Arsenal were favourites to secure a victory in the first leg of their Round of 32 tie against BATE after a 1-0 defeat by BATE in a game which saw Alexandre Lacazette sent off for elbowing Aleksandar Filipovic with five minutes remaining.
The Belarusians took a shock lead on the brink of half-time thanks to Stanislav Dragun’s header and Arsenal never threatened an equaliser.
What should concern the Gunners more, however, is the fact that they have been eliminated from each of their last six two-legged ties in European competition when losing the first leg.
In fact, the last such tie they managed to reverse was against FC Porto in the Champions League in 2009-10 (6-2 on aggregate).
The Belarusian champions will take the slender lead to Emirates Stadium for the second leg next Thursday.
But it was no more than they deserved as Arsenal faded quickly after a bright start on a bumpy pitch and sub-zero conditions in Belarus.
🇧🇾 @FCBATE:
👥 Whole squad cost £200k.
💰 £11.5m spent in the entire club’s history.
📅 2 months since their last competitive match.
❌ Never won a European knock-out match in their history.
👏 Incredible moment for the club. pic.twitter.com/lET3yGNw4y
— SPORF (@Sporf) February 14, 2019
Aliaksei Baga’s side were playing their first competitive match since December and doggedly held on to their lead in the second half.
Arsenal, in contrast, managed just three shots on target despite enjoying nearly 77% possession.
Despite the setback, Arsenal will be confident of overturning the one-goal deficit in the return fixture at Emirates Stadium without their talisman Lacazette.
🗣 "We’ve made it more difficult for ourselves… but you have to pick yourself up and make sure that you’re ready for the second leg."
Reaction from a disappointing night in the #UEL 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 14, 2019
Emery promised an improved performance on home soil after the shock defeat.
“It’s the first match. We play the next match in London and I think it can be different,” said the Spaniard.
“I trust in our players and in our stadium with our supporters. I trust in our work and preparations to make a different result.”
“We worked. I am happy with the players as we worked and we tried. They struggled also defensively when they were 1-0 up – and they are organised and a competitive team,” he added.
“Our big chance, our big opportunity and challenge is next week. I trust in our players and I trust in our stadium and supporters.”