Arsenal have moved to the brink of qualification for the Europa League last 16 with a 3-0 win at Ostersunds FK on Thursday night.
Nacho Monreal opened the scoring for the Gunners before Sotirios Papagiannopoulos put through his own net to give Arsenal a comfortable lead at the break.
Mesut Ozil netted a third for the Premier League side, while Ostersunds squandered the chance for a consolation goal when Tom Pettersson missed a late penalty.
Find out how all of the action unfolded in Sweden courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
5.00pmHello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the first leg of the Europa League last-32 tie between Ostersunds SK and Arsenal. Arsene Wenger has opted to play his second-string in this competition since September but will that continue this evening? Let's find out...
5.02pmARSENAL XI: Ospina; Bellerin, Chambers, Mustafi, Monreal; Iwobi, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Mkhitaryan, Ozil; Welbeck
ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES: Macey, Holding, Kolasinac, Willock, Xhaka, Nelson, Nketiah
5.04pmOSTERSUNDS FK: Keita, Mukiibi, Papagiannopoulos, Pettersson, Widgren, Edwards, Nouri, Mensah, Sema, Ghoddos, Gero
OSTERSUNDS FK SUBSTITUTES: Andersson, Tekie, Bergqvist, Hopcutt, Aiesh, Sonko Sundberg, Islamovic
5.06pmLet's start with the visitors as Wenger - as expected - decides to use Danny Welbeck in attack after barely using the player in the last month. The Englishman comes into the team because Alexandre Lacazette has been sidelined for six weeks after knee surgery. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is cup-tied.
5.08pmMesut Ozil features for the first time in this season's Europa League, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also provided with a starting role despite having previously represented Manchester United in the Champions League. Alex Iwobi will also be used in close proximity to Welbeck.
5.10pmAinsley Maitland-Niles has been given a start in the centre of the park having spent much of his time on the pitch this season in a defensive position on the right or left flank. The young Englishman will partner Mohamed Elneny with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey both unavailable.
5.12pmAt the back, David Ospina continues to play in goal and Wenger has opted to include Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal. However, it is Calum Chambers who is given the nod alongside Mustafi in the centre, despite Rob Holding starting in each of the other Europa League fixtures this season.
5.14pmAll things considered, Wenger has named a strong bench, with Holding, Sead Kolasinac and Granit Xhaka all featuring. However, expect to see youngsters Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah if Arsenal need a goal in the second half.
5.16pmAs for Ostersunds, Graham Potter selects Englishman Curtis Edwards in his midfield, with compatriot Jamie Hopcutt having to make do with a place among the replacements. Their star man is Saman Ghoddos, who managed to represent both Sweden and Iran on the international stage in 2017, which is quite the achievement.
5.18pmWenger has had a lot to say in the build-up to this match and one subject which has been raised is Aubameyang being cup-tied. It will not surprise you that Wenger is not in favour of the rule. Click here to read his thoughts.
5.20pmThe subject of Welbeck naturally came up too, with the Englishman being required to deputise in attack. However, Wenger has full confidence in his player. Click here to read some positive words from the Gunners boss.
5.22pmWelbeck has played just 123 minutes of Europa League football this season, while 10 of his 17 games in the Premier League have come from the bench. The 27-year-old's last two goals have come in cup competitions, however, with converted efforts being registered against West Ham United in the EFL Cup and Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
5.24pmWenger has also been speaking about the club's away form, which has been far from impressive. It's something which will need to improve if they are to have any joy in this competition. See what the Frenchman has had to say here.
5.26pmDuring the group stages, Arsenal came away with six points from their fixtures on the road. Wenger would have taken positives and negatives from the 4-2 win at BATE but the 1-0 triumph away at Red Star Belgrade was arguably their result of the group, with Olivier Giroud scoring during the closing stages. The 1-0 defeat against Koln came when qualification for the last 32 had already been secured.
5.28pmWenger has obviously included more of his first team in tonight's starting lineup but throughout the competition, as many as 25 players have been used. Only Maitland-Niles, Giroud, Elneny and Holding have started every game.
5.30pmArsenal scored 14 goals during the group stages, but eight of those were netted by players who left the club in January! Giroud and Walcott scored three each, while Sanchez and Debuchy chipped in with one. The remaining half-a-dozen goals were scored by different players.
5.32pmLet's move on to Ostersunds and talk about their manager Graham Potter. As a player, Potter enjoyed a journeyman-like career with 11 different clubs but as a boss, the 42-year-old has guided his team from the fourth tier to the top tier in five years. Entry to this competition was gained through winning the Swedish Cup last season.
5.34pmHowever, that was just the start of a fairytale period for the club, who have since gone on to progress through three qualifying rounds and the group stages. All this for a team who were only formed back in 1996 and play in a stadium with a capacity of just over 9,000.
5.36pmTheir journey in this competition began with a game against Turkish giants Galatasaray, who were huge favourites to prevail. However, a 2-0 win in Sweden was followed by a 1-1 draw in the away leg. It was a monumental upset. Ostersunds went on to overcome Fola Esch before they edged past PAOK on away goals after another 2-0 success in Sweden.
5.38pmThe club were among the bottom seeds for the group stages and were handed a tough-looking group which included Athletic Bilbao, Zorya Luhansk and Hertha Berlin but remarkably, Ostersunds were able to progress with 11 points, and just one defeat and four goals being conceded. They are also yet to lose a game in Europe in front of their own supporters.
5.40pmUnlike counterpart Wenger, Potter has kept with his tried-and-trusted players with just 17 squad members being used during the group stages. As many as nine players have started all six matches since September!
5.42pmOne of those is 24-year-old Englishman Curtis Edwards, who began his career as a trainee at Middlesbrough. His last English club was non-league Spennymoor Town - who he played for in 2014 - but since then, he has impressed in the Swedish third tier with Ytterhogdals IK which led to him earning his move to Ostersunds.
5.44pmJamie Hopcutt is also part of the Ostersunds squad. The 25-year-old began his career with York City but he has gone on to become a bit of a legend with his Swedish side, with 15 goals begin scored in the season which led to promotion to the top flight. Hopcutt missed the majority of the following campaign with a double leg-break, but he's back in the mix now.
5.46pmOne factor which may hinder Ostersunds this evening is that they finished their domestic campaign before Christmas and are effectively only a few weeks into pre-season, which has started early in order for them to prepare for this match. In 2018, they have only played two friendlies and one cup tie, which they won 3-0 against Trelleborg last week.
5.48pmLast season, Ostersunds managed to finish in fifth place in the table, which wasn't enough to qualify for next season's Europa League. It's leaves their participation next season hinging on winning this competition in the coming months. They are one of the rank outsiders but are they capable of writing the most famous European story in history?
5.50pmPREDICTION! Arsenal have been somewhat inconsistent on the road in this competition, but we are backing the Premier League side to get the job done this evening and in relatively comfortable fashion, too. Arsenal to win 3-1.
5.52pmHEAD TO HEAD! Guess what? This is the first competitive game between the two sides. However, Arsenal have met Swedish opposition before, with three wins and a draw being recorded in the past.
5.54pmThe most recent meetings came against AIK in the 1999-2000 Champions League, with a 3-1 win being registered at Wembley Stadium and a 3-2 triumph coming in the reverse game in Sweden.
5.57pmIt's time for the two teams to make their way out at a freezing Jamtkraft Arena. Can Arsenal adapt to the weather, and an artificial pitch? Can Wenger get the zip working on his coat? Both need to happen in unfamiliar conditions.
5.58pmA reminder of the two teams...
OSTERSUNDS FK: Keita, Mukiibi, Papagiannopoulos, Pettersson, Widgren, Edwards, Nouri, Mensah, Sema, Ghoddos, Gero
ARSENAL XI: Ospina; Bellerin, Chambers, Mustafi, Monreal; Iwobi, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Mkhitaryan, Ozil; Welbeck
1 minKICKOFF! Ostersunds get us underway.
2 minArsenal are quickly into their stride in Sweden with a long spell of possession coming in the home side's half of the pitch. Nothing comes from it, but it's a statement of intent.
4 minThe visitors are getting into wide positions but so far, their crossing is poor with Keita being able to come and claim.
6 minAlready, Arsenal are effectively being left two on one at the back, with the remaining outfield players being able to spend time in the Ostersunds half. We still await the first shot but both teams will be satisfied with this start.
8 minCHANCE! Half a chance for Welbeck. After the ball doesn't fall for them inside the penalty area, it goes to the right flank where Elneny delivers towards the back post for the forward, who heads back across goal and wide of the far post.
10 minArsenal have comfortably had 90% of the ball so far. Ostersunds are happy to defend and attempt to find Ghoddos with clearances.
12 minCHANCE! How haven't Arsenal scored here? Ostersunds make a mess of it at the back and after Ozil flicks the ball back to Mkhitaryan, he sees a shot dramatically cleared off the line by Papagiannopoulos.
13 minGOAL! Ostersunds FK 0-1 Arsenal (Nacho Monreal)
13 minArsenal take the lead. From the resulting corner, Iwobi gets a weak shot on goal but it's spilled by Keita and Monreal is perfectly placed to net from close range. The Gunners are several classes above the Swedes. They should win this rather comfortably.
15 minOstersunds are struggling with the pace of the pitch. It's as if they haven't played on it before! So many passes are either being under-hit and over-hit, and they keep playing themselves into trouble.
16 minSHOT! Arsenal players are queueing up in and around the penalty area. The ball eventually finds Mkhitaryan who sees a 25-yard strike parried away from goal by Keita.
18 minAs we pointed out earlier, Ostersunds may be struggling with their lack of competitive games. They've played just one in a couple of months. In comparison to Arsenal, they look really under-cooked.
20 minSpare a thought for Ospina. I don't think he has touched the ball in competitive play. If he has, it was with his feet. At least he has gloves on to keep his hands warm.
22 minMore of the same from Arsenal who are continuing to play the ball around with ease. The opportunities have started to dry up but they don't necessarily need to be pressing their hosts at this stage.
24 minGOAL! Ostersunds FK 0-2 Arsenal (Sotirios Papagiannopoulos own goal)
24 minMost of Arsenal's chances are coming through mix-ups at the back and it happens again. A misplaced pass leads to Mkhitaryan crossing for Welbeck, but Papagiannopoulos gets in the way and diverts the ball into the bottom corner with his shoulder.
26 minOstersunds have played six European fixtures at home this season and they are yet to suffer defeat. I'm fairly confident that their unbeaten streak is coming to an end this evening.
28 minCHANCE! Ostersunds create their first chance and they should probably score. A cross from the left finds Gero but his weak header from 12 yards goes straight at Ospina.
29 minSHOT! Where has this been all match? Ostersunds have burst into life and after a mistake from Mustafi, Gero is able to drill a fizzing volley towards the roof of the net, only to see Ospina tip the ball over the crossbar.
31 minIt feels like we finally have a game on our hands now. Ostersunds have decided to play further up the pitch and it has forced Arsenal to retreat back towards their own goal. They've been the better team over the last five minutes.
33 minSHOT! More ambition from the home side who surge forward through Ghoddos. He decides to go it alone with Ospina being equal to his low 25-yard strike.
34 minCHANCE! Moments later, Arsenal have men over at the other end but Welbeck's first-time curler goes well over the crossbar.
36 minWe've not seen a whole lot of Edwards in the Ostersunds midfield but he manages to get a shot on goal, although it deflects into the hands of Ospina.
38 minI think that I've probably done Ostersunds a disservice because they are controlling the play now. It's a chalk-and-cheese performance. They've done brilliantly to turn this around, in terms of the general play at least.
40 minThere are five minutes to go in this first half and Arsenal have a job on their hands to avoid conceding a goal. The minnows are prepared to remain patient in and around the penalty area.
42 minSHOT! Ostersunds win a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and it's in shooting range. Sema's effort is well-struck but straight at Ospina.
42 minSHOT! Arsenal need the break here. Ghoddos gets another chance to run at the defence, but his low effort from around 20 yards goes a yard wide of the post.
44 minOstersunds give away a needless foul in the final third and it has given Arsenal a chance to calm things down a touch. They need to.
45 minThere will be one minute of added-on time.
45+1 minHALF TIME: Ostersunds FK 0-2 Arsenal
6.49pmThe half-time whistle goes in Sweden and Arsenal have managed to hold on to their two-goal lead. It's been an even game, however, with Ostersunds dominating the last 20 minutes before the break. You would have to fancy them to get a goal in the second half. Arsenal need to find a second wind.
6.56pmArsenal didn't necessarily begin the game at a fast pace but Ostersunds were aware that their opponents were a class above and it resulted in a one-sided opening. Monreal's goal came as a result of the goalkeeper spilling an effort into his path, while the second came via the shoulder of a defender who was trying to stop the ball reaching Welbeck.
6.59pmTo Ostersunds credit, however, they found a way of remaining in the tie. Arsenal could have cantered to victory but the home side showed more ambition and it led to a number of shots being fired on Ospina's goal, with their best chance coming from Gero who had a volley tipped over the crossbar.
7.03pmThe two teams have made their way back out in Sweden. Ostersunds have decided to introduce Tekie for Nouri.
46 minKICKOFF! We are back underway.
48 minArsenal are already looking to take more control at the start of this second half, but Ostersunds are no longer prepared to sit back. Expect a lot of space in the middle of the pack.
50 minOstersunds have just started to play a bit of keep ball in defence and only Iwobi was prepared to chase down the ball. He's not happy with the effort from his teammates.
52 minThe Swedish side eventually get the ball further forward and manage to win a corner, but the delivery fails to beat the first man.
54 minEnglishman Hopcutt was also introduced at half time in place of Gero. Ostersunds continue to have the better of the play. Arsenal need to wake up.
56 minArsenal finally get more joy at the other end of the pitch with Elneny's cross causing problems for Keita, but the goalkeeper is able to claim at the second attempt.
58 minGOAL! Ostersunds FK 0-3 Arsenal (Mesut Ozil)
58 minThat's the game and probably the tie over. Ozil plays the ball to Mkhitaryan, who returns it to his teammate. His shot goes straight at Keita but the goalkeeper cannot prevent the midfielder's shot rolling over the line.
60 minThis is a significant scoreline for Arsenal. Wenger was looking for a margin which would allow him to rest players for the second leg, which comes three days before the EFL Cup final.
62 minOstersunds may as well throw more men forward now. They are attempting to put something together but it's all rather forced.
64 minAs expected, the game has lost a bit of its edge. Arsenal are merely going through the motions and hoping something opens up in the final third.
65 minSHOT! Elneny tries his luck from distance but his shot was always rising over the crossbar. The midfielder doesn't score many but he did net in the last group game against BATE.
67 minIt shouldn't be seen as much of a surprise that Wenger is yet to make any changes. Arsenal do not have a game at the weekend so for some of these players, it is going to be their last outing before the EFL Cup final in 10 days time.
69 minWell there isn't much happening at all now. Arsenal are content to sit on their own 18-yard line until their hosts over-commit.
71 minWhen Arsenal do get into the opposition's final third, they are starting to over-play things. Keita has been dodgy all night so I'm not too sure why the Gunners are not getting more shots on goal.
73 minSUBSTITUTIONS! Ostersunds' final switch sees Bergqvist come on for Widgren, while Kolasinac has replaced Monreal for Arsenal.
75 minWith 15 minutes left, Arsenal are enjoying a bit of a keep-ball session. The Premier League side obviously feel that three goals is enough ahead of the second leg.
77 minIt's Ostersunds turn for the keep-ball session and they are showing as much lack of ambition to get a shot away as Arsenal. It's all very flat in Sweden.
79 minIf Wenger makes any more changes, Mkhitaryan may be withdrawn. The January signing is unable to feature in the EFL Cup final so he will be required next Thursday. Nelson will be hoping to get on.
81 minSHOT! Welbeck has barely seen any of the ball during the second half so decides to try his luck from distance. It's not the worst effort you have ever seen but his shot went a couple of yards wide of the far post.
83 minSUBSTITUTION! That's it for Welbeck tonight. He is being replaced by Nketiah.
84 minSUBSTITUTION! Arsenal's third and final change sees Nelson come on for Mkhitaryan.
86 minOstersunds have started to step off Arsenal and it is giving the Premier League side all of the time in the world to do what they want with the ball. Just the four minutes to go.
88 minThe home side have seen more of the ball over the last couple of minutes but Arsenal are focused on keeping a much-needed clean sheet on their travels.
90 minThere will be two minutes of added-on time.
90+1 minPENALTY TO OSTERSUNDS FK! Dear oh dear, Arsenal. Tekie is fouled by Bellerin and it's a definite penalty. Big chance here.
90+1 minPENALTY MISS! Pettersson's spot kick is too deliberate and Ospina makes the save!
90+3 minFULL TIME: Ostersunds FK 0-3 Arsenal
7.55pmThe full-time whistle goes in Sweden and Arsenal have registered a 3-0 win over Ostersunds. With the second leg to come at the Emirates Stadium, you would have to say that it is probably tie over. If only that last-minute penalty had been scored.
7.57pmThat will be all from Sports Mole for this game. Thank you for joining us this evening and we hope to see you again soon.
If you would like to read our on-the-whistle report, you can do so by clicking here. Goodbye for now.
