By Will Schofield

Copyright dailystar

In the steamy Spanish heat, Mikel Arteta remained ice cold. The San Mames was a cauldron on Tuesday evening, enough to make most teams melt during the opening matchday of the Champions League . However, Arteta’s team came out swinging against Athletic Club. Viktor Gyokeres was the brightest spark, drifting out to the left he was creating opportunities for himself, but was unable to find the net. However, Arsenal’s super Swede was left bloodied after a sickening clash of heads of Gabriel. Gyokeres seemed to lose a step after the collision, which left him with a sizeable gash, and Arteta looked to his bench to change the game. It would take Gabriel Martinelli just 36 seconds after entering the pitch to find the net. “Martinelli takes a poor touch, tries to knock it forward with his head, and Gorosabel thinks he can nick it,” Ally McCoist said on TNT Sports. “Then he takes a brilliant touch and he’s in on goal. “The finish is too near to the keeper for him to get down and it wriggles underneath him and into the back of the net.” Martinelli was part of a double substitution, with Leandro Trossard also coming off the bench to the find the net and double the Gunners’ lead. “That’s all about Martinelli,” McCoist continued. “Rice gives him the ball really early and he uses raw, aggressive pace to get by Gorosabel and once he does, he picks out Trossard. “You think Trossard is going to hit it earlier but he buys himself a bit of time and it comes off Vivian as it goes past the keeper. The substitutions have worked out perfectly for Arteta.” And fans agreed with the footballing icon on social media. “I’m crying at the fact everyone was questioning Arteta’s subs but they’re the ones that pulled through,” one fan said. While a second replied: “Arteta’s subs delivered. I give him credit as well…” “I was ready to scalp Arteta for those subs. That’s why they don’t pay me the big bucks,” a third joked. As a fourth shared: “Credit to Arteta and the subs. This is why you need depth. We weren’t able to do this enough last season!” And another added: “Arteta, fair play for getting the subs right man!” More to follow