Mikel Arteta’s side were able to comfortably navigate a potentially tricky Champions League tie against Club Brugge to win 3-0 thanks to Noni Madueke’s brilliance.
Arsenal remain top of the Champions League league phase table after extending their perfect record in the competition to six straight wins against the Belgian side. Arteta’s patched up team saw Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, Cristian Mosquera, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and teenage sensation Max Dowman all miss the trip.
But the Spaniard was still able to field a strong team while keeping Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori in reserve on the bench. Giving Madueke his chance to shine again.
Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke starred against Club Brugge (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It’s the strength in depth that the Gunners haven’t had in reason years, which was addressed with over £250million of new talent in the summer window, that has been crucial to Arsenal’s season so far.
And it was one of those players recently welcomed back, Martin Odegaard, whose shot from distance called goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel into the first stop of the night on his European debut as the Gunners showed from the off that they weren’t afraid to get shots off.
But there was nothing the 22-year-old could do to stop the visitors taking the lead as Madueke unleashed a rocket of a shot from beyond 25 yards.
The England World Cup hopeful started in place of Bukayo Saka and took his chance when he powered his way through the challenge of two defenders just inside the Club Brugge half. Madueke picked his head up and continued to drive at the goal, releasing an effort from distance that crashed off the underside of the crossbar and in.
Noni Madueke
The England international opened the scoring in style (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Madueke’s goal was an important one for an Arsenal side that failed to kick on from their opening goal and relied on the brilliance of David Raya down the other end to maintain their advantage.
Raya handled two awkward saves well before a low outstretched arm diving down to his right denied Aleksandar Stankovic after the midfielder broke through the offside trap of the makeshift defence.
It was far from vintage from Arsenal, but they appeared to have gotten the job done when Madueke doubled the lead just two minutes into the second-half.
Martin Zubimendi found himself in an unfamiliar role high on the left, but instead of getting a nosebleed with his forward play, he delivered a whipped cross that hung up above the crossbar.
Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli made Champions League history for Arsenal (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Leaving Van den Heuvel unable to scramble across his goal, Madueke ghosted in at the back post to head in his second of the night from a yard out.
Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory with a magnificent goal of his own to boost his confidence before the hour mark. The Brazilian cut inside from the left and curled a stunning effort into the far top corner from 25 yards.
The 24-year-old continued his fine form in Europe with his fifth strike in as many games. But it’s his domestic form, where he’s scored just once, that Arteta will be hoping will benefit from the goal.
A rare positive on the injury front for Arteta saw Gabriel Jesus make a welcome return in the 65th minute having missed the previous 11 months with an ACL injury.
Arteta also gave a debut to 16-year-old defender Marli Salmon for the final 10 minutes of the game.