Arsenal's Bench Heroes Deliver Match-Winning Magic in Stunning 2-0 Triumph Over Athletic Club
Impact substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard found the net for Arsenal as they claimed a challenging 2–0 victory in their Champions League opening match against Athletic Club.
The North London side faced resistance from their opponents for extended periods and depended on brilliance from their replacements, with Martinelli and Trossard each contributing a goal and assist in this vital triumph in Bilbao.
Arsenal looked to silence the passionate San Mamés supporters early on and their control of possession restricted chances for the enthusiastic home faithful to celebrate. Nevertheless, their cautious strategy hindered their attacking threat, with only a weak attempt from Viktor Gyökeres managing to test the goalkeeper in the first thirty minutes.
Noni Madueke, continuing his form from the weekend clash with Nottingham Forest, stood out as Arsenal's most dangerous player during a lackluster opening period, though even the pacey English winger couldn't penetrate Athletic's resolute defense.
The pattern continued for Arsenal following halftime, as they seldom troubled Unai Simón between the posts. Madueke's delivery required the Spanish keeper to make a near-post stop while Mikel Merino directed a header straight into his hands, leaving Mikel Arteta visibly agitated on the sideline.
The Arsenal boss chose to bring on Leandro Trossard and Martinelli in place of Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze just past the hour, and the pair instantly changed the game as the Gunners found their breakthrough. Trossard delivered a clever pass behind Athletic's defense and Martinelli's pace carried him clear of the chasing defenders, with the Brazilian displaying excellent composure to break the deadlock.
Trossard then registered his first European goal of the campaign as Martinelli returned the favor. The forward raced to the goal line and pulled the ball back for his Belgian colleague, who found Simón's net with the help of a significant deflection.
Trossard's 87th-minute strike sealed Athletic's fate and guaranteed three valuable points for Arsenal at the start of their Champions League campaign.
Arsenal Player Ratings (4-3-3)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: David Raya | 6.9 |
RB: Jurriën Timber | 7.6 |
CB: Cristhian Mosquera | 7.0 |
CB: Gabriel | 7.4 |
LB: Riccardo Calafiori | 7.6 |
CM: Mikel Merino | 6.5 |
CM: Martín Zubimendi | 6.5 |
CM: Declan Rice | 7.6 |
RW: Noni Madueke | 6.8 |
ST: Viktor Gyökeres | 7.1 |
LW: Eberechi Eze | 7.4 |
SUB: Leandro Trossard (65' for Gyökeres) | 8.1 |
SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (71' for Eze) | 8.3 |
SUB: Christian Nørgaard (90' for Madueke) | N/A |
SUB: Piero Hincapié (90' for Calafiori) | N/A |
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Tommy Setford (GK), Myles Lewis-Skelly, William Saliba, Max Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri.
Player of the Match: Gabriel Martinelli
Athletic Club (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Andoni Gorosabel, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Adama Boiro; Mikel Jauregizar, Mikel Vesga; Álex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Robert Navarro; Iñaki Williams.
Subs: Álex Padilla (GK), Mikel Santos (GK), Alejandro Rego, Iñigo Lekue, Jesús Areso, Jon de Luis, Yuri Berchiche, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Unai Gómez, Gorka Guruzeta, Maroan Sannadi, Nico Serrano.