Arsenal opened their account in this season’s Champions League, landing their first three points in the league phase.
The Gunners travelled to San Mames, taking on Athletic Club in a tough opening clash for this campaign.
It was a difficult first few moments in the game for Arsenal, as they weathered the storm from the home side.
[
Click to subscribe to the podcast ](https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBackFour?sub_confirmation=1)
They grew into it, and in the end, it was Mikel Arteta’s substitute bench that helped his side towards victory.
Gabriel Martinelli’s blistering pace on a counter-attack opened the scoring, before Leandro Trossard sealed the win with a cool finish.
While the subs will get plenty of praise for their role in Arsenal’s win over Athletic Club, there was another attacking star who received some praise for his display.
Arsenal players celebrate scoring against Athletic Club in the Champions League
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Paul Robinson praises Noni Madueke’s performance for Arsenal against Athletic Club
When Arsenal signed Noni Madueke this summer, there were plenty of raised eyebrows from fans as they questioned his quality and the fee paid to rivals Chelsea.
So far, however, the winger has proven a lot of people wrong with his displays in the absence of Bukayo Saka through injury.
Another start on the right came for the England international, and he proved once again why he is receiving so much praise.
Time and again, Noni Madueke had the beating of his opposition full-back, but wasn’t quite able to find the end product in the final third.
It led to some praise from former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who spoke about Arsenal’s performance on BBC 5Live.
He claimed: “Let’s not underestimate the job that they’ve done. They played against the team with the best defensive record in La Liga last season. They were always going to be a hard team to beat at home.”
On the player’s performances, Robinson added: “Noni Madueke was excellent the whole time down the right-hand side.
“Eberechi Eze never really got in the game, and that forced the manager’s hand. The substitutes came on, and it was the perfect time as the game opened up for them. A really good start to the season for Arsenal.”
Madueke’s performances continue to catch the eye, and he’s showing little sign of slowing down any time soon.
Noni Madueke dribbles with the ball during Athletic Club vs Arsenal in the Champions League
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Noni Madueke’s statistics during Athletic Club vs Arsenal
Madueke continues to show his quality, even when the goals and assists haven’t quite followed in Arsenal colours.
There were plenty of actions from the winger, who took three shots, although the xG value only came to 0.1 overall.
During the game, the winger took 49 touches, completing 50% of his dribbles against the opposition.
The main concern for him may be his crossing, as he failed to land any of his six attempts to get the ball into the box.
He may feel aggrieved about one of those, though, as Eberechi Eze missed a glorious chance from a cut-back into the box.
Overall, it’s yet another display for Madueke to build from, as he looks to add more goals and assists to his tally.