Arsenal secured a scrappy win in the Basque Country, with goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard sealing the three points.
Squad depth proved crucial for manager Mikel Arteta as the Gunners scored twice in the final 20 minutes at San Mames.
Read below as we give our Arsenal player ratings for the 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao:
Goalkeeper and Defence
GK – David Raya – 7/10 – made a good save from Inaki Williams and cleared his lines well when called upon.
RB – Jurrien Timber – 8/10 – the Dutchman was excellent defensively and he should have had an assist but Viktor Gyokeres failed to connect properly with his cross.
CB – Cristhian Mosquera – 7/10 – barring one moment when Alex Berengueur got past him, it was a solid performance from the defender.
CB – Gabriel – 7/10 – made several important blocks to keep Athletic at bay early in the game.
LB – Riccardo Calafiori – 6/10 – the fullback’s passing was a little off and he didn’t get forward as effectively as Timber. Nonetheless, he didn’t give anything away defensively.