THE timing couldn’t have been more compelling. Amid intensified geopolitical tensions between two countries, Arsenal, established in 1886 as a side for workers in the Woolwich munitions factory, did battle with CSKA Moscow, team of the Soviet Red Army, with the Gunners coming out of this Europa League quarter-final first leg 4-1 winners.

Undoubtedly, the clash had far greater implications for Arsenal than for any politicians in Westminster. With a return to the Champions League at stake, it was billed as their biggest game in years.

The pressure of that billing showed in their performance — clear intentions to make the home leg count but defensive vulnerability allowing CSKA plenty of chances going forward, with all the game’s goals coming in the first 45 minutes.

“They made it uncomfortable for us,” Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said afterwards. “We are used to teams coming here and playing in their own half, but they played with a very offensive style.

“I felt that the first half was spectacular, played at a high pace. Our objective at half-time was to not concede and to score another and we did the first part of the job but not the second.”

Aaron Ramsey broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes when Hector Bellerin picked out the midfielder with a low pass across goal.

While the pressure of the occasion enhanced Arsenal’s urgency in attack, it also created jitters at the back and minutes later the visitors were level with a pinpoint free-kick by Aleksandr Golovin, a player whom Wenger refused to confirm or deny an interest in at his pre-match press conference.

With more pressure heaped on by the equaliser, Mesut Ozil provided a steadiness and won his side a penalty allowing Alexandre Lacazette to score his second spot-kick in a week.

So far, relatively routine, but Arsenal’s next goal was a pure delight. Ozil spotted Ramsey in space and sent a perfectly weighted in-swinging cross towards the Welshman whose crafty outside flick of his boot left keeper Igor Akinfeev in no-man’s-land.

The Gunners were at their rampant best by the time Ozil set up another first-half brace, for Lacazette this time, to make the second leg more of a formality for CSKA than a genuine chance of progressing. 

Beforehand Wenger had stressed the importance of getting a favourable result in this leg of the tie. Don’t concede an away goal was the message. Failing that, establish a significant buffer to take through to Moscow and Wenger can be pleased that his side did at least the latter.

“It will help us to focus completely on the second game and not think it’s job done,” Wenger said about the away goal. “We know it’s not over.”