Östersund were their own worst enemy as Arsenal recorded an easy win.
And that’s that. An uneventful match. Ostersund didn’t really turn up, while Arsenal did what they had to do in the professional style. The Gunners are as good as through to the last 16, though there’s a dream visit to the Emirates for the Swedes to come next week.
90 min +2: Pettersson sidefoots towards the bottom left. It’s not hit with any venom. Ospina smothers. That’s in keeping with the rest of Ostersund’s performance.
90 min +1: Ghoddas slips a fine pass down the inside-left channel for Tekie. Bellerin, caught on the wrong side, brings his man down. Just inside the area. The referee points to the spot.
90 min: This non-event will last for two extra minutes.
88 min: Mustafi plays a loose ball out of defence, allowing Hopcutt a shot at goal from 25 yards. It sails harmlessly over the bar.
86 min: Nelson is robbed by Edwards in the centre circle. For a brief second, it looks as though Arsenal may be punished, it’s a two-on-two situation. but Edwards loses possession himself, and there goes that.
84 min: Bellerin forces a corner down the right. Before it can be taken, Mkhitaryan is replaced by Nelson. And then the corner’s played all the way back to Ospina. It’s safe to say this won’t be a game to remember.
83 min: Nketiah comes on for the out-of-sorts Welbeck.
81 min: Welbeck keeps a loose ball in play down the left, and with everyone else having stopped, makes for the penalty area. He bobbles a weak effort across Keita and out to the right of goal.
80 min: Iwobi sends Kolasinac scampering down the right. Kolasinac reaches the byline but his pullback is directionless.
78 min: Tekie sashays in from the right but can’t quite work space to shoot. Arsenal clear. The atmosphere is full-on testimonial right now.
75 min: Iwobi drives down the right. The hosts are backtracking in panic, but Iwobi decides to check back. A shame, because there’s nothing else going on.
73 min: Monreal is replaced by Kolasinac, while Widgren makes way for Bergqvist.
71 min: Arsenal play some pretty triangles all across the front of the Ostersund box. The ball is teed up for Welbeck, just inside the area on the left. For some reason he turns down the chance to shoot, laying off for Monreal instead. Monreal needs no encouragement, and pearls a low effort towards the bottom right. Mkhitaryan, of all people, gets in the way.
69 min: Some possession for Ostersund in the Arsenal half. But the visitors are holding their shape and there’s no way through, so it’s all very sterile.
67 min: Ghoddos dribbles into the area and runs straight into Mustafi. He’s not getting a penalty kick. In the midfield, Papagioannopoulos slams Ozil to the ground; you’ve seen yellow cards flashed for that, but this referee is very much hands off tonight.
66 min: Ghoddos is super-lively. He very nearly strips the ball from Chambers to tear clear down the left, but the Arsenal man recovers his poise and the danger is over.
64 min: Ghoddos diddles Mustafi with a gorgeous trick while tight on the right-hand touchline. But he doesn’t have the jets to get clear once it’s done, and the Arsenal defender recovers.
62 min: A lull, and a sense that both sides would like to turn it in right now. There’s not a lot of exciting football being played.
60 min: That’s kept the Arsenal fans warm; they’re giving it plenty right now. The home fans haven’t had a lot to sing about. Ostersund have been their own worst enemy at the back.
Ghoddos is half-bundled over by Mustafi just inside the Arsenal box. You’ve seen them given, but the referee doesn’t think there’s much in it. Arsenal go straight up the other end and twist the knife. Ozil exchanges passes with Mkhitaryan down the inside-left channel. He’s in the area and squeezes a shot through the dismal Keita. Once again, the keeper should have done better. The ball bobbles slowly, painfully over the line.
57 min: Ozil slips Elneny in down the right. Elneny slams a low cross into the centre. Keita mishandles once again, but thankfully for the home side, Papagiannopoulos is on hand to mop up.
55 min: Ghoddos tries to send Edwards free in the box with a cute flick down the inside-left channel. But there’s too much juice on the ball, and out it flies for a goal kick. Good idea, though.
54 min: Sema twists and turns down the left. He’s got the better of Bellerin, but Elneny comes across to block the ball out for a corner before Sema can cause more serious trouble for Arsenal. Again the set piece is a waste of time, but this is a big improvement by Ostersund.
53 min: Ghoddos cuts in from the left and slips a pass to Tekie, who in turn shuttles on for Mensah. A shot from distance is deflected out for a corner; nothing comes from the set piece. But that’s good from the home side, who have obviously been told that another slow start to a half is simply not on.
51 min: Hopcutt is sent scampering into space down the left with Arsenal slightly light at the back. The sub has options inside, but instead plays a reverse pass down the left to nobody in particular. It rolls out apologetically for a goal kick.
49 min: Sema threatens to burst clear down the right but his close control lets him down at the end of a bright and determined run. He’s been lively tonight, along with the excellent Ghoddos.
47 min: Space for Monreal down the left. His cross is headed clear by Pettersson, under not much pressure from Welbeck.
And we’re off again! Ostersund ring the changes: Nouri and Gero have been replaced by Tekie and Hopcutt.
Half-time entertainment: The latest episode of Football Weekly Extra has dropped, for your leisure and pleasure.
Mkhitaryan tries to curl one into the top right from the edge of the Ostersund box. It’s over, and that’s that for the first half. The hosts didn’t turn up for the first half hour, allowing Arsenal to plunder a couple of precious away goals. They’ve been better since, though the damage has been done.
44 min: Mukiibi and Edwards both have chances to shoot from the edge of the Arsenal box, but both dither. Opportunities to work Ospina spurned.
42 min: Sema curls the free kick hard at goal. But it’s straight at Ospina, who gathers. Arsenal soon give up possession again. The lively Ghoddos dribbles down the middle of the park before sending a low belter inches wide of the bottom left. Ospina was a bit flat-footed there, it’s not certain that he’d have got to the ball had the shot been on target.
41 min: Gero is upended by Maitland-Niles, just to the right of the Arsenal D. It’s a needless foul because Gero was going nowhere. It’s also a very dangerous place to concede a free kick.
40 min: Welbeck drives at Ostersund again, down the left wing. He’s got Iwobi on the overlap, but opts to dribble inside instead. He has the ball taken off his toe by Papagiannopoulos. Iwobi’s not particularly happy with the way that panned out.
39 min: So having said that, Iwobi and Welbeck open Arsenal up down the left with some crisp passing. The flag goes up for offside to save the day for the hosts.
38 min: Ostersund knock it hither and yon at the back. They’re not going anywhere but they’ve steadied the ship and are growing in confidence.