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Arsenal score three goals in seven minutes in classy finish against Lille

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Arsenal's Eberechi Eze, left, and Ezri Konsa celebrate second goal during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Arsenal and Lille in London, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka all scored in seven scintillating second-half minutes to fire Arsenal to a comfortable 3-0 Champions League win against Lille at the Emirates Stadium.

Timber opened the scoring for the home side shortly after the hour mark before Eze doubled their advantage just three minutes later.

Substitute Saka then added a third in the 71st minute as Mikel Arteta's side cantered to a second win from two matches in Europe, and their ninth in 10 across all competitions so far this season.

The Gunners' victory here was remarkably their 14th in a row in the group stage of the Champions League as they bid to go one step further than last season and secure their maiden title on Europe's grandest stage.

It is now almost two years since Arsenal last dropped points in the league phase -- a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in November 2024.

For the first hour of Tuesday's contest under the lights, it looked as though Arsenal's winning streak was in danger, with the French side frustrating their English counterparts.

Bruno Guimarães should have celebrated his second goal in as many games, but side-footed wide after neat build-up play between Noni Madueke and Timber midway through the first half.

Mikel Merino then headed Timber's cross straight at Berke Özer in the Lille goal.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead through Ayase Ueda in the 22nd minute before the offside flag came to the home side's rescue.

Eze, handed a rare start, drew a save from Ozer as the hosts pushed for a breakthrough, while Guimarães' deflected shot was scrambled away by Ozer on the stroke of half-time.

Arsenal continued to push and probe after the interval, but the hour mark arrived without Lille's goal coming under threat.

Guimarães wanted a penalty when he went down in the area after a collision with Alexsandro, but referee Felix Zwayer waved away his appeals and VAR did not intervene.

It was beginning to feel as though it could be one of those nights for the Gunners before Arteta's men -- as they so often do these days -- found a way.

Madueke, in what would prove his final contribution, played in Timber and the full-back's first touch was exquisite, allowing him to get away from Lille captain Benjamin André before chipping the on-rushing Ozer.

Reinforcements then arrived from the bench, with Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all introduced, and the former was immediately involved in Arsenal's second.

Guimaraes found Saka in the right-hand channel and the substitute's cross was cooly finished by Eze.

Suddenly, Lille were on the ropes and Saka delivered the knockout blow in the 71st minute when he combined with fellow substitute Havertz to score his fourth goal of the season.

Olivier Giroud, now 40, made his Emirates comeback in the final dozen minutes, while Max Dowman, 24 years the Frenchman's junior, was also handed a late cameo.

Arsenal will face a sterner examination of their European credentials when they travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich a week on Wednesday. But for now, it is six points from six, without conceding, following an encouraging evening's work, with Nottingham Forest to follow this weekend.