Mikel Arteta learns his lesson from Bukayo Saka, and Arsenal makes light work of the Champions League group stages.

Bukayo Saka was taken off after being fouled consistently against Lens (Image: John Walton/PA Wire)

Even though they advanced to the Champions League knockout stages before a ball was even kicked on Wednesday night, Arsenal still treated their fans to a treat. The Gunners defeated Lens 6–1, more than making up for the surprising 2-1 loss in the rematch and securing first place in the process.

Due to the outcome, Mikel Arteta’s team will not only have a free pass to the last round of European competition—an away match against PSV Eindhoven will take place between difficult Premier League matches against Brighton and Aston Villa—but they will also not have to worry about the competition again until March.

This only heightens the positive vibes after an incredible week for the team that included winning late to reclaim the top spot in the standings and seeing both Manchester City and Liverpool lose ground at home. Before hosting Wolves on Saturday, Arsenal had the opportunity to rest a few important players and make adjustments at halftime.

Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe were already out of the starting lineup for Arteta, with the New Year appearing to be the most likely time for them to return. “Partey playing in January is a possibility,” Arteta stated prior to the match. “Emile has already gone jogging on the field.

“He, too, Thomas, heals quickly. They must return to their peak.” Due to a groin injury, Fabio Vieira did not practice on Tuesday and did not play in the match. “Yes, we do have an issue with him,” Arteta acknowledged. He’s been feeling a little uncomfortable.

“We took him to a specialist, and the recommendation was for him to have surgery on his groin. That was yesterday. Before the end of winter break, we don’t anticipate him returning.”

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With Declan Rice serving as the team’s anchor and Kai Havertz starting in a deeper role as an attacking No. 8 alongside Martin Odegaard, the midfield is left with few options. Late in the game, Jorginho entered the game and scored the winning goal from the penalty spot.

Throughout the game, Arteta made use of his substitutes in defense, substituting Ben White, who had made a brief appearance at Brentford, for Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko at halftime. Jakub Kiwior also saw some action. Additionally, Arteta used the opportunity to give Bukayo Saka a 30-minute break.

After a parried shot hit him and dribbled in, the winger scored his second goal of the game—not his best—and was substituted for Reiss Nelson. Saka had been repeatedly fouled and kicked, at one point falling to the ground and remaining there for some time.

Given the importance of the 22-year-old and the current state of the game, it is possibly surprising that he wasn’t taken out sooner. In his postmortem remarks, he appeared healthy and even took offense at the call to be terminated. He told TNT Sports, “Not really [happy to be substituted].”

“To be honest, I wanted to play for ninety minutes. I respect his choice, and we’re moving on to Wolves now. I’ll do my best for that one.” But surviving the evening unscathed was crucial, particularly after Saka’s injury scare during the victory over Sevilla prior to the international break—he continued past 80 minutes despite taking a knock.

After the game, Saka posted a picture of himself on Instagram, captioning it, “Did somebody say last 16?”