned to secure a top-eight finish, which would guarantee automatic advancement to the round of 16. They still have two group matches against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona in January, leaving fans optimistic about their chances of avoiding the play-off round.
The team’s defensive challenges continued as Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and others were unavailable due to injuries. As a result, Thomas Partey was deployed at right-back, and 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly was handed his Champions League debut. Despite his inexperience, Lewis-Skelly impressed with a calm and mature display.
Saka’s first goal came in the 34th minute after Lewis-Skelly set up Gabriel Jesus, who provided a low cross for Saka to tap in. Saka struck again in the 78th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error by Monaco’s goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki. Kai Havertz added the third goal late on, sealing Arsenal’s dominant victory.
This win was a much-needed boost after last weekend’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Premier League. With confidence high, Arsenal now looks forward to finishing the group phase strongly and solidifying their place among Europe’s elite.
