Here are five talking points after Arsenal successfully swatted Lille aside to make it two wins from two in the Champions League so far this season
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis-Skelly was exceptional for Arsenal in their 3-0 Champions League demolition of Lille
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For the best part of an hour, Arsenal made hard work of Tuesday evening's Champions League home clash against second-place Ligue 1 side Lille.
But once the Gunners found their groove, buoyed by Jurrien Timber's classy opener, victory was a formality for the Premier League champions, who eventually pressured Davide Ancelotti's side into a state of surrender.
Further goals from Eberechi Eze - his first across all competitions this season - and substitute Bukayo Saka earned Arsenal three valuable points in their quest to secure top-eight qualification. It's now two wins from two on the back of the international break.
So far, Arsenal are one of only three sides, alongside Barcelona and Sporting CP, to maintain 100 per cent records after two matches as they look to go one better in the competition this term after falling narrowly short on penalties in the final against PSG in Budapest last May.
Here are five talking points following a successful night's work for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal's remarkable record
That's now 14 consecutive Champions League group phase victories for Arsenal, a run dating right back to November 2024 when they successfully dismantled Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon.
During that stretch of games, they have scored a whopping 39 goals (averaging 2.78 per 90) and conceded just six times (0.42 per 90), underlining their evolution under Mikel Arteta.
The current record for consecutive Champions League group phase wins is Bayern Munich's 17 (2020-2023) and if Arsenal want to hunt down another slice of history, they will have to record victory in next week's hotly-anticipated showdown in Munich.
The last time Arsenal triumphed away to Bayern, Arteta captained the Gunners to a 2-0 victory back in 2013 under Arsene Wenger. To reach that magic 18, the Gunners would then have to beat Slavia Prague (A), Borussia Dortmund (H) and Real Madrid (H), respectively.
Bayern also hold the record for most consecutive Champions League wins (15) across all rounds, which they achieved between September 2019 and November 2020.
Bukayo Saka celebrates their third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and LOSC Lille at Arsenal Stadium.
Bukayo Saka scored Arsenal's third goal in the 3-0 demolition of Lille(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Viktor Gyokeres problem
Viktor Gyokeres' limitations are a topic that just will not go away. Arteta made it clear he felt the centre-forward could benefit from a change of environment ahead of the recent international break and that is exactly what transpired as the 28-year-old rattled in goals in each of Sweden's four Nations League matches.
Yet he was dealt a blow on return to England as Kai Havertz was able to shake off his recent hamstring issue to feature from the off against Leeds, when it initially looked as though Gyokeres was in line for his first Premier League start of the season.
Naturally, that would have been slightly difficult to stomach but last night, Gyokeres got his chance to impress and as was the case against Napoli and Ipswich, he did not grab the opportunity with both hands.
In fact, on a night where there were so many positive performances, the attacker and Mikel Merino failed to make an impression and ultimately, neither look close to truly gate-crashing Arteta's starting XI in the Premier League. Merino is naturally more suited to a bit-part role because of his unique qualities and his ability to impact the game from the bench but Gyokeres, a £63.5million marquee signing, was supposed to be a game-changer.
He finished up as Arsenal's top-scorer last term with 21 goals across all competitions and played a big role in firing Arsenal to the Premier League title but stylistically, he still looks a bad long-term fit for this project and come the end of the season, there might be a conversation to be had over his future.
The Gunners immediately looked more fluid once Havertz entered the fray, though the introductions of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard also played a crucial part in that noticeable shift. Gyokeres had just 13 touches, however, and had a combined xG (expected goals) and xA (expected assists) of just 0.01. By contrast, Merino's was 0.18.
His record for Sporting CP - 97 goals in 102 games - was simply extraordinary but his replacement Luis Suarez has 47 in 63 after netting in last night's 2-0 Champions League win at Lens. The team's tactical blueprint is built around serving chances for the striker but at Arsenal, Gyokeres is just another cog in the machine. Havertz is the glue that knits most of the attacking play together.
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres failed to make his mark on his third start of the season for Arsenal
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Gabriel Magalhaes' emotional moment
Understandably, replacing Gabriel Magalhaes was never going to be straightforward for Lille. The Brazilian excelled during his time in Ligue 1 and back in 2020, his performances saw him become one of the hottest central defensive commodities within European football circles.
On Monday, football.london asked the 28-year-old about the differing options that he had on the table, Manchester United and Everton were strongly interest, before he opted to join Arteta's ambitious revolution, to which he replied: "I think when they [Arsenal] called me, the project they had for the club made me really happy. My family as well, that’s why I’m here. Yeah, I’m really happy in this club so I think I made a good choice and of course I’m here for six years now and I’m really happy and I enjoy being at this club."
Lille's sharp recruitment work saw them land Sven Botman, who would eventually move to Newcastle, as Gabriel's successor and now they have the latter's compatriot Alexsandro on their books. He's another strong competitor that has attracted Premier League interest in recent years.
Alexsandro knows Gabriel from the Brazil national team set-up and directly after the full-time whistle, he escorted the Arsenal warrior over towards Les Dogues' supporters so he could share an emotional moment with them in the corner of the Emirates Stadium.
Gabriel took the time to applaud the fans that once worshipped him and the reception he received in response spoke volumes. It's clear that Lille will always have a special place in his heart and that feeling is also reciprocated in Northern France.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel Magalhaes shared an emotional moment with Lille supporters after Arsenal's win having previously played for the French club
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Why Arteta told Lewis-Skelly off
There was a lot of love for Myles Lewis-Skelly's sensational display last night as he dazzled back at left-back in place of Riccardo Calafiori in light of Piero Hincapie's injury.
Several members of Arteta's coaching staff waited for MLS on the touchline after the match to express their appreciation for his eye-catching performance, which his manager also loved.
football.london asked the Spaniard for his thoughts on Lewis-Skelly's showing and he jumped at the chance to wax lyrical over the Hale End graduate, though he also indicated there was one small action that he did not like.
Arteta explained: "He always gets love from the coaches! They are so good at that. He deserves massive credit, because as you said, changing position is not only just what you have to deliver tactically, as well as the physical element of that and the kind of efforts that you have to make.
"But I think he was brilliant. I think the way he competed, the way he carried himself, he was very, very consistent, except for one action in the game. And that's what we need. Myles at this level, he's a player with a huge impact on the team."
That action came late in the game when Lewis-Skelly left a foot in on Nottingham Forest loanee Dilane Bakwa right in front of Arteta's technical area before he aggressively ordered the Frenchman to get up.
Arteta could be seen shouting "Myles, Myles!" before wagging his finger, showcasing his disapproval. If that was the only small grievance with his performance, then it showcases the level of quality. Even from full-back, MLS created three chances, which was more than any other player on the field.
Myles Lewis-Skelly's foul on Lille's Dilane Bakwa
Mikel Arteta didn't like Myles Lewis-Skelly's foul on Lille's Dilane Bakwa
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Arsenal squad photo update
football.london understands Arsenal's official 2026-27 team photo is due to take place today. The assignment is tied in with the squad's recovery ahead of Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest.
The intriguing element is whether any academy players are present alongside the likes of Max Dowman and Marli Salmon. Ceadach O'Neill and Maalik Hashi were among the substitutes last night against Lille.
Theo Julienne and Ife Ibrahim have also already received minutes this season in the 4-2 Carabao Cup win at Ipswich Town while summer signing James Scanlon, who joined from Manchester United, was also involved in first-team training earlier this week.
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