Europa League Round of 32

ARSENAL 1 (Aubameyang 113)
OLYMPIAKOS 2 (Cisse 53, El-Arabi 119)
Agg 2-2, Olympiakos win on away goals

MIKEL Arteta watched the Gunners get dumped out of the Europa League in dramatic fashion by Olympiakos tonight (Thursday), and said the defeat “hurts, big time”.

Youssef El Arabi’s goal in the dying minutes of extra-time ensured it was the Greek side who advanced to the last 16 on away goals following a 2-2 aggregate draw.

Facing the press in what was his first defeat since starting his managerial career back in December, Arteta added: “We had a lot of hope in this competition. It was a great way for us to be able to go to Europe and it is a very beautiful competition to try to win.

“I think we did a lot of positive things in the game. I think we created enough chances to win the game, but if you concede two set-pieces again in a tie like this, then you put yourself in big trouble.”

Arteta made two changes from the side that defeated Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, bringing in Arsenal’s match-winner in Athens, Alexandre Lacazette.

But the 1-0 aggregate advantage Lacazette had handed the Gunners against Olympiakos before kick off at the Emirates Stadium was wiped out in the in the 53rd minute when Papa Abou Cisse was allowed a free run to head home from a corner and level the tie.

The Greek radio contingent in the press box raised their decibel levels as the tie finally sparked to life. The game had finally woken up. Arsenal, however, hadn’t.

Minutes after taking the lead, Kostas Tsimikas went on a jinking run before unleashing a goal-bound effort that Bernd Leno did well to tip over for a corner.

Nicolas Pepe tried to wriggle his way to goal in search of an equaliser on the night, but after one drag-back too many the ball was cleared for a corner.

Arsenal were camped in the Olympiakos half, but with only a few tame efforts to show for their possession the game slipped into extra-time.

The first real chance fell to the visitors with Giorgos Masouras clipping the crossbar with a curling effort.

Then, on 113 minutes, came a touch of total magic. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with his back to goal, scissored the ball into the net and Arsenal were level on the night and heading through into the last 16.

However, there was still time for more drama. The Gunners awful defending from set-pieces was punished for the second time in the match when El Arabi poked home in front of their raucous travelling fans.

ARSENAL: Leno; Bellerin (Willock, 84), Mustafi (Sokratis, 103), Luiz, Saka; Ceballos (Torreira, 72) Xhaka; Ozil; Aubameyang, Lacazette (Martinelli, 115), Pepe
Substitutes not used: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi

OLYMPIAKOS: Sa; Elabdellaoui, Ba, Cisse, Tsimikas (Lovera, 114); Bouchalakis, Camara, Guilherme; Randjelovic (Masouras, 77), El Arabi, Valbuena (Gaspar, 86)
Substitutes not used: Karargyris, Papadopoulos, Torosidis, Bullar