LONDON: Once Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started scoring there was no stopping Arsenal.

The striker netted a hat-trick on Wednesday in a 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the second round of the League Cup.

Mikel Arteta now just needs his Arsenal players to perform as impressively in the Premier League, rather than just against a second-tier side.

“This is good to build the confidence of the team,” Aubameyang said.

“We know we had a tough start to the season.”

The heat is on Arteta with Arsenal losing their opening two Premier League matches and travelling to champions Manchester City on Saturday.

It wasn’t the biggest win of the night as Southampton beat fourth-tier side Newport County 8-0 at the Rodney Parade ground, with Mohamed Elyounoussi scoring a hat-trick in the biggest away win in the club’s 136-year history.

Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Burnley failed to provide as much excitement for the 30,000 crowd at St James’ Park, that game ending goalless with Burnley winning through 4-3 on penalties. New signing Wayne Hennessey saved two penalties before Charlie Taylor scored the winner.

Aubameyang, returning to the starting line-up after testing positive for Covid-19 before the season got under way, tapped into an empty net in the 17th minute after Bukayo Saka’s saved effort fell to him.

He made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime, when Nicolas Pepe’s shot rebounded off the post for another tap-in, and then repaid the favour seconds later.

The hat-trick was sealed in the 62nd, Saka having bagged the fourth goal of the game in the 50th, with a strike from 18 yards.

Alexandre Lacazette came off the bench for his season’s debut and made it 6-0 four minutes later, assisted by Pepe, as Arsenal celebrated their first win of the season against opponents who were effectively a reserve team.

ELYOUNOUSSI HAT-TRICK

Loanee Armando Broja scored in each half on his debut for Southampton and Elyounoussi grabbed a second half hat-trick as Newport were hammered in their first home game of the season after having their pitch re-laid.

Nathan Tella (25th), Kyle Walker-Peters (44th) and Nathan Redmond (69th) also scored with Saints running riot in the second half after going in 3-0 at the break.

Holders Manchester City will start their bid for a fifth successive League Cup trophy with a third round home game against third tier Wycombe Wanderers after the draw was made following Wednesday’s games.

Manchester United will host West Ham United, managed by their former boss David Moyes, at Old Trafford while Chelsea host Aston Villa.

Arsenal were rewarded with a home game against third tier AFC Wimbledon, while Southampton travel next to Sheffield United.

Norwich City, who beat Bournemouth 6-0 on Tuesday, will host Liverpool — who won 3-0 at Carrow Road in their opening game of the Premier League season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Tottenham Hotspur in a match that pits new Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo against his old employers.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021