Arsenal Wins Without Shining
Without dazzling but showing solidity, Arsenal marked their Champions League debut with a 2-0 victory at San Mamés against Athletic Bilbao.
Arsenal’s success came from their bench. After struggling for more than an hour against an Athletic side that’s always tough at home, the Gunners finally made the difference. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring after latching onto a through ball from fellow substitute Leandro Trossard, the Brazilian’s legs doing the rest to finish off the goal.
The roles were reversed for the second goal, with Martinelli providing the assist and Trossard applying the finish. The Brazilian broke down the wing, and his cutback found the former Brighton player, who calmly slotted it home with his trademark composure.
For their first Champions League match in 11 years, Athletic showed no fear, pressing high up the pitch, but they never managed to trouble David Raya.