Boreham Wood 0 Arsenal 8: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hits 17-minute hat-trick as Unai Emery starts with a bang
Gunners chief began his reign with a comprehensive victory over the National League outfit as he gave 23 players a chance to impress
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG smashed a 17-minute hat-trick as Unai Emery began his Arsenal career with a bang.
The Spaniard, 46, took over from Arsene Wenger this summer - being charged with injecting life into the club.
And his reign started spectacularly with a comprehensive win over National League Boreham Wood.
Aubameyang cured a beauty inside the far post from outside the area to net his first in the seventh minute.
And the Gabon international nodded home a second before converting a penalty well won by Reiss Nelson for his third inside 20 minutes.
Alexandre Lacazette then teed-up Nelson for the fourth before slotting home from Aubameyang's ball for a 5-0 half-time lead.
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Former Paris Saint-Germain chief Emery made 11 changes at the break and saw forgotten man Lucas Perez set up Eddie Nketiah for a sixth.
Aaron Ramsey thought he had his first of the campaign but saw it ruled out for offside before whizkid Jeff Reine-Adelaide made an impact with a low finish from distance.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was the next to get in on the act and made it eight with a tidy finish.
Speaking at half-time, inspired Aubameyang said: "I’m really happy. I think the work of the team was really important.
"We tried to press but everyone knows what to do and we are working hard. We’re trying to improve what we do."
Emery will have more difficult challenges ahead but at least got an idea of what he has to work with.
Matteo Guendouzi was the only new face to get a game as he came on for Joe Willock late on.