Likewise, The Gunners were looking to give their fans something to cheer about following transfer concerns relating to Sanchez, Ozil and Oxlade-Chamberlain, all in the final year of their contracts.
Arsenal demonstrated they can cope without Alexis Sanchez by beating Benfica 5-2 despite the visitors taking an eleventh minute lead through Franco Cervi, their young Argentinean winger.
Persistence from Sead Kolasinac soon provided an equaliser for the hosts when he robbed Pizzi and chipped a cross for Theo Walcott to volley home. Walcott then added a second before Eduardo Salvio levelled for the Eagles.
Arsenal showed their superiority after the interval, Lisandro Lopez turned Walcott’s cross into the back of his own net before Olivier Giroud got on the score-sheet.
Alex Iwobi netted Arsenal’s fifth and best goal of the game. Benfica then lost 2-0 to Leipzig - second in their first Bundesliga season last campaign - who took the lead after nineteen minutes through Halstenberg before Compper added a second early in the second-half. Benfica thought they had pulled one back when Kostas Mitroglou bundled the ball home after Yvon Mvogo had mishandled Jonas’ long-range effort, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, with the Greek striker then worryingly limping off.