Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette each scored twice as Mesut Ozil put on a Europa League masterclass to overwhelm CSKA Moscow and all but book Arsenal's place in the semi-finals.
Arsene Wenger knows winning this competition is the only realistic way his side can get back into the Champions League as they sit 13 points adrift of the Premier League's top four.
He named his strongest side, with Petr Cech returning in goal, and they showed far too much for their Russian visitors with first-half braces for Ramsey and Lacazette sealing a comfortable 4-1 win ahead of the return leg.