“Impactors,” Mikel Arteta called them, and Gabriel Martinelli made quite an impact at San Mamés. “Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club,” the Arsenal manager said last spring – and although describing the goal that set up victory here in those terms would be pushing it, the beginning of a Champions League campaign in which they aspire to do just that underlined why he has insisted on the importance of strength in depth.
On a night when they were without seven key men and were yet to find a way through a club that are the ultimate in resistance, the solution came from the bench.
One second it was not, but Martinelli had been on the pitch for only 36 of them when he was suddenly away, racing behind the Athletic Bilbao defence and slipping the ball under Unai Simón to put Arsenal into the lead with 18 minutes left. As if to prove the point, Leandro Trossard, another substitute who had come on just five minutes before him, had provided the pass for it and then added the second to secure the win. The man who set him up? Martinelli.
Last season Arsenal had ultimately paid for a lack of depth, Arteta had said; this season they have started victorious thanks to the men waiting in reserve. For much of a noisy night when Noni Madueke had been the most consistent threat, Arsenal had struggled to carve out clear chances. But then a loose ball dropped in midfield and Trossard got there first, sending it looping into space. Martinelli was on to it fast and if the first touch was a little heavy, the second was superb, enabling him to escape Andoni Gorosabel and steer under the body of Simón.
High in a corner of San Mamés the Arsenal fans erupted, and then in final moments they celebrated again when Trossard received from Martinelli and lifted a shot into the net. They had been part of a historic night for their hosts here and they had been in a contest too, but they had come through it, the first step towards what they hope is a historic season in Europe. One for which they have invested heavily, the cost of the starting XIs telling a story: €12m (£10m) versus €567m.
Not that Athletic wanted that reality to be an excuse not to compete; it never has been, far from it. Embracing it, fighting it, is their entire identity. While Arsenal dominated possession early,it seemed designed to control rather than to create, and Athletic took this match to them, turning it into a proper contest, even if it was one that ultimately they would not win.
Mikel Jauregizar got the first real shot off after five minutes, Gabriel Magalhães blocking the ball and Declan Rice catching the Athletic midfielder. That earned him a yellow which at times appeared to have him on a fine line. Jauregizar then almost found Adama Boiro coming in at the far post. And next Alejandro Berenguer, dashing forward, was blocked by Gabriel.
Arsenal, though, were starting to tilt the balance and on 20 minutes Gorosabel had to make a superb interception inside the six-yard box ahead of Riccardo Calafiori and Eberechi Eze, who did not seem to see him coming.
That move had begun on the left, where Iñaki Williams had been caught by Jurriën Timber, who then combined with Madueke, and that was to become a well-worn path.
Madueke was repeatedly the threat, although when Arsenal got their clearest sight of goal it came on the other side, when Mikel Merino set Viktor Gyökeres away. As he sprinted into the area, though, Dani Vivian came to meet him and his shot lacked the power of direction to truly trouble Simón. A better opportunity followed when Gyökeres dived in to head just past the post. When Gabriel headed soon after he clashed heads with the Swede, and was left bleeding and bandaged up.
Arsenal were increasing pressure, although Athletic did find a second wind and a way out. Berenguer shot wide after he was slipped in by Williams and Robert Navarro was blocked by the seemingly insuperable obstacle of Gabriel. From the corner, Oihan Sancet headed over.
Madueke kept running. Sprinting clear he cut into the area and, although he could have pulled back to Gyökeres, he had spotted a gap opened at the near post only to be denied by a strong right hand from Simón. His half-blocked shot then skidded through to the keeper and a dinked cross dropped into Simon’s arms: that was three approaches inside the opening eight minutes of the second half, but it was still not enough. At the other end, Williams worked the space for a shot that David Raya stopped by the near post.
The changes came, the test of that strength in depth upon which Arteta has placed such stress – and here it was, point proven immediately, the game won. Off went Gyökeres and Eze and on came the impactors.
