Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal LIVE: Result and reaction from Europa League fixture tonight

Follow all the action as the Gunners get underway in the group stage in Austria

(Getty Images)

Follow all the action as Arsenal travel to Austria to take on Rapid Vienna in the Europa League. 

Mikel Arteta’s side laboured to a 1-0 defeat against Man City last weekend, which somewhat halted the momentum of their brilliant start to the season. However, the Gunners still look vastly improved in comparison to the side who were knocked out in the round of 32 by Olympiacos last season. 

Rather than the game itself, though, it’s the rumblings of discontent surrounding Mesut Ozil’s exclusion from tonight’s squad that has dominated the build-up to the fixture, with Arteta admitting that while his “conscience is calm”, he has “failed” Ozil by effectively drawing the curtain on the playmaker’s Arsenal career. Follow all the action below:

Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal

• VIE: Strebinger, Barac, Ritzmaier, Fountas, Grahovac, Hofmann, Stojkovic, Kara, Ullmann, Arase, Ljubicic
• ARS: Leno, David Luiz, Gabriel, Kolasinac, Cedric, Elneny, Partey, Saka, Pepe, Lacazette, Nketiah

[22 October 2020 17:32 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin likes taking pictures, apparently.

[22 October 2020 17:27 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

Arsenal lost in their last outing, a 1-0 away defeat to Manchester City.

The Gunners’ last European adventure ended in a 2-1 defeat to Greek side Olympiakos, with the London side exiting at the Europa League Round of 32 stage on away goals.

[22 October 2020 17:20 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

The home side have won their last three consecutive games in all competitions.

Their last fixture, played on Saturday, resulted in a 5-1 victory against Wiener Neustadt in the Austrian Cup second round.

[22 October 2020 17:08 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

[22 October 2020 17:06 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

Rapid Vienna team news:

Strebinger; Barac, Hofmann, Stojkovic; Ullman, Grahovac, Ljubicic, Arase; Fountas, Ritzmaier, Kara.

Subs: Unger, Gartler, Sonnleitner, Schick, Petrovic, Alar, Krasmuellner, Greiml, Kitagawa, Sulzbacher, Ibrahimoglu, Savic. 

[22 October 2020 16:58 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

Rapid Vienna lost their Champions League third round qualifying tie against Belgian side Gent 2-1 five weeks, and so were relegated to the Europa League group stage. 

Arsenal meanwhile finished 8th in the Premier League last season but won the FA Cup, and thus gained automatic entry into the group stage of the competition. 

[22 October 2020 16:49 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

These sides have only met once before in European competition.

Drawn together in the first round of the old European Cup in 1991/92, Arsenal won the first leg 6-1 at Highbury, with four goals coming from Alan Smith.

The second leg ended in a 1-0 win for the Austrians, with Arsenal progressing 6-2 on aggregate.

Arsenal were eliminated in the next round, losing to Benfica.

[22 October 2020 16:44 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

[22 October 2020 16:44 · Emmet Gates]

RAPID VIENNA 0-0 ARSENAL

The Arsenal team news is now in:

Leno; David Luiz, Gabriel, Kolasinac, Cedric; Elneny, Partey, Saka, Pepe; Lacazette, Nketiah.

Subs: Macey, Runarsson, Bellerin, Mustafi, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Willock, Nelson, Aubameyang.

[22 October 2020 16:26 · Emmet Gates]

ARSENAL BEGIN CAMPAIGN AGAINST RAPID VIENNA

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side get their Europa League campaign underway.