Arsenal - Mikel Arteta
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal opened their 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the intimidating San Mames Stadium on Tuesday night.
The result not only secured three vital points in the new-look league phase but also etched the Gunners’ name into European football history as the first team to win six consecutive matches against Spanish opposition in the competition’s storied past.
Super-substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard proved decisive in the second half, turning a cagey affair into a memorable away win for Mikel Arteta’s side. Martinelli, introduced in the 71st minute, needed just 36 seconds to break the deadlock, latching onto a lofted pass from Trossard before coolly slotting past Unai Simon.
Trossard then sealed the points 13 minutes later, pouncing on a cut-back from Martinelli and poking home via a deflection off the post to send the traveling Arsenal faithful into raptures.
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The opening 45 minutes offered little in the way of clear-cut chances, with Athletic renowned for their Basque-only policy and high-pressing style, edging possession and territory. The hosts, under Ernesto Valverde, carved out the better openings early on, but Arsenal’s backline, marshalled by the imperious Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera, stood firm.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli combined to score the two goals for Arsenal against Athletic Bilbao (Image credit: Getty Images)
David Raya was rarely tested, though he was alert to deny a curling effort from Dani Vivian and a header from Alex Berenguer late in the half.
Arteta’s halftime adjustments injected fresh energy into the visitors. Noni Madueke, starting on the right, forced a smart save from Simon with a deflected snapshot shortly after the restart, while Viktor Gyokeres flashed a header wide from Jurrien Timber’s inviting cross. As the game opened up, Arsenal’s quality shone through, culminating in the substitute duo’s lethal one-two punch.
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The victory extends Arsenal’s remarkable streak against La Liga sides, a run that began in the 2023/24 season with back-to-back wins over Sevilla, followed by last year’s stunning quarter-final elimination of Real Madrid. A triumph away at Girona in the group phase last season added to the sequence, and now Bilbao has fallen, completing a historic sixth successive victory over Spanish opposition.
For Arteta, a Basque native whose family hails from the region, the result carried extra emotional weight. Athletic, who finished fourth in La Liga last season and came into the clash unbeaten in their last five home European games, put in a spirited display but were left to rue their lack of ruthlessness.
Arsenal’s European odyssey resumes on Matchday 2 against Olympiacos at the Emirates on October 1.
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