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REVIEW

Europa League results: Nicolas Pepe scores two free-kicks to save Arsenal from humiliation, Anthony Martial secures away win for Manchester United, Celtic triumph over Lazio

Arsenal's club-record signing Nicolas Pepe stepped off the bench to score two free-kicks and seal a Europa League comeback win over Vitoria, sparing the blushes of under-fire head coach Unai Emery.

After losing at Sheffield United on Monday night, Emery launched an impassioned defence of his tenure as Gunners boss on the eve of the Group F clash - but what followed was as below-par performance rescued by the brilliance of his £72million man, who struck a fine brace to earn a 3-2 win.

Without a goal from their first two games and with no away win in Europe since 2005, Vitoria stunned the Emirates Stadium as former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards opened the scoring.

Bruno Duarte restored the lead following Gabriel Martinelli's equaliser and the away side held their advantage until late in the second half.

With more than one "Emery Out" banner displayed and the crowd singing for Mesut Ozil - again absent from the matchday squad - it was clear Emery's calls for patience from supporters had largely fallen on deaf ears.

But the stadium erupted as Pepe curled in two wonderful free-kicks in the final 10 minutes.

Manchester United ended their wretched 11-match winless run on the road as Anthony Martial's spot-kick secured a hard-fought victory played out to a hostile backdrop at Partizan Belgrade.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kicked off his reign with a club record nine successive away wins, only to endure a remarkable 33-week wait stretching back to March's jaw-dropping Champions League triumph at Paris St Germain.

 The away win was much-needed for United
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The away win was much-needed for UnitedCredit: AFP or licensors

No longer at the continent's top table, the Europa League provided the platform for their first victory on the road since then, with United digging deep amid Partizan pressure - from both players and their unrelenting fans - as Martial's first-half penalty secured a 1-0 triumph.

Jesse Lingard and former Rangers man Umar Sadiq hit the woodwork in quick succession during an even first half that United would snatch the lead in, with Martial converting the penalty won by the direct running of Brandon Williams.

It capped a promising display by the 19-year-old on his second senior start and fellow teenager James Garner held his own in a hostile environment, but Solskjaer's side rode their luck in Belgrade.

Savo Milosevic's men pushed throughout the second half but were just unable to level.

 Anthony Martial buried his penalty
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Anthony Martial buried his penaltyCredit: AFP or licensors

Christopher Jullien's dramatic late header earned Celtic a deserved 2-1 win over Lazio in an absorbing Europa League clash at Parkhead.

The Scottish champions were more than holding their own before midfielder Manuel Lazzari fired the Italian side ahead in the 39th minute following a textbook counter-attack.

The Hoops' response to the setback was impressive and they levelled in the 67th minute as midfielder Ryan Christie swept in a pass from striker Odsonne Edouard.

And, with a minute remaining, French defender Jullien rose to power home a Christie corner and take the hosts on to seven points at the top of Group E ahead of the return game in Rome in two weeks' time.

Raul Jimenez capped Wolves' Europa League comeback as they laboured to a 2-1 win at Slovan Bratislava.

The striker's penalty fired Nuno Espirito Santo's men to an unconvincing victory as they moved into second in Group K.

Andraz Sporar's opener was cancelled out by Romain Saiss' deflected second-half effort before Jimenez won and converted a penalty five minutes later.

Diogo Jota was sent off late on after two quickfire yellow cards but they survived to sit a point behind group leaders Braga.

 Raul Jimenez was Wolves' hero
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Raul Jimenez was Wolves' heroCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Alfredo Morelos netted his 10th Europa League goal of the season as an impressive Rangers drew 1-1 in Porto.

Morelos levelled a minute before half-time after a brilliant assist from left-back Borna Barisic.

The striker's Colombia team-mate, Luis Diaz, had given the hosts the lead from long range eight minutes earlier after clinically punishing Ryan Jack's slack pass during a spell of pressure from the hosts.

But that was a rare period of anxiety for around 3,000 travelling fans, who made their presence felt among the 31,307 crowd in the Estadio do Dragao.

Here are results from the Europa League action…

Besiktas 1-2 Braga

Roma 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach

CSKA Moscow 0-1 Ferencvaros

Partizan 0-1 Manchester United

Qarabag 2-2 Apoel Nicosia

Ludogorets 0-1 Espanyol

Slovan Bratislava 1-2 Wolves

Porto 1-1 Rangers

St-Etienne 1-1 Oleksandriya

Gent 2-2 Wolfsburg

Istanbul Basaksehir 1-0 Wolfsburg

Young Boys 2-0 Feyenoord

AZ Alkmaar 6-0 Astana

Celtic 2-1 Lazio

Sevilla 3-0 Dudelange

Arsenal 3-2 Vitoria

Eintracht 2-1 Standard Liege

Rennes 0-1 Cluj

Sporting 1-0 Rosenborg

Getafe 0-1 Basel

Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Copenhagen

Malmo 2-1 Lugano

PSV 0-0 LASK

Trabzonspor 0-2 Krasnodar

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