Arsenal 6-0 BATE Borisov: 5 Talking Points

Score: Arsenal 6-0 BATE Borisov

Scorers: Mathieu Debuchy 11', Theo Walcott 37', Jack Wilshere 43', Denis Polyakov (OG) 51', Olivier Giroud 64', Mohamed Elneny 74'

A rampant Arsenal side brushed aside BATE Borisov in their final Europa League group game and blitzed their way into the final 32 with a 6-0 win. Arsenal had topped their group before this game itself, but three goals on either side of the break solidified their European form this season.

The likes of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere were on fire and got on the score sheet. Apart from a comical own goal from the Borisov centre-back, the other scorers were Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud and Mohamed Elneny.

So without further delay, let's head straight in and look at the 5 talking points from Arsenal's 6-0 hammering of their Belarussian opponents:

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#5 Arsene Wenger goes back to his traditional system

It was the return of Wenger's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation at the Emirates last night as the Gunners boss decided to return to his well-tested system. Playing three at the back has produced decent enough results for Arsenal this season but Wenger has always seen that formation - similar to that of Antonio Conte's Chelsea as a stop-gap solution.

Though Wenger has admitted that the 3-4-3 system gives his side additional defensive cover which they lacked at times in their traditional formation, it is evident that which system Wenger truly favours. But just as against Manchester United, Arsenal lined up in their natural formation, and in all fairness, have looked more dangerous going forward than before.

Arsenal's attack created chances after chances in the Manchester United game and against BATE, there was no exception. With the festive period being upon us, expect Arsene Wenger to revert back to his traditional formation permanently.

#4 Unlikely scorers make merry at the Emirates

With Arsenal trusting their bench strength in all of their UEFA Europa League games, the European competition has become an audition centre for the Arsenal fringe. Some have leapt up to take their chance, while some produced displays that made them worthy of being in the fringe.

But the game against BATE proved to be a scoring battle between the Arsenal players, as every midfielder and attacker were in the race of getting on the score sheet. Arsenal ran riot and as a result of it, 5 different scorers were registered on the night. Some regular, some completely surprising!

Mathieu Debuchy opened the scoring with a bullet of a shot. It was only his second Arsenal goal and his first since he last scored against Liverpool in 2014. Jack Wilshere joined the party with a late first-half goal which was his first in an Arsenal shirt after two and a half years.

Mohamed Elneny then finished the rout with a splendid curling effort, scoring just his second Arsenal goal.

#3 Rob Holding - Calum Chambers partnership passes its first test

Both Calum Chambers and Rob Holding are seen as the future of Arsenal's central defence. And against BATE Borisov, the duo got their first ever opportunity to play at the heart of a back four. If their displays against the Belarussians are taken into consideration, Arsenal's future in defence can be said as being sorted.

Chambers was the aggressor between the two and played out from the back with ease. The former Southampton man was comfortable in possession and started many of Arsenal's attacks. He even pressed forward when needed and was often seen in midfield, giving his side another option.

Though the Borisov attackers did not do much to trouble the duo whatever chance that came their way was thwarted by the centre-backs. Holding's positioning was brilliant and covered the flanks as well at times when the fullbacks were high up the pitch. Holding made a couple of vital interceptions whereas Chambers was solid in the air.

All in all, the duo has shown promise to be the future at centre-back for Arsenal and it is up to Wenger now to utilize this pair whenever he gets the opportunity to do so.

#4 Time for Arsenal to take the UEFA Europa League seriously

The Gunners have comfortably made it into the next round of the UEFA Europa League without breaking any sweat. With 13 points in the bag, Arsenal's reserves did well to achieve a record points tally - the highest for any English side in their debut Europa League season.

But the knockout stages will be a different ball game altogether. With 8 teams (including the likes of Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid) joining the party from the UEFA Champions League, it is time for Arsenal to take this competition seriously and field their first team in the coming matches.

This should be done for three simple reasons. One, is that the race for the top four has never been tougher in the Premier League and the European competition offers another route for the Gunners to get into the Champions League.

Two, is that Arsene Wenger lacks a European trophy in his cabinet and this season can prove to be a lucky break for the Frenchman.

And three, is the obvious fact that Arsenal's second choice stars cannot take them over the line in the knockout games with teams such as Napoli and Atletico Madrid now entering the frame.

#5 Jack Wilshere ready for Premier League action

Despite the fact that all talk surrounding Jack Wilshere has been focused on his future at the moment, the midfielder is keeping his concentration on the field and looks to be succeeding. Wilshere was the best player on the field against BATE Borisov and has started to knock on Wenger's door constantly for a place in the Premier League lineup.

There is a different yet heartening feeling when a midfielder controls the game at his will. Wilshere did exactly that against the Belarussians! He was at the heart of everything that Arsenal did going forward.

His dribbles, his passing, his link-up play and his ability to keep the ball in tight spaces made it believable that this was nothing more than a training session for the Englishman.

Wilshere's influence can be reflected by the statistic of chances created. The 25-year-old created 5 chances on the night. Arsenal, as a team, created 18. He also scored and assisted one to Elneny and in turn, scoring his first Arsenal goal since 2015.

Wilshere also had the captain's armband at the end of the game which rounded off a perfect evening for the talented midfielder. Judging by his display against Borisov, it is safe to say that Premier League action beckons for the creative spark that is Jack Wilshere.