Arsenal beat AC Milan 3-1 in their Europa League round-of-16 tie at the Emirates to move through to the quarter-finals.

The Gunners came into the game with a 2-0 aggregate advantage after their victory over Milan in the first leg.

It was the home side who started on the front foot. In true Arsenal fashion, they looked to keep possession and play their way through the visitors. They were creating chances but failed to really test Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, it was Gennaro Gattuso’s side who took the lead after the half-hour mark. Hakan Çalhanoğlu picked the ball up and let fly from distance and it arrowed past David Ospina into the bottom corner, 1-0 Milan with 35 minutes gone.

Arsenal responded in the best possible manner and, after serious pressure, won a penalty two minutes after the Milan goal. Danny Welbeck was slipped through on goal and as Ricardo Rodríguez ran across the English striker and fell to the turf. The contact looked minimal, but the referee pointed to the spot anyway. Welbeck picked himself up and calmly rolled the ball into the corner to level the scores.

The Gunners continued to push forward but could not take the lead, 1-1 at half-time.

Arsene Wenger’s men picked up from where they left off in the first half by continuing to dominate proceedings. The Italian side may have had a couple of chances of their own but it was Arsenal who took the lead. A speculative strike from range by Granit Xhaka was somehow parried into his own net by Donnarumma in the Milan goal, 2-1 after 71 minutes.

Welbeck then scored his second of the night, wrapping up the game for the English side. Jack Wilshere broke down the left-hand side of the box and chipped a cross into a dangerous area. Aaron Ramsey’s header was saved by Donnarumma, but Welbeck was in the right place to have a tap-in.

The final score was 3-1 and Arsenal are through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Photo: Daniel Hambury/Backpagepix