Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed his “finishers” Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard after the second half substitutes fired the Gunners to an opening 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao as the Champions League resumed on Wednesday (AEST).
The pair scored and assisted each other as last season’s beaten semifinalists overvcame a dogged Spanish resistance.
Afterwards, Arteta, who has been in a coaching chat group with Eddie Jones, spoke of the rugby union concept of finishers that he has taken from the former Wallabies coach – players who come from the bench to make an impact, who are considered as important as those who start the games.
The Gunners have built a formidable squad in the off season and had five new players in the starting lineup and two off the bench.
Mikel Arteta said he “loves” the way players are often referred to as “finishers” in rugby union.
“The finishers are going to be more important this season sometimes than the starters,” said Arteta.
“We can change the game there, especially with the intensity that we play and teams start to drop off. I’m very pleased to see that.”
Arteta said he faced tough selection decisions but was impressed by the impact he got off the bench.
“Very pleased because it is very difficult emotionally to leave players out. I know how much they want to play this competition and what it means to them,” Arteta said.
“Every time you give the line-up you are disappointing a lot of players.
“To have that spirit, I looked on the bench and I looked at him [Martinelli], and in his eyes I saw he was ready. Leo [Trossard] as well.
“They play with a confidence and that connection between them as well. Really good. I think that is going to help us a lot this season. It is going to be key this season.”
Landmark win for Real
Kylian Mbappé has converted two penalties as Real Madrid came from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 in their opening night of the Champions League.
The victory makes the 15-time champions the first team since the rebranding of the competition in the early 1990s to reach 200 wins.
And it gave former Madrid playing standout Xabi Alonso a victory in his Champions League debut as the club’s coach.
Timothy Weah put visiting Marseille ahead early on but Mbappé struck back from the penalty spot in the 29th and 81st minutes.
The first penalty came after a foul on Rodrygo and the second for a handball by a defender.
Mbappé now has 50 goals in 64 matches with Madrid.
“We are happy that he keeps scoring goals and has been feeling more and more comfortable,” Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde said.
“Our job is to make sure the ball gets to him and that he can have even more scoring opportunities than he is having now.”
Madrid had Dani Carvajal sent off when his slight headbutt on Marseille goal keeper Gerónimo Rulli sent the keeper tumbling dramatically.
In other matches, an early own goal from keeper Luiz Junior gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over visiting Villarreal.
The victory came on a night when Thomas Partey played before an appearance in court for rape and sexual assault charges.
Thomas Frank’s Spurs claimed three points on their Champions League return after the visiting keeper spilled Lucas Bergvall’s fourth-minute cross in comical fashion.
But it was Villarreal teammate Partey who later took centre stage.
The former Arsenal midfielder was introduced with 12 minutes left to loud boos a month on from his appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court where he was charged with five counts of rape as well as a charge of sexual assault.
The lawyer for Partey, Jenny Wiltshire, has previously said he “denies all the charges against him” and he is due in court again on Wednesday morning – a matter of hours after the Champions League tie.
Insane drama in Turin
Dusan Vlahovic and Lloyd Kelly scored in stoppage time to inspire a dramatic Juventus escape, as they secured a 4-4 draw at home to Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League opener on Wednesday (AEST) where all eight goals came after the break.
The hosts trailed 4-2 when Vlahovic struck his second of the night in the fourth minute of stoppage time and Kelly completed the comeback two minutes later to earn a share of the points.
After a quiet first half, Dortmund found the breakthrough eight minutes after the restart as Karim Adeyemi rifled a precise shot into the far corner from just outside the box.
The hosts drew level in the 63rd minute through Kenan Yildiz, who collected the ball on the edge of the area, steadied himself and bent a superb shot into the far corner to ignite the Juventus fans.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Felix Nmecha restored Dortmund’s advantage barely two minutes later with a crisp first-time finish from distance.
The game’s tempo showed no sign of slowing, and by the 68th minute Juventus were level once more, Vlahovic racing onto a perfectly weighted pass to slot past Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.
The frenzy continued in the 74th minute, when Yan Couto’s low strike squirmed between Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio and the post to put Dortmund back in front.
The visitors were awarded a penalty four minutes from time, after Kelly was penalised for handball with Ramy Bensebaini converting from the spot.
Deep into stoppage time, Vlahovic struck again from a well-placed cross before turning provider for Kelly, who headed in the equaliser to cap a second half to remember.
Stunning win by rookies
Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise kicked off their first-ever Champions League campaign in style, defeating Dutch champions PSV 3-1 away in Eindhoven.
Union got off to a flying start when Promise David scored a penalty in the ninth minute, netting the very first goal of this year’s league phase. Brussels-born Ait El Hadj then doubled the lead just before half-time with a dazzling solo run from midfield.
PSV pushed hard after the break in search of a comeback, but the visitors scored again. Defender Kevin Mac Allister, brother of Liverpool’s Alexis, headed in a corner to make it 0-3. The Dutch side salvaged a consolation goal in the 90th minute, too late to threaten Union’s victory.
© AAP