Arsenal were made to work hard for their 2–0 victory over Athletic Club on Tuesday, with efforts from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard ensuring a winning start to their Champions League campaign.
Last season’s European semifinalists cancelled one another out during an uninspiring first half, with Viktor Gyökeres producing the only shot on target of an evenly-contested affair in Bilbao.
But two moments of quality decided the tie in the second half, with Arsenal forwards Martinelli and Trossard etching their name on the scoresheet from the bench to get the Gunners over the line.
Here are three takeaways from a competitive encounter at San Mamés.
Super Subs to the Rescue
Arsenal knew they were likely to be pushed all the way in their first European outing of the season, with the home side spurred on by an electric atmosphere at San Mamés. They were not disappointed by their hosts, who offered little attacking invention but frustrated the Gunners with their defensive organisation.
It looked for 70 minutes as if Arsenal were going to have to accept an underwhelming point from their Champions League opener, but two inspired substitutions from Mikel Arteta turned the tide in their favour in the closing stages.
Martinelli scored within 36 seconds of his introduction as he raced away from the Athletic defence and fired beyond Unai Simón from close range. It was the kind of decisive impact that has been lacking from the Brazilian’s game in recent months, but he put pressure on summer signing Eberechi Eze with an excellent goal and assist from the bench.
Trossard, who replaced Gyökeres after the hour mark, set up Martinelli’s opener with a neat flick and provided a deflected second for Arsenal after being teed up by his fellow substitute. The Belgian has been an afterthought for many supporters this season after a summer spending spree, but once again proved his worth with a telling contribution.
It was certainly not a vintage attacking display from the Gunners, but they now boast the offensive depth required to edge matches of such fine margins.
Noni Madueke Stars Again
Arsenal struggled against the might and ferocity of Athletic’s defence, but Noni Madueke was undoubtedly their bright spark. Having starred against Nottingham Forest last time out, the summer recruit once again silenced his naysayers with a lively if slightly unpolished performance in Bilbao.
Madueke was often single-handedly tasked with unlocking the Athletic backline and he showed glimpses of his speed, ingenuity and, most importantly, attacking bravery even within a tepid first half at San Mamés. He caused issues for left back Adama Boiro and was the visitors’ only realistic route to goal.
Once more, Arsenal looked to Madueke after the break. He was fed regularly down Arsenal’s right, where he started in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, and looked to make things happen with every foray into the final third—even if his final product was sometimes lacking.
Madueke completed more dribbles than anybody else on the pitch, 11 touches in the opposition penalty area and three shots. He was a constant menace on an evening where Arsenal were crying out for individual brilliance.
Another Clean Sheet
Arsenal’s relatively tame attacking performance cannot detract from what was another stellar defensive display from the Gunners. Another shutout against Athletic means they have kept four clean sheets from their five competitive matches this season, conceding only once to a piece of unstoppable magic from Dominik Szoboszlai in the defeat to Liverpool.
Arteta fielded the same defensive unit that started the weekend victory over Forest, with each individual component of his backline working in perfect harmony once again. David Raya was on hand to match Athletic’s rare efforts on goal, with another eye-catching performance from summer signing Cristhian Mosquera alongside Gabriel in the heart of defence.
Riccardo Calafiori was impressive up against the speed and tenacity of Iñaki Williams, offering the Athletic forward little room in which to operate, while Jurriën Timber also conjured a defiant defensive performance alongside his frequent and testing bursts into the final third.
Arsenal’s exceptional defensive organisation will ensure another deep run in the Champions League—and they still have William Saliba to welcome back into the starting XI.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Takeaways From Arsenal’s Hard-Fought 2–0 Win Over Athletic Club.
