With Arsenal on the verge of a second defeat in four days, Unai Emery used his last change to bring on Pepe and it turned out to be a masterstroke as the Ivorian scored two sensational free-kicks in the 80th and 92nd minutes to snatch a victory.
Emery’s side had struggled for long periods of the game and fell behind early when former Tottenham youth player Marcus Edwards scored inside eight minutes.
Gabriel Martinelli (32) equalised with his third Europa League goal of the campaign but Arsenal were behind again four minutes later as Bruno Duarte (36) fired home for the visitors.
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But Pepe’s late intervention maintains Arsenal’s perfect start to the Europa League campaign as they remain three points clear at the top of Group F and while Vitoria came agonisingly close to registering their first point, they go back to Portugal empty-handed.
Vitoria shocked the Emirates when, inside eight minutes, they took the lead. Victor Garcia made a wonderful run down the right before cutting the ball in for the waiting Edwards. He dummied Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney before sweeping the ball home from close range.
It took Arsenal a while to recover but they began to find their feet around the half an hour mark. Bellerin got away down the flank before cutting the ball in for the waiting Martinelli, but he could not make the right contact to send it goal wards.
Source: Skysport
