Europa League
ArsenalArsenal0Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade0

Arsenal 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

By Shamoon HafezBBC Sport
Olivier Giroud
Giroud scored the winning goal away at Red Star Belgrade in the previous Europa League game

Arsenal reached the knockout stages of the Europa League despite a goalless draw against Red Star Belgrade.

Striker Olivier Giroud, who scored a late winner in the reverse fixture, was guilty of missing a number of chances, twice being thwarted by Red Star goalkeeper Milan Borjan and shooting wide from inside the area.

The game's best chance fell to midfielder Jack Wilshere, but his shot from close range was cleared off the line.

Serbian side Red Star had opportunities themselves, but striker Richmond Boakye could not hit the target with efforts in each half.

The Premier League side top Group H with 10 points from four games and Cologne's 5-2 win over BATE Borisov in the group's other game means they progress.

England hopefuls fail to impress

Jack Wilshere
The last of Jack Wilshere's 34 caps for England came at Euro 2016

Manager Arsene Wenger had said before the game that Wilshere was "ready" for an England recall, but the midfielder was not included in Gareth Southgate's latest squad for the friendlies against Germany and Brazil later this month.

Wilshere has largely been fielded in the cup competitions this season and showed glimpses of his capabilities by bursting forward with the ball from midfield, but his performance was not one that will cause Southgate to reconsider his decision.

The former Bournemouth loanee could have settled the game in the second half, but his dinked shot was kept out acrobatically by visiting defender Damien Le Tallec.

Wilshere said: "I feel good. I am trying to get in the team but there are good players here. I am happy with where I am, enjoying my football and being back in an Arsenal shirt."

Wenger added: "He needs these kinds of games to come back to his best level and what Jack needs is to be injury-free for a long period until the end of the season and get games like that. So maybe if he keeps fitness he will be involved next time."

Another player left out of the Three Lions squad, Theo Walcott, was given the captain's armband for the night but he too failed to impress, being unable to exert his influence on the game.

The 28-year-old has played nearly 400 games for the Gunners since signing as a teenager from Southampton in 2005, but now has to be content with playing in a second-string side.

Walcott headed wide from a Wilshere cross in the second half and miscued a shot from inside the six-yard box with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Should Wilshere be in the England squad?

The last of Wilshere's 34 caps for the national team came in their humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016. Asked by contributors to #bbcfootballexternal-link whether the 25-year-old should be included, they said:

Kyle Warwick: Wilshere is our most talented midfielder - his big problem is time on the field. If he gets that he's in the squad at least.

Matthew Harris: I remember Jack Wilshere playing well for England. Maybe because I don't force myself to forget to protect my prejudices.

Jason Talbot: Someone said Jack Wilshere never played well for England! Five man-of-the-match awards on the spin, two goals away from home.

English teams on the up?

Wenger will be confident of reaching the latter stages of the Europa League but will be hoping to avoid the likes of AC Milan, Lazio and Zenit St Petersburg who have all looked good so far.

Arsenal's progression in the competition comes in the same week as north London rivals Tottenham's impressive victory over Champions League holders Real Madrid and a result that sent Mauricio Pochettino's side through to the last 16.

Manchester City are also through while Manchester United need a point from two games, both sides having won all four group matches. Liverpool and Chelsea are also both well-placed to progress.

The only blemish is Everton, as they exited the Europa League after failing to win any of their four group games.

'Frustrated' Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "I think they started stronger than us, they played very well tonight. They played at a high pace, they were always dangerous on the breaks and they defended very well.

"In the second half I felt we dominated possession much more, played more in one half, but we lacked a bit of quality in the final ball, vision to find the right space and overall I must say it is a fair 0-0.

"We are a bit frustrated we could not score but overall I believe we lacked a bit of sharpness in the final third.

"We want to win the remaining two games. I believe we will have a similar squad in Cologne and at home against BATE Borisov."

What next?

Arsenal travel to face unbeaten Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday (kick-off 14:15 GMT).

No frights on Thursday nights - the stats

  • The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 16 games in all competitions at the Emirates (won 14, drawn two). However, this was the first time since May that they failed to take all three points (2-2 against Manchester City).
  • This was the first 0-0 Arsenal have been involved in at the Emirates since October 2016, when they drew against Aitor Karanka's Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
  • Arsene Wenger's side failed to score in a European home game for the first time since February 2016 (2-0 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League).
  • Arsenal have not lost any of the nine home games they have played on a Thursday under Arsene Wenger (won eight, drawn one).
  • Jack Wilshere made his first start at the Emirates in European competition since August 2014 (1-0 v Besiktas in Champions League qualifying).
  • Red Star Belgrade are the first Serbian team to keep a clean sheet away from home against English opposition since Partizan Belgrade in August 2003 (1-0 against Newcastle in Champions League qualifying).

Line-ups

Arsenal

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 54Macey
  • 2Debuchy
  • 35Elneny
  • 16HoldingBooked at 70mins
  • 61Nelson
  • 69WillockSubstituted forNketiahat 68'minutes
  • 34Coquelin
  • 30Maitland-Niles
  • 14Walcott
  • 10Wilshere
  • 12Giroud

Substitutes

  • 3Osei-Tutu
  • 32Akpom
  • 33Cech
  • 43Da Silva
  • 58McGuane
  • 62Nketiah
  • 65Sheaf

Red Star Belgrade

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 82Borjan
  • 30Stojkovic
  • 90Savic
  • 4Le Tallec
  • 77Gobeljic
  • 20Donald
  • 7Krsticic
  • 55SrnicSubstituted forRacicat 86'minutes
  • 8KangaSubstituted forMilicat 70'minutes
  • 49RadonjicSubstituted forPesicat 89'minutes
  • 14Boakye

Substitutes

  • 5Frimpong
  • 6Racic
  • 11Adzic
  • 15Babic
  • 16Milic
  • 27Supic
  • 45Pesic
Referee:
Luca Banti
Attendance:
58,285

Match Stats

Home TeamArsenalAway TeamRed Star Belgrade
Possession
Home64%
Away36%
Shots
Home11
Away7
Shots on Target
Home3
Away3
Corners
Home6
Away4
Fouls
Home4
Away7

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Arsenal 0, Crvena Zvezda 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Arsenal 0, Crvena Zvezda 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Francis Coquelin (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Olivier Giroud.

  4. Post update

    Theo Walcott (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Marko Gobeljic (Crvena Zvezda).

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Crvena Zvezda. Aleksandar Pesic replaces Nemanja Radonjic.

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. Rob Holding (Arsenal) header from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Theo Walcott with a cross following a corner.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Filip Stojkovic.

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Crvena Zvezda. Uros Racic replaces Slavoljub Srnic.

  10. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  11. Post update

    Delay in match Filip Stojkovic (Crvena Zvezda) because of an injury.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Mathieu Debuchy (Arsenal).

  13. Post update

    Richmond Boakye (Crvena Zvezda) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Richmond Boakye (Crvena Zvezda) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Nemanja Milic with a through ball.

  15. Post update

    Offside, Arsenal. Reiss Nelson tries a through ball, but Theo Walcott is caught offside.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) header from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.

  17. Post update

    Offside, Crvena Zvezda. Milan Borjan tries a through ball, but Nemanja Milic is caught offside.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Crvena Zvezda. Conceded by Mohamed El Neny.

  19. Booking

    Rob Holding (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Rob Holding (Arsenal).

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Thursday 2nd November 2017

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Villarreal42207348
2FC Astana42117437
3Slavia Prague412145-15
4Maccabi Tel-Aviv401306-61

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Dynamo Kyiv431095410
2Partizan Belgrade41215415
3Young Boys403145-13
4Skenderbeu402226-42

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Ludogorets42205238
2Sporting Braga42115507
3Hoffenheim41126604
4Istanbul Basaksehir402236-32

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1AC Milan42208358
2AEK Athens41304316
3Austria Vienna4112811-34
4HNK Rijeka4103710-33

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Atalanta42208358
2Lyon42207348
3Apollon Limassol403157-23
4Everton4013310-71

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1FC Copenhagen41304136
2Sheriff Tiraspol41303216
3Lokomotiv Moscow41215325
4Zlín402217-62

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1FCSB431083510
2Viktoria Plzen42029816
3Hapoel Be'er Sheva411257-24
4Lugano4103610-43

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Arsenal431083510
2Red Star Belgrade41212205
3BATE Borisov4112610-44
4Köln410367-13

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1RB Salzburg42204138
2Marseille42023306
3Konyaspor411224-24
4Vitória Guimarães411245-14

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Östersunds FK42115327
2Zorya Luhansk420235-26
3Ath Bilbao41213305
4Hertha Berlin41123304

K

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Lazio440093612
2Nice42029546
3SV Zulte Waregem411248-44
4Vitesse401339-61

L

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Zenit St Petersburg4310123910
2Real Sociedad4301143119
3Rosenborg411259-44
4Vardar4004117-160
View full Europa League tables

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