If there was ever a display to evidence just how much the Arsenal squad are behind under-pressure boss Mikel Arteta, this was it. An emphatic 4-0 win against a tricky opponent who hadn't lost a game on their own turf for the best part of two years saw the Gunners set up a Europa League semi-final showdown with former boss Unai Emery.
The meltdown that followed the 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague in the first leg last week was, in true Arsenal fashion, embarrassingly premature and over the top. The reality was always that the Gunners stood a great chance of progressing even after having suffered that late sucker punch.
Rumours of Arteta falling out with his captain and talisman were rife but ahead of kick-off, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang revealed the real reason for his absence - he had contracted malaria while on international duty.