Arsenal wins 2-0 at Bilbao thanks to substitutes Martinelli and Trossard
Arsenal defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on the road Tuesday to start their Champions League campaign. Gabriel Martinelli scored the first goal off the bench, and Leandro Trossard, another substitute, scored the second.
Despite being the superior team that evening, Mikel Arteta’s team, who had lost to eventual champions Paris St-Germain in the previous season’s semi-final, struggled to defeat Athletic, who were supported by a raucous San Mames stadium, until the substitutes showed up.
After less than a minute on the field, Martinelli scored an impressive solo goal to replace Eberechi Eze in the 71st minute. Despite creating numerous chances, Arsenal was unable to find a breakthrough.
Trossard’s flicked pass sent the Brazilian striker sprinting through on goal, and three minutes from time, the two linked once more, with Trossard finishing off Martinelli’s pullback from the byline.
“We knew that the first 20 to 25 minutes were going to be really tough, especially the way they play, so intense,” Arteta stated.
“The second half we were much more fluent, dominant and looked much more of a threat and in the end the finishers they made the impact for us to win the game.”
It took some time for the game to start, but then Arsenal took the initiative and started to generate chances. After a ball from Noni Madueke, Eze was poised to shoot from close range when Athletic defender Andoni Gorosabel made a vital clearance.
Arsenal looked to Viktor Gyokeres’ strength and movement to get past Athletic’s defense. Gyokeres had two chances: a diving header that missed and a strike that never bothered Athletic keeper Unai Simon.
SECOND-HALF REPLACEMENTS
Athletic always posed a threat on the counter, but the game was falling short of the wild mood in the bleachers as Arsenal started to turn the tide and apply more pressure in the early part of the second half.
Arteta substituted Trossard for Gyokeres, but Arsenal didn’t really take off until Martinelli was brought on.
“They are at least equally important or more important and the finishers are going to be more important sometimes this season than the starters,” Arteta stated.
Martinelli was sent through by Trossard’s ball from inside his own half. He controlled it well, surged forward into the box, and maintained composure to put a low shot past Simon.
“Fully deserved, I adore Gabi, his attitude, his commitment, his positivity, and what he’s willing to do for the team,” said Arteta.
After passing his marker, Martinelli changed direction and found Trossard, who had time to touch the ball before it deflected and went past the keeper.
Arsenal nearly had to settle for a similar outcome after starting the season with a 0-0 draw against Atalanta, but Arteta used his bench to upset an Athletic team that was playing in the Champions League for the first time since 2014.
On October 1, Arsenal will play their next Champions League match against Olympiakos, while Athletic will travel to Borussia Dortmund on the same day.
