Thanks largely to superb finishing from Danny Welbeck, Arsenal recorded a comfortable victory which moves them up to second in Group D of the Champions League.

Afterwards Arsene Wenger was keen to praise the former Manchester United striker who notched his first senior hat-trick. 

“He's a good finisher and technically he is very sound,” he said. “I didn't know he was so quick, he can be electric. He has great pace.”

The Gunners boss is convinced Welbeck will now “gain confidence” but also praised the work of those around the £16 million hit-man saying his side had shown “good transition from defence to attack.”

That was a point illustrated by the opener on 21 minutes when Welbeck gathered a cute through ball from Alexis Sanchez to find the bottom right hand corner of the net.

His and Arsenal's second came on the half hour after Galatasaray got themselves into a tangle trying to clear a high ball. Welbeck then comfortably held off Felipe Melo to side-foot home.

For the rest of the half the Turkish side were a study in frustration on and off the pitch, their supporters sending blazing red flares onto the turf.

The points were well and truly wrapped up just before the break when the Gunners third arrived. 

This time Mesut Ozil found Sanchez and the live-wire Chilean placed the ball out of the reach of Fernando Muslera in goal. 

Arsenal's fourth — on 52 minutes — sealed Welbeck's hat-trick, the England man dinking the ball home from the centre of the box to rapturous acclamation around the ground.

Wojciech Szczesny was then dismissed for bringing down Burak Yilmaz — the striker successfully converting the subsequent penalty.

That however was never going take the shine off a fine night for Wenger — 18 years to the day since he took up the job.