Arsenal continued their solid start to 2025/2026 with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Tuesday, courtesy of super sub duo Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal see off Athletic Bilbao with crucial Champions League win
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding Martinelli's future, with the Brazilian recently tipped to leave in January as he's no longer a guaranteed starter, Mikel Arteta was sent a clear message after his heroics in Spain.
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal — players of the match Match Rating
Leandro Trossard 8.1/10
Gabriel Martinelli 7.9/10
Jurrien Timber 7.4/10
Riccardo Calafiori 7.4/10
Cristhian Mosquera 7.3/10
via WhoScored
The 24-year-old put in a match-winning display off the bench, scoring Arsenal's opener after breaking away from the Bilbao defence to fire home, with Martinelli setting up fellow exit-linked teammate Leandro Trossard for their second of the 90.
Arteta heaped praise on Martinelli for his stunning European display after Arsenal struggled to break down Bilbao, with the forward ultimately showcasing that he still has plenty to offer in the Premier League title race.
Alongside Martinelli and Trossard, summer signing Cristhian Mosquera also impressed yet again in place of the unavailable William Saliba.
The 21-year-old, who Arsenal believe could be one of the best in the world over these next few years (Graeme Bailey), has been an assured presence at the heart of Arteta's backline — despite his young age and inexperience playing English football.
Mosquera-Trossard-Arsenal
Noni Madueke has arguably been Arsenal's most impressive summer signing thus far, but Mosquera is proving to be worth every penny of the initial £13 million that Andrea Berta paid to sign him from Valencia.
He put in yet another excellent showing against Bilbao, and it's arguably harsh that Arteta will be forced to drop Mosquera once Saliba fully returns to the fold.
Andrea Berta thinks Cristhian Mosquera is a "bargain" for Arsenal
Speaking to GiveMeSport, via their newsletter, Fabrizio Romano has shared exactly what Berta thinks about the young Spaniard, after he arguably sealed one of the best low-cost buys of the window.
"Of course. It's the same for everyone at Arsenal," Romano said when asked if Berta feels he pulled off a coup.
"He is an excellent defender and signing him for £13million is more than a bargain!"
Mosquera had the best tackle success rate of any La Liga centre-back at a staggering 76.7 per cent, according to Opta, with the Spain Under-21 international looking extremely capable in one-v-one duels.
Gunners legend Martin Keown has already tipped the defender for big things after what he's already seen — heaping praise on Mosquera's pace and strength whilst likening him to both Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
"He’s in the same DNA as Saliba and Gabriel," said Keown to TNT Sports.
"This fella is mobile, quick, strong. There’s a lot more to come, and he’s put in some really good performances."
The sky appears to be the limit for him, and some reports claim that Mosquera's value has already tripled just months after joining the north Londoners.
Members of the media, like Charles Watts, have also lavished praise on him after his fire-start to life in N5.
"Cristhian Mosquera was the star of the show for me. He was absolutely exceptional, yet again. He was faultless, as he has been from the first moment we saw him in an Arsenal shirt," Watts said CaughtOffiside after Bilbao.
“For all of the transfer business done by the club during the summer, so far he looks to be the best."