**Arsenal upped the tempo in the second half to see off Lille on their return to European football but there was still lots to unpick for Mikel Arteta.**
Goals in the second half from Jurrien Timber, Ebere Eze and Bukayo Saka put the French club to bed.
However, a lot of Arsenal’s good work came only after half-time and crucially, when Arteta rang the changes to get some of his bigger hitters on.
Indeed, while a win was all that mattered in the end tonight, there is a worrying trend emerging at the club this season and in simple terms, it needs addressing ASAP.
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Arsenal might be getting the business done at the moment and getting results but sooner or later, things are going to come unstuck. Just like they did against Brighton.
In a stat shared by OPTA during the Lille game, it confirmed that the Gunners have now failed to score in the opening 45 minutes in each of their last five games.
Arsenal are currently well down the list in the Premier League when it comes to notching in the opening 45 minutes, having hit the net just three times so far this season before half-time.
Compare this with Chelsea, who sit top of the pile with 10 goals in the same period, then it’s something the Gunners need to look at.
Of course, games are played over 90 minutes and Arsenal do have a way of wearing teams down under Mikel Arteta.
But sometimes, you need early control in a game to not only keep things calm but also to preserve freshness in the team and not have to go chasing the game and relying on big substitutions to make a difference.