Athletic Club 0-2 Arsenal: Super-sub Martinelli gives Arsenal perfect Champions League start | OneFootball

Arsenal made it a record six wins in a row against LaLiga opposition in a competitive affair at the Estadio San Mamés.

Chances for Viktor Gyökeres and Oihan Sancet were the closest each team got in the first half to breaking the deadlock.

In the second, Gabriel Martinelli latched onto a hopeful flick by Leandro Trossard and opened the scoring for the Gunners 36 seconds after stepping onto the field.

Trossard doubled the lead and secured the three points for Arsenal after Martinelli picked him out inside of Athletic Club’s area, his shot helped in by a deflection which saw it beat Unai Simón.

As it happened

While Arsenal were the side that looked to dictate the ball, the first chance of the match fell to Athletic Club. Declan Rice lunged in late on the edge of the area and earned himself an early booking, however Adama Boiro’s powerful effort from a short free kick struck a teammate in a crowded 18-yard box.

As 20 minutes struck the clock, the visitors ventured forward for the first time. Jurriën Timber’s hunger won the ball in a dangerous position, and Noni Madueke looked to slide the ball into Eberechi Eze within the box. Were it not for a sliding Andoni Gorosabel, it would have been 1-0 to the Gunners.

Arsenal continued to grow within the game. Some more smart play from Mikel Arteta’s side found Timber with space and time on the right wing. His cross flashed across the face of goal but maybe just too fast for Gyökeres, whose diving header went wide of the target.

A few moments before half-time Zuri-Gorriak flew forward as they looked to catch their opposition outnumbered. Sancet got in behind and the wrong side of Martín Zubimendi, who will have been grateful to watch Sancet’s shot roll past David Raya and inches wide of the far corner.

It didn’t take long for the entertainment to continue into the second half. Gyökeres held the ball up well and released Madueke who bettered Daniel Vivian for pace but couldn’t dig a good enough cross out for his striker, which allowed Simón to intervene.

After a passive night for Eze out on the left for the Gunners, Arteta looked to the bench for Trossard and Martinelli. An important flick from the Belgian released the pacey Brazilian through on goal but still with work to do and ground to cover and that he did. He escaped the defenders in red and white and coolly slotted underneath Simón to give Arsenal the lead.

It was the same pair again who doubled the visitors lead and put the game to bed. Scorer turned provider this time, as Martinelli took his man and found Trossard whose shot deflected past a dejected Simón, who knew then that his team had too steep a mountain to climb.

The visitors remained strong as ever in defence, as they kept another clean sheet, making it four already this season in five games across all competitions, they turn their heads towards Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium in two weeks time. The hosts will look to bounce back with a tricky fixture away to Borussia Dortmund on the 1st of October.

The lineups

ATH: Simón; Boiro, Paredes, Vivian, Gorosabel; Jauregizar, Vesga; Navarro, Sancet, Berenguer; Williams

ARS: Raya; Calafiori, Gabriel, Mosquera, Timber; Merino, Zubimendi, Rice; Eze, Gyökeres, Madueke