BATE Borisov 1-0 Arsenal: Twitter Meltdown as Gunners See Red on Valentine's Day

Arsenal fumbled against a team that has not played a competitive game since December as they began their pursuit of round of 16 qualification in a negative manner through a 1-0 loss to BATE Borisov in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Gunners also had to cope with the late sending off of Alexandre Lacazette, the disallowed second-half goalscorer that got red carded for elbowing Aleksandar Filipovic. He will now miss the second leg tie at the Emirates Stadium next week.

The team fielded by Emery was good enough to get something out of that encounter but as we already know, Arsenal disappoint when you least expect and surprise you when given no hopes.

The North London side even with a promising start plus 77% of possession to their credit could not stop a determined BATE from earning their first home triumph over an English team in European competitions - putting them at advantage ahead of the reverse fixture.

A first-half Stanislav Dragun header from a free-kick birthed the first and only goal for the night and the introduction of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and January signing Denis Suarez afterward made no difference to the game's outcome.

Arsenal supporters, random football lovers, and opposition fans have since headed to social networking sites to air their views. Some poured out their frustration at the team, others hit out at the manager for not including Mesut Ozil, we saw some making banter while a minority criticized fans calling for Emery's sack. Below are some reactions from Twitter:

Arsenal lost to a team that looks like a Wi-Fi password 😂😂🙌 pic.twitter.com/GjHymTTep5

— NasasiraArnold🇺🇬 (@NasasiraArnold) February 15, 2019

We wasted the best years of Ozil and Sanchez with shit forwards, now we’re wasting the best years of Laca and Auba with a shit system and midfield. #ArsenalThat

— Lacompactdisc (@Lacompactdisc) February 14, 2019

“Arsenal are crying out for creativity!”

“You’re telling me Ozil & Ramsey aren’t better than Iwobi and Mkhitaryan.”

“I’m not having it at all.” 😡#AFC hero Perry Groves isn’t happy with Unai Emery’s team selection 🔴 pic.twitter.com/S5thvuSFSM

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 15, 2019

If Ramsey and Ozil started, I have absolutely no doubt we would have run over this lot today. Refuse to believe that Ozil is out because he's not fit. Want to sell him in the summer? Fine. But at least keep him on the bench. We really missed his composure in the final third.

— LTArsenal™️ (@ltarsenal) February 14, 2019

I have absolutely no doubt that Emery has been told he needs to reduce the wage bill from the directors and is trying to force Ozil to put in a transfer request. So the decision to not play Ozil is not due to football or tactical its purely financial

— Durchiga (@Durchiga) February 15, 2019

I can’t even go and take my frustrations out by replaying the game on FIFA because BATE Borisov ain't even on the game. 😭

— Mike Sanz (@mikesanz19) February 14, 2019

Good morning Arsenal fans, have you had your BATE ?

— devsploofeek (@sploofeek) February 15, 2019

BATE’s back 4 last night that managed to keep a clean sheet against Emery’s Arsenal: pic.twitter.com/eZLVHA9koe

— ً (@PERXIRA) February 15, 2019 

The goal conceded by Arsenal yesterday put an end to their Europa League clean sheet record. Before heading to Belarus for the first leg round of 32 encounter, they had not conceded in their last five fixtures. The last time they had a ball in their net in this competition was in the matchday 1 fixture against Vorskla Poltava.

There will be no Premier League action this weekend so Arsenal will resume play with BATE Borisov in the second leg at the Emirates next Thursday. It should be a positive one as Emery has hoped but the record of them having been sent out in their last six European competition knockout games when they have lost the first leg calls for worry.

It was a 10-2 aggregate win in the Gunners' favour when they were tied on this same front last season.