Arsenal 1-0 FC Zurich
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

ARSENAL qualified for the knock-out stages of the Europa League after a cracking long-range strike from Kieran Tierney in the 17th minute of their clash with FC Zurich was enough to seal a crucial win on an evening fraught with tension.

The 25-year-old former Celtic defender showed excellent technique to catch the ball sweetly and drive past the visitor’s keeper Yanick Brecher to give Mikel Arteta's side a slender 1-0 victory.

The tight triumph ensured Arsenal finished top of Group A, thereby avoiding the unwelcome prospect of a two-legged February play-off against sides that have dropped down from the Champions League - which includes such luminaries as Barcelona, Juventus, Ajax and Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk.