By Rajdeep Saha
Copyright newsbytesapp
Arsenal kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club at the San Mames Stadium. The Gunners, who reached the semi-finals last season, were without seven key players for this match. However, substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard proved to be decisive in the second half. Arsenal have three points in their bag with this win on Matchday 1 of the competition. Martinelli, who came on for Eberechi Eze, made an immediate impact by scoring just 36 seconds after his introduction. He capitalized on a through ball from Trossard and beat Athletic Club’s goalkeeper Unai Simon with a precise finish in the 72nd minute of the contest. This was Martinelli’s first goal of the season and it helped the Gunners take a crucial 1-0 lead. Trossard, who replaced Viktor Gyokeres, doubled Arsenal’s lead in the 87th minute. His shot was deflected off a defender and went over Simon into the net. This goal sealed a comfortable win for Arsenal in their Champions League opener. Despite being under pressure from Athletic Club throughout the match, Arsenal’s defense held strong to secure a clean sheet and three points. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised Martinelli’s work ethic after his quick impact off the bench. The players recognize someone who works in the manner that Gabby does, he said. I was sure Gabby was going to react like that because he is constantly willing to improve himself. Arteta also acknowledged his decisions as a manager, saying, Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I get it wrong. Both teams had 11 attempts each. However, the Gunners had six shots on target compared to the hosts’ 2. Arsenal had 62% ball possession and a pass accuracy of 83%. Both sides owned 2 corners each. As per Opta, since his Arsenal debut in January 2023, Trossard has been involved in more goals as a substitute than any other Premier League player across all competitions (14 – 10 goals, 4 assists). As mentioned, Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal just 36 seconds after coming off the bench. This is the Gunners’ fastest ever substitute goal in the UEFA Champions League.
