Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to fire Arsenal to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Spanish side Athletic Club, getting their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start.
Martinelli made an instant impact, scoring just 36 seconds after entering the pitch. The Brazilian was played through by Trossard in the 71st minute and coolly slotted home to break the deadlock.
Fifteen minutes later, the duo combined again—this time with Martinelli turning provider. The winger beat his man on the flank and squared for Trossard, who squeezed in Arsenal’s second in the 86th minute to seal the win.
Despite the final scoreline, it was far from a comfortable evening for Mikel Arteta’s side. Athletic Club, returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2014-15, came out flying in front of a passionate home crowd in Bilbao. Arsenal were pinned back early, with Alejandro Berenguer causing consistent problems down the flank.
Arsenal’s best opportunity in a sluggish first half came when Viktor Gyokeres sent a diving header just wide from close range. The Swedish striker later required a bandage after a nasty clash of heads with teammate Gabriel as both attacked the same aerial ball in the box.
Arteta turned to his bench in the second half to shift the momentum, and it paid dividends. The depth of Arsenal’s £250m summer investment was evident, with the quality of their substitutes ultimately proving the difference.
For Martinelli, the performance will come as a welcome boost. After a dip in form and losing his starting spot to new signing Eberechi Eze in recent weeks, his goal and assist could mark a turning point in his season.
While it wasn’t a vintage display from the Gunners, the result and clean sheet ensured the perfect start to their Champions League journey.
