Mikel Arteta hailed the impact of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as Arsenal’s substitutes sealed a 2-0 Champions League win at Athletic Club.
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Arsenal began their Champions League campaign with a statement 2-0 win at San Mamés, substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard stepping off the bench to decide a contest that had been tight, tense and finely balanced for more than an hour.
The breakthrough, when it came, was classic Martinelli. Barely half a minute after being introduced, he latched onto a flick from Trossard in his own half, sprinted clear of the defence and slid the ball under Unai Simón.
In the closing minutes, the roles were reversed, Martinelli cutting in from the left to square for Trossard, whose shot deflected off Dani Vivian and in off the post.
It was a night that underlined the depth now available to Mikel Arteta. Five of the club’s summer signings started, while players of Martinelli and Trossard’s calibre were able to change the game from the bench.
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Where Arsenal lacked reliable impact options last season, they now look equipped for the demands of a campaign that will stretch across four competitions.
Speaking afterwards, Arteta made clear that this was the standard he expects: “Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi and Leo came on to make the difference for the team. They was outstanding and the rest of the team as well. In many moments, they were at a very good level.
“When someone is able to win the game in those actions and be so clinical, it’s exactly what we need because the threat can come from different ways and different players. I’m very pleased with that. It means that [Gabi and Leo] are connected and they feel that they are really, really important.
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“We have discussed that a lot. We’re going to need that. Piero [Hincapie] comes in and plays five minutes and so does Christian [Norgaard] and it’s the best five minutes of their lives. That’s the spirit that we need amongst the squad. If we have everybody at that level, we’ll win a lot of games.”
The clean sheet was equally significant. Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel held firm against Athletic’s threat, while Martín Zubimendi imposed himself in midfield and Noni Madueke carried the fight down the right.
In the end, Athletic, missing Nico Williams, offered little to trouble David Raya.
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It was Arsenal’s first competitive meeting with Athletic and one of the more daunting fixtures on paper. To emerge with victory, a clean sheet and fresh confidence in the strength of the squad was the ideal start.
For Arteta, back in his native Basque Country, the win carried added resonance. “I’m very happy. It’s an incredible place to come and play football, and the atmosphere is one of the best I’ve seen,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be very difficult, so we had to earn the right to win the game. I think throughout the game we became more and more dominant and much more of a threat. So overall, very good. I’m going to see some family now, I’m looking forward to it. I hope the fans travelled well, they were amazing again.”
It was Arsenal’s fourth successive victory in Spain, following wins in Seville, Girona and Madrid – the first side to win four in a row against Spanish sides.
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