UEFA Europa League 2017/18: Östersunds 0-3 Arsenal, 5 Talking Points

Arsenal cruised to a three-nil lead against Swedish side Ostersunds on a night when nothing short of a victory would've rattled an already-troubled fanbase.

Arsene Wenger fielded a strong starting eleven with Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hector Bellerin and Shkodran Mustafi all getting the nod.

And while Ostersunds did produce some wonderful plays at times - and earning a late penalty - Arsenal were the better side and ensured that they headed into next week's reverse fixture on the front foot. Here's what we learnt:

Arsenal need Alexander Lacazette back soon

Danny Welbeck made his first start since coming back from his injury and while he did adequately in leading Arsenal's line up top, the quality of his runs and the timing of his passes often halted the Gunners' attack.

Eddie Nketiah was brought on with eight minutes remaining in the game and immediately brought about some urgency up top. Welbeck had gotten comfortable and the Ostersunds defence had him pegged.

The lack of an experienced alternative will hurt Arsenal in the long run.

They showed up when it mattered the most.

Ostersunds' spirit on the field and in the stands impeccable

Graham Potter can go home with his head held high despite the loss given the way his side played especially after going 2-0 down in the first half.

The Swedes didn't lie back and play it safe, instead choosing to take the fight to the Gunners and ensuring that the fans they represent saw the fight and desire that has helped the team come to this level of the competition.

With the tie nearly decided, they'll look to make a showing at the Emirates next week.

Ozil and Mkhi were on point tonight.

Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan the next great duo?

The German shared an incredible on-field chemistry with former Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and today - much like against Everton in the Premier League - showed us why he could forge yet another partnership with new man, Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The Armenian is a similar player to that of the German and found his teammate well in the second half to extend Arsenal's lead further. But the combination of passes and the almost first-glance they both take is at each other.

Even on a pitch as hard as tonight's, the two of them combined well to ensure Arsenal sailed away with the three points.

'The Magician' deserves praise for the work he's done with Ostersunds

Graham Potter ensuring his side plays the way it's supposed to be played

Despite their lack of goal threat or their penetration in the final third, the Swedish side were commendable in the way they took the fight to Arsenal especially in the midfield.

The English manager always stayed on the sideline giving his team instructions and it nearly produced a piece of magic in the second half. While they may be minnows in this competition, their insistence to play clean attacking football could help them greatly in their league.

And against an Arsenal side with a decent amount of European experience, they pushed and forced the visitors to make a lot of mistakes in the centre of the field. They didn't resort to 'tricking the referee' - as some Argentine manager put it this week - and that in itself is applaudable.

Arsenal need 'stronger' men in the middle of the field.

Arsenal's defensive midfield needs reinforcements. Quickly.

Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were given the nod by Arsene Wenger this evening to start and while they ensured that their defence kept a clean sheet, they were often dispossessed and easily brushed aside by a team who've only played one game in their last few weeks.

Elneny is a passer but the lack of his physicality in midfield is a problem for the manager. The same goes for the young Englishman, Maitland-Niles. Technically, the both of them are adept and can pass their way out of situations but neither of them can shield the ball and brush opposition players off their game.

Arsenal have for long needed someone strong in midfield and with the departure of Francis Coquelin this winter, it looks as if the need for someone physical is even more.

If they're to take this competition seriously and try to win it come May, they'll need to get creative on how to solve the problem of their defensive midfield.