Arsenal show at Athletic that they possess the depth to win the Champions League

BILBAO, Spain -- It took conscionable 36 seconds for Gabriel Martinelli to warrant Mikel Arteta's content that Arsenal present person the squad to triumph the UEFA Champions League. After 70 minutes of toil against Athletic Club successful Spain, Martinelli's instant interaction arsenic a match-winning substitute proved that Arteta present has game-changers connected and disconnected the pitch.

Martinelli's goal, 36 seconds aft replacing Eberechi Eze, came from a walk by Leandro Trossard, who had lone entered the crippled himself six minutes earlier successful spot of Viktor Gyökeres. Fifteen minutes later, Martinelli past turned creator for Trossard to people Arsenal's 2nd to headdress a 2-0 victory against Ernesto Valverde's squad successful Bilbao and acceptable the Gunners connected their mode to a winning commencement successful the League Stage.

Twenty-four hours earlier, addressing the media successful his pre-match quality conference, Arteta spoke of learning from past season's adjacent miss. He said that the club's £300 cardinal summertime recruitment thrust had fixed him a squad that was beardown capable and heavy capable to situation for a trophy that Arsenal person ne'er antecedently won.

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So erstwhile 2 substitutes participate the enactment and proceed to triumph the game, it says everything astir the prime that Arsenal person present assembled for their manager.

"Sometimes the finishers volition beryllium much important than the starters this season," Arteta told reporters aft the match. "And successful the end, the finishers made the interaction to triumph the game. [The substitutes] are astatine slightest arsenic important, and possibly much important, successful that signifier of games.

"I adore [Martinelli]. His attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he's consenting to bash for the team. I don't cognize astir externally, but we surely worth each the qualities that helium has and that helium brings to the team, and I'm truthful blessed that contiguous helium decided the game.

"When I looked connected the seat and looked astatine him, successful his eyes I could spot that helium was ready, [Trossard] arsenic well. They play with that assurance and that transportation betwixt them arsenic good and truly good. I deliberation that's going to assistance america a batch this season."

When Arsenal's Champions League escapade came to an extremity past season, with a 2-1 decision distant to Paris Saint-Germain that sealed a 3-1 aggregate semifinal exit, Arteta's seat included the likes of Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho and Raheem Sterling -- each of whom are nary longer astatine the nine -- and untested youngsters specified arsenic Read Entire Article