Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign with a gritty 2–0 victory at Athletic Club in Bilbao as two substitutes — Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard — combined to decide the game. Mikel Arteta’s tactical switch late in the second half delivered a swift knockout!
Arsenal laboured for large stretches at San Mamés but were rescued by the cutting edge of their substitutes. With Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze withdrawn, Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench and latched onto a perfectly timed ball over the top from Leandro Trossard in the 72nd minute, scoring just 36 seconds after stepping onto the pitch. Not long after, Martinelli returned the favour — teeing up Trossard whose shot took a deflection and beat goalkeeper Unai Simón to make it 2–0.
For much of the match, Arsenal struggled to fashion clear openings against a combative Athletic side returning to the Champions League after an 11-season absence. Declan Rice returned to the starting XI in place of the injured Martin Ødegaard, and the Gunners’ defence remained solid under pressure. Yet it was the quality and timing of their substitutes that ultimately unlocked the game in a keenly fought contest.
Mikel Arteta lauded the impact of his replacements after the win. “I looked on the bench, I looked at him [Martinelli], and in his eyes I could see that he was ready, Leo as well,” Arteta said. “I was sure he [Martinelli] was going to react like that. That's the moment that hopefully is going to give him the confidence again to go, because he's an outstanding player, and I am so happy he decided the game with his two actions.” The manager added that, this season, the influence of “finishers” from the bench may be as important as the starters.
Arsenal welcomed Declan Rice back into the side and named William Saliba on the bench alongside 15-year-old Max Dowman. Eberechi Eze operated in a wider role on the left this evening rather than the central role he favoured at Crystal Palace, while Gyökeres worked hard but found only half-chances until Martinelli’s decisive intervention. Arteta will take heart from the depth on show as his side prepare for a Premier League test against Manchester City.
The match report singled out Gabriel Martinelli as man of the match after his quickfire contribution; he and Trossard both earned an 8 from the substitutes’ bench. Arsenal’s defensive unit put in a steady shift and the side leave Bilbao with a perfect start in their European campaign.
