Takeaways From Arsenal’s Hard-Fought 2–0 Win Over Athletic Club

By Abdul Noah Ocholi

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 Each Other Out During An Uninspiring First Half, With Viktor Gyökeres Producing The Only Shot On Target In An Evenly Contested Affair At San Mamés.

However, Two Moments Of Quality In The Second Half Ultimately Decided The Tie, With Arsenal Forwards Martinelli And Trossard Etching Their Names On The Scoresheet From The Bench To Get The Gunners Over The Line.

Here Are Three Key Takeaways From A Competitive Encounter In Bilbao:

Super Subs To The Rescue

Arsenal Knew They Would Likely 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. While Athletic Club Offered Little Attacking Invention, They Frustrated The Gunners With Their Defensive Organisation.

It Looked For 70 Minutes As If Arsenal Would Have To Settle For 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.

Gabriel Martinelli Scored Within 36 Seconds Of His Introduction, Racing Away From The Athletic Defence And Firing Beyond Unai Simón From Close Range. The Goal Demonstrated The Brazilian’s Decisive Impact, A Spark That Had Been Missing From His Game In Recent Months, And Put Pressure On Summer Signing Eberechi Eze With An Excellent Goal And Assist From The Bench.

Leandro Trossard, Who Replaced Gyökeres After The Hour Mark, Played A Crucial Role In Both Goals. He Set Up Martinelli’s Opener With A Neat Flick And Later Provided A Deflected Second Goal For Arsenal After Being Teed Up By His Fellow Substitute. The Belgian, Who Has Been Somewhat Overlooked By Supporters This Season Following A Summer Spending Spree, Once Again Proved His Worth With A Telling Contribution.

With This Victory, Arsenal Kick Off Their Champions League Campaign On A High Note, Showing That Depth And Strategic Substitutions Can Make All The Difference In Tight European Contests.