In-form Arsenal produced a dominant display illuminated by a Mesut Ozil hat trick as they breezed past Ludogorets 6-0 at the Emirates.
The Gunners were close to an early opener when Theo Walcott saw his shot blocked and a follow-up low cross scrambled away — but they made the breakthrough in style after 12 minutes when Alexis Sanchez cut in from the left and beat goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov with a delicate chip.
Arsene Wenger’s side continued to pile on the pressure but came dangerously close to conceding an equaliser when Virgil Misidjan squared to Wanderson on the edge of the area and his low drive was fractionally wide of David Ospina’s far post.
But any uncertainties were swept away as Theo Walcott fired home a brilliant second after 42 minutes when he controlled Ozil’s pass, took a touch and bent his finish high into the net.
Less than a minute into the second half it was 3-0 to the North Londoners as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seized on a loose ball inside the Ludogorets area and slammed home an emphatic finish.
And as Ludogorets crumbled, Ozil made it four when his low finish rounded off a slick move that began deep inside the Arsenal half.
Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Perez combined to set up the fifth, with the latter’s low cross fired home by Ozil, and the Germany international then volleyed in off Stoyanov to bag his treble and round off the easiest of nights for the Gunners.
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