In the second half of Arsenal’s perfect Champions League debut on Tuesday, Victor Gyokeres scored twice as they defeated Atletico Madrid 4-0 to extend their perfect start.
Before Gyokeres’ nine-game goal drought was ended in a 13-minute period either side of the hour mark, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli opened the floodgates.
The Premier League leaders are also sitting comfortably at the top of the table, just two points clear of Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan from their opening three games, with the only other team to have earned nine points from those three games.
In a stunning campaign for the Gunners, Mikel Arteta’s lack of goals was one of the players’ concerns.
In his 11 previous appearances, the Swede had only scored three goals in home games against Leeds and Nottingham Forest, ending Arsenal’s lack of a clinical number nine.
Diego Simeone will be concerned about Atletico’s continued lack of a win away from home this season and how the Spanish side collapsed following a competitive opening.
With yet another clean sheet this season, Arsenal has only conceded three of its own in all competitions.
Julian Alvarez missed a chance to lead the visitors in the first half thanks to a poor David Raya clearance, which he missed twice, before hitting the ball from outside the box shortly after half-time.
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Arsenal’s best attempt of the first 45 minutes was Eberechi Eze’s deflected effort, which also fell off the woodwork.
However, Arteta’s men were able to rely on their strength from set pieces, as they have frequently done in recent years, to achieve the breakthrough.
The stooping Gabriel tapped a header into the bottom corner after Declan Rice’s in-swinging free kick was perfectly weighted.
Only two of Arteta’s changes to left-back Myles Lewis Skelly came on Saturday, when they won 1-0 at Fulham.
The England international has played second fiddle to Riccardo Calafiori most of the season, but his driving run helped Arteta open the door to a second goal.
Martinelli scored his third goal in as many Champions League games by curling into the far corner after Lewis Skelly had picked him out.
When Gyokeres’ shot from close range deflected off David Hancko, giving Jan Oblak a little hope, he finally received the fortune he needed to end his miserable spell in front of goal.
After Gabriel once more headed the first header into Rice’s corner, Gyokeres converted from even closer to the goal three minutes later.
With a focus on Crystal Palace’s Premier League trip on Sunday, Arteta could afford the luxury of reserving Gabriel, Gyokeres, Eze, Jurrien Timber, and Martin Zubimendi in the dying stages.
For the first time since 2009, Arsenal reached the semi-finals, but they lost to PSG, who had become the eventual champion.
After another significant summer of significant transfer spending, the Gunners’ quest to conquer Europe for the first time in club history makes them even stronger.
Only three points have been scored in Atletico’s first three games, compared to their previous defeat at Liverpool last month.
Source: Channels TV
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