Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli broke a Gunners record in their historically significant 2-0 victoryover Athletic Bilbao in matchweek one of the Champions League.
The scoreline at the San Mames Stadium did not tell the full story for Mikel Arteta's side, who toiled for 70 minutes and had to survive a couple of scares in their own defensive third against Ernesto Valverde's team.
However, the Gunners' mighty defence stood firm to keep Athletic at bay, although Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze could not combine for the goal that the visitors craved.
After the new signings failed to leave their mark, though, Arteta turned to his bench to devastating effect, as Martinelli and Leandro Trossard remarkably both played provider for one another to make the net ripple.
The Brazilian was the first to benefit from the Belgian's playmaking, running onto Trossard's chipped ball behind the defence and firing a low strike underneath Unai Simon to break the deadlock in Bilbao.
Martinelli sets new Arsenal goalscoring record in Athletic win
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Zubimendi celebrate on September 16, 2025
Martinelli's goal came just 36 seconds after he was brought off the bench, and the 24-year-old has now scored the Gunners' quickest-ever substitute goal in their Champions League history.
Furthermore, only one player last season managed to score a Champions League goal in less time after coming off the bench; Ademola Lookman took 35 seconds to register for Atalanta BC against Club Brugge as a substitute.
Martinelli then repaid the favour for Trossard with just three minutes of normal time remaining, speeding past his man and getting to the byline in the left-hand side of the penalty area before picking out his fellow replacement.
Trossard ostensibly made a mistake by not getting his shot away first time, but the 30-year-old nevertheless picked out the far corner via the aid of a wicked deflection to double the visitors' lead.
Trossard's insurance goal also made sure of Arsenal's place in the history books, as the Gunners are now the first side in European Cup history to ever beat Spanish teams in six straight matches.
Arteta oversaw a pair of victories against Sevilla in the 2023-24 group stage, a 2-1 win over Girona in the 2024-25 league phase and a phenomenal 5-1 aggregate success over Los Blancos in last year's quarter-finals before Tuesday's success.
Do Martinelli, Trossard start against Manchester City?
Arsenal's Leandro Trossard pictured on September 16, 2025
After Tuesday's captivating cameos, the question now is whether Martinelli and Trossard have done enough to force their way into the starting lineup for Sunday's Premier League battle with Manchester City.
It would be a surprise to see the latter promoted to the XI, as Viktor Gyokeres is a certainty in the final third of the field, so long as he does not suffer any lingering effects from the cut to the back of his head in Bilbao.
However, the explosiveness and direct running that Martinelli showed tonight could work wonders against Pep Guardiola's side, and that is an alteration that Arteta should certainly consider.
Instead of dropping Eze, though, the Spaniard could start the England international in Martin Odegaard's spot if the captain does not recover from a shoulder injury, which would mean Mikel Merino being the unfortunate sacrifice.
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