Arsenal eye Champions League charge with revamped attack

Arsenal commencement their bid for Champions League glory against Athletic Bilbao connected Tuesday powered by a new-look onslaught revitalised by the Gunners’ summertime spending spree.

Mikel Arteta’s broadside reached the semi-finals of Europe’s apical contention for the archetypal clip since 2009 past play earlier losing to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal besides fell abbreviated successful the Premier League, wherever they ended arsenic runners-up for a 3rd consecutive season, partially owed to a misfiring guardant line.

Arteta acceptable astir remedying that contented implicit the close-season, with Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze adding other firepower and extent to the Arsenal attack.

With Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus each sidelined by wounded successful the opening weeks of the caller campaign, that costly overhaul has already proved a omniscient investment.

Arteta’s caller trio each impressed successful Saturday’s 3-0 triumph implicit Nottingham Forest successful the Premier League.

England winger Madueke has been successful superb signifier successful Saka’s absence, portion Sweden striker Gyokeres netted against Forest to marque it 3 goals successful his archetypal 4 appearances.

Eze made his afloat debut against Forest connected the near helping and provided the assistance for Gyokeres, portion Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi struck doubly for his archetypal Arsenal goals since arriving from Real Sociedad successful the summer.

Arsenal person won 3 of their opening 4 Premier League games of the run and lone fell to a 1-0 decision astatine rubric rivals Liverpool owed to Dominik Szoboszlai’s superb precocious free-kick.

The pressure, though, is connected Arteta to present the club’s archetypal trophy since 2020 aft years of dense concern successful the transportation market.

“It doesn’t substance what we privation to do, it is what we person to do,” said the Basque coach, who returns to his location portion this week.

– ‘It’s amusive for me’ –

Ahead of their Champions League opener successful Bilbao, determination was 1 acheronian unreality connected Arteta’s different perfect day against Forest.

Captain Martin Odegaard limped disconnected aft 17 minutes with a enarthrosis injury.

Arteta didn’t regularisation the Norway midfielder retired of the travel to Spain, saying: “We person to measure him with the doctors and see, but I’m definite helium volition effort his champion to beryllium acceptable for Tuesday.”

But if Odegaard is sidelined, the onus volition beryllium connected Eze and institution to instrumentality the onslaught to Athletic arsenic they look to marque a beardown commencement to their European challenge.

Arsenal person ne'er won the Champions League and past lifted the Premier League successful 2004.

Ending that barren tally would beryllium a imagination travel existent for Eze, who was released by Arsenal arsenic a 13-year-old.

The England planetary has enjoyed a meteoric emergence since that rejection, earning his mode backmost to Arsenal aft starring successful Palace’s FA Cup-winning tally past season.

Now helium is acceptable to sensation Champions League shot for the archetypal clip successful his career.

“It’s amusive for me. This is wherefore I play football. These are opportunities that you want. This is it for me, truthful I americium enjoying it arsenic overmuch arsenic I can,” Eze said.

“It is peculiar and it’s not everyone that gets to acquisition these types of moments.”

The station Arsenal oculus Champions League complaint with revamped attack appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.