Arsenal avoided any undue alarms as they cruised to a 3-0 Europa League win over Swedish minnows Ostersunds.

Arsene Wenger's men emerged in sub-zero temperatures at the Jamtkraft Arena and there was little prospect of the contest warming up after defensive errors from the hosts gifted a 13th-minute opener to Nacho Monreal.

Sotirios Papagiannopoulos' own goal compounded matters for Ostersunds and their English coach Graham Potter and, although their performance improved, Mesut Ozil marked his first appearance in the Europa League this season with a third in the 58th minute.

A run to the last-32 featuring wins over the likes of Galatasaray and Hertha Berlin has seen Ostersunds' produce a modern footballing fairytale in the Europa League this season.

They will need something altogether more fantastical to turn the tie around at Emirates Stadium next week – even more so after Tom Pettersson had a stoppage-time penalty saved after Hector Bellerin needlessly hauled down substitute Tesfaldet Tekie.

Ostersunds goalkeeper Aly Keita put his side in trouble with a poor pass out in the 12th minute, only spared when Papagiannopoulos bravely blocked from Ozil, and his poor handling allowed Monreal to follow up Alex Iwobi's shot and open the scoring moments later.

The entirely avoidable nature of the goals conceded by a seemingly overawed Ostersunds will have irritated Potter and Papagiannopoulos was powerless to avoid a 24th-minute own-goal after Pettersson gave away possession inside his own box for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to drill into the goalmouth.

Some similarly slack work in the defensive half from Arsenal prompted the hosts' first opening, with David Ospina acrobatically pushing over Alhaji Gero's shot from the edge of the area.

Ostersunds had grown into the contest as half-time approached and striker Saman Ghoddos drove at a backpedalling Arsenal backline to fire narrowly wide.

Potter sent on Tekie and Jamie Hopcutt in place of captain Brwa Nouri and Gero, a move that further encouraged his team's resurgence in the contest.

Shkodran Mustafi turned anxiously to the referee before the hour when Tekie went down in the area under pressure from the Germany international. Play was allowed to continue and Arsenal glided down the other end to make it three.

Ozil exchanged passes pleasingly with Mkhitaryan but Keita was culpable once again, getting his hands to a shot that squirmed over the line.

Much of the remaining action resembled an extended training drill as far as the Premier League side were concerned, with prospects of defeat to a club who have been in existence for a shorter time than Wenger has been Arsenal manager all but extinguished by the time Pettersson rounded out a dismal individual outing by stroking his penalty into Ospina's arms.

Last 32, first legs

Borussia Dortmund (GER) 3 (Schurrle 30, Batshuayi 65, 90+1) Atalanta (ITA) 2 (Ilicic 51, 56)
Ludogorets (BUL) 0 AC Milan (ITA) 3 (Cutrone 45, Rodriguez 64-pen, Borini 90+2)
Marseille (FRA) 3 (Germain 4, 69, Thauvin 74) Braga (POR) 0
Nice (FRA) 2 (Balotelli 4, 28-pen) Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) 3 (Fernandes 45-pen, 69, 77)
Ostersunds (SWE) 0 Arsenal (ENG) 3 (Monreal 13, Papagiannopoulos 24-og, Ozil 58)
Real Sociedad (ESP) 2 (Odriozola 57, Januzaj 80) Salzburg (AUT) 2 (Oyarzabal 27-og, Minamino 90+4)
Spartak Moscow (RUS) 1 (Adriano 60) Athletic Bilbao (ESP) 3 (Aduriz 22, 39, Rico 45+1)
FC Astana (KAZ) 1 (Tomasov 7) Sporting Lisbon (POR) 3 (Fernandes 48-pen, Martins 50, Doumbia 55)
AEK Athens (GRE) 1 (Ajdarevic 80) Dynamo Kiev (UKR) 1 (Tsygankov 19)
Celtic (SCO) 1 (McGregor 78) Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) 0
FC Copenhagen (DEN) 1 (Fischer 15) Atletico Madrid (ESP) 4 (Niguez 21, Gameiro 37, Griezmann 71, Vitolo 77)
FCSB (ROU) 1 (Gnohere 29) Lazio (ITA) 0
Lyon (FRA) 3  (Ndombele 46, Fekir 49, Depay 82) Villarreal (ESP) 1 (Fornals 63)
Napoli (ITA) 1 (Ounas 52) RB Leipzig (GER) 3 (Werner 61, 90+3, Bruma 74)
Partizan Belgrade (SRB) 1 (Tawamba 58) Viktoria Plzen (CZE) 1 (Reznik 81)
                  
Played Tuesday
Red Star Belgrade (SRB) 0 CSKA Moscow (RUS) 0
                  
Second legs to be played February 21-22