Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid: Gunners continue perfect start to Champions League campaign | OneFootball

Arsenal secured a third consecutive win in the UEFA Champions League after a 13-minute frenzy in the second half saw the North London side defeat Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid 4-0.

Gyökeres scored two goals for Mikel Arteta’s side after a nine-game goal drought, while Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli also got on the scoresheet.

As it happened

As the match kicked off, Arsenal showed they were keen to make an immediate impact. In the first six minutes, Eberechi Eze struck the ball from just outside the box, only to hit the post. Declan Rice followed in on the rebound but knocked the ball just wide of the net.

Despite a goalless first half, there was plenty of entertainment. Arsenal were able to take advantage of an out of form Atlético squad, consistently creating chances and driving the ball into Jan Oblak’s box. Atlético seemed to have their focus primarily on preventing goals over securing one themselves, as they managed to block several shots from Arsenal with ease.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made a huge mistake midway through the first half. The Spaniard left his area only to be caught out by Atlético’s Julián Alvarez. The Argentianian shot the ball across the pitch, leaving Raya scrambling to run back to the undefended goal, but his effort travelled wide.

Jurriën Timber looked to open the scoring 26 minutes in, but his left footed shot from just outside the box rolled directly into Oblak’s hands, keeping Arsenal frustrated.

Atlético remained under threat throughout the rest of the first half, with Arsenal captain Bukayo Saka proving to be a creative outlet for The Gunners. He chipped the ball through a crowded Atlético box to Gabriel Martinelli who tapped the ball into the bottom left corner. To add to Arsenal’s growing frustration at missed goal opportunities, VAR officials disallowed the goal for offside.

The second half looked to be Atlético’s for the first ten minutes. The away side came back from the break looking stronger and much more threatening. Dávid Hancko and Alvarez had a neat linkup in the 46th, with the latter taking a shot towards Raya’s goal once again, only to hit the crossbar.

The deadloack was eventually broken by Arsenal 56 minutes into the match. A foul against Martinelli by Marcos Llorente gave Arsenal a free kick, which was taken by Rice. His in-swinging delivery was found by Gabriel Magalhães, who gently headed the ball straight past Oblak.

At this point, Atlético looked increasingly frustrated. They bounced back after Gabriel’s goal, maintaining possession and driving play into Arsenal’s defensive third, achieving two more shots on target.

However, Arsenal finally seemed to have found their footing. Martinelli scored the second goal of the match after a surging run from Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Brazilian has managed to score a goal in all three Champions League matches this season.

Atlético had no time to recover as Viktor Gyökeres scored two goals in four minutes. The Arsenal striker had experienced a nine-match goal drought before this game. Gyökeres’ brace not only secured Arsenal’s win but relieved pressure for the striker after his role in the team had been questioned by critics in recent weeks.

The final minutes of the match were primarily damage control for Atlético, as they desperately tried to prevent an even heavier defeat. The Spanish side will no doubt be disappointed with their performance. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s season seems to be going from strength to strength. Mikel Arteta’s squad now have five days to prepare for their next match against Crystal Palace.

The lineups

ARS: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Martinelli, Gyökeres; Saka.