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LISBON, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 25: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League - Group E match between Sporting CP and Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on October 25, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.  (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
LISBON, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 25: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League - Group E match between Sporting CP and Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on October 25, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

Europa League Results 2018: Updated Tables, Scores After Thursday's Group Games

Gill Clark
Oct 25, 2018

Arsenal made it 11 straight wins in all competitions thanks to Danny Welbeck's winner, as the Gunners beat Sporting 1-0 on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek netted a hat-trick for Chelsea in a comfortable 3-1 win over BATE Borisov at Stamford Bridge.

It was also a good night for the Spanish sides in the competition. Real Betis beat AC Milan 2-1, Sevilla thrashed Turkish sideย Akhisar, and Villarreal put five past Rapid Vienna.

Europa League Results

FC Zurich 3-2 Bayer Leverkusenย 

AEK Larnaca 1-1 Ludogoretsย 

RB Salzburg 3-0 Rosenborg

RB Leipzig 2-0 Celtic

Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 Bordeaux

FC Copenhagen 0-1 Slavia Pragueย 

Anderlecht 2-2 Fenerbahce

Spartak Trnava 1-2 Dinamo Zagrebย 

FK Qarabag 0-1 Vorskla Poltava

Sporting 0-1 Arsenalย 

AC Milan 1-2 Real Betis

Dudelange 0-2 Olympiakosย 

Rangers 0-0 Spartak Moscow

Villarreal 5-0 Rapid Viennaย 

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Apollon Limassol

Marseille 1-3 Lazioย 

Sarpsborg 1-1 Malmo

Besiktas 2-4 Genkย 

Standard Liege 2-1 FK Krasnodar

Sevilla 6-0 Akhisar

FK Jablonec 1-1 Astana

Rennes 1-2 Dynamo Kievย 

Chelsea 3-1 BATE Borisov

PAOK Salonika 0-2 Vidiย 

Group Standings (Games, Points, Goal Difference)

Group A

1. FC Zurich: 3, 9, +3

2. Bayer Leverkusen: 3, 6, +2

3. AEK Larnaca: 3, 1, -3

4. Ludogorets: 3,ย 1, -2

Group B

1. Red Bull Salzburg:ย 3, 9, +6

2. RB Leipzig:ย 3, 6, +3

3. Celtic:ย 3, 3, -3

4. Rosenborg: 3,ย 0, -6

Groupย C

1. Zenit St. Petersburg: 3, 7, +2

2. Slavia Prague: 3, 6, +1

3. Copenhagen: 3, 4, 0

4. Bordeaux: 3, 0, -3

Groupย Dย 

1. Dinamo Zagreb:ย 3, 9, +6

2. Fenerbahce: 3, 4, -1

3. Spartak Trnava: 3, 3, -2

4. Anderlecht: 3, 1, -3

Groupย E

1. Arsenal: 3, 9, +6

2. Sporting: 3, 6, +2

3. Vorskla: 3, 3, -2

4. Qarabag: 3, 0, -6

Groupย F

1. Real Betis: 3, 7, +4

2. AC Milan: 3, 6, +2ย 

3. Olympiakos: 3, 4, 0

4. Dudelange: 3, 0, -6

Groupย G

1.ย Rangers:ย  3, 5, +2

2. Villarreal: 3, 5, +5

3. Rapid Vienna: 3, 3, -5

4. Spartak Moscow: 3, 2, -2

Groupย H

1. Eintracht Frankfurt: 3, 9, +6

2. Lazio: 3, 6, 0

3. Apollon Limassol: 3, 1, -3

4. Marseille: 3, 1, -3

Groupย I

1. Genk: 3, 6, +2

2. Malmo: 3, 4, 0

3.ย Sarpsborg 08: 3, 4, 0

4. Besiktas: 3, 3, -2

Groupย J

1. Krasnodar: 3, 6, +1

2.ย Standard Liege: 3, 6, -2

3. Sevilla: 3, 6, +9

3.ย Akhisarspor: 3, 0, -8

Groupย K

1. Astana: 3, 5, +2

2.ย Dynamo Kiev: 3, 5, +1

3. Rennes: 3, 3, -2

4. Jablonec: 3, 2, -1

Groupย L

1. Chelsea: 3, 9, +4

2.ย BATE Borisov: 3, 3, +3

3. PAOK: 3, 3, 0

4. Vidi: 3, 3, -1

Visit theย UEFA websiteย to see the group tables in full.

Thursday Recap

Arsenal remain in charge of Group A after extending their winning run. They also beat Portuguese opposition away from home for the first time in their history:

There was little in the way of excitement in the first half in Lisbon. However, the game perked up after the break, asย Henrikh Mkhitaryan forced goalkeeper Renan Ribeiro to punch his free-kick to safety.

Ribeiro then saved two attempts fromย Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Arsenal began to slowly spark into life.

The winner came with 77 minutes on the clock. An error fromย Sebastian Coates saw Welbeck pounce, and he made no mistake by slotting through the goalkeeper's legs.

Opta noted his rich vein of form:

Arsenal were not at their best but their momentum continues, and they are well placed to finish top of the group.

AC Milan were knocked off the top of Group E by Real Betis, who secured victory at the San Siro.ย 

The hosts were made to pay for a poor first half, as Antonio Sanabria nipped in front ofย Alessio Romagnoli to tap home aย Giovani Lo Celso cross.ย Betis could have had more in the first half. Sanabria had a goal chalked off for offside and then volleyed a good chance wide.

Football commentator Matteo Bonetti was not impressed with Milan:

Lo Celso doubled Betis's lead 10 minutes into the second half. The Argentinian fired home a brilliant shot into the top corner from well outside the box.

Samu Castillejo went close with an effort that hit the woodwork before Patrickย Cutrone pulled one back with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

AC Milan had a penalty shout late on when Marc Bartra slid in onย Castillejo, but the referee waved play on.

The winger then saw red in stoppage time for a lunge on Lo Celso as AC Milan suffered a second straight defeat.

Meanwhile, Chelsea remain on track after a dominant win over BATE. Loftus-Cheek fired the hosts ahead inside two minutes with a clinical strike from a Davide Zappacosta cross.

His second goal arrived six minutes later from a Willian corner, and he sealed his hat-trick with a curling shot from just outside the box in the second half.

He's the first Chelsea player to score a hat-trick in Europe since 2006:

Alexei Rios score a late consolation for BATE, but Chelsea remain the team to beat with maximum points from their first three games.