Super Subs Fire Arsenal Past Athletic in San Mamés Cauldron‎

By Bashir Adigun
Contributor

Arsenal’s Champions League return began with a statement in Bilbao as Mikel Arteta’s side overcame Athletic Club 2–0, thanks to the brilliance of substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
For much of the night, it was a cagey contest inside San Mamés, where Athletic fans roared their team in their first Champions League outing in 11 years. The Basque club, unbeaten in six of their seven Europa League home fixtures last season, looked the sharper side early on. Their high pressing and physical duels unsettled Arsenal in the first half where chances were scarce.
David Raya was kept largely untested, though Arsenal’s backline had to stay alert as Alex Berenguer nodded wide and Dani Viviane dragged a low shot past the far post just before the break. At the other end, Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke carried threats, with the Swede coming close with a diving header before suffering a nasty clash of heads with Gabriel.
“It was one of the greatest atmospheres I have ever experienced,” Arteta admitted afterward. “The first 20–25 minutes were really tough, but after that we grew into the game. In the second half, we were more fluent, more dominant, and much more of a threat”.
That threat crystallized after the hour mark when Arteta turned to his bench. Trossard and Martinelli entered the fray within minutes of each other—and transformed the match.
Just 36 seconds after his introduction, Martinelli latched onto a Trossard flick near the halfway line. With space to run into, the Brazilian burst 50 yards before sliding the ball under Unai Simón to silence the San Mamés. It was a strike reminiscent of his previous long-range goals in Spain against Sevilla and Real Madrid, completing a personal “Spanish hat-trick.”
“The finishers made the impact tonight,” said Arteta, using the term he prefers to describe substitutes. “I keep telling them they are at least equally important, sometimes more important, than the starters. We can change games from the bench, and today proved it.”
Arsenal pressed for more and were rewarded in the 86th minute. Martinelli turned provider, cutting inside from the left and finding Trossard in the box. The Belgian’s low effort took a deflection onto the post before spinning over the line, sealing the points and etching Arsenal into history as the first club ever to win six straight European Cup matches against Spanish opposition.
Awarded Player of the Match, Martinelli was beaming at full-time.
“I’m really happy with the result, the goal, and the assist as well,” he said. “To win here is really difficult—the atmosphere was amazing—but we stayed clinical. I told the guys on the bench there was space in behind. Leo saw me, gave a great ball, and I just tried to put it in the net. For the second, I knew they were tired, so I looked to beat my man and pick out Leo.”
His manager was equally full of praise: “I adore Gabi—his attitude, his positivity, his commitment. He fully deserved this. You could see in his eyes before coming on that he was ready. That mentality is what makes him special.”
The victory not only launches Arsenal’s Champions League campaign in style but also maintains their record of not conceding from open play this season. Focus now shifts back to domestic duty, with Manchester City visiting the Emirates on Sunday in a heavyweight Premier League clash, before a League Cup trip to Port Vale and a tricky away game at Newcastle United.
For Arteta, the night was a reminder of both resilience and ambition. “This team cares for each other, they look after each other, and they want the best for each other. That’s why I enjoy working with them every single day. Tonight was proof of that spirit.”