Arsenal launched their Champions League journey on a winning note as super-subs Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard combined to seal a 2-0 triumph over Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés.
The opening half offered little in the way of entertainment, with Mikel Arteta’s side struggling to find rhythm in a scrappy, stop-start contest.
Their clearest sight of goal came when Viktor Gyökeres glanced a header wide before a nasty clash of heads with Gabriel Magalhães, though the striker was able to continue.
Bilbao, missing injured winger Nico Williams, still threatened on occasions, while Arsenal’s expensive summer recruits found it difficult to impose themselves in attack.
Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration after the break, and it paid off handsomely. Trossard and Martinelli combined brilliantly for the Brazilian to break the deadlock with 20 minutes to play.
Moments before the final whistle, the roles were reversed as Martinelli’s assist allowed Trossard to fire home via a deflection and double the Gunners’ advantage.
Arsenal calmly navigated six minutes of stoppage time to wrap up the win and with it, a slice of history as the first team to defeat Spanish opposition in six consecutive European Cup matches.
