Arsenal continued their 100% record so far this season in the UEFA Champions League with a 4-0 dismantling of Atletico Madrid.
The Gunners once again relied on their set piece power in the second half, as Gabriel Magalhaes headed home, before Gabriel Martinelli steered home a superb second at the Emirates Stadium.
Under-fire striker Viktor Gyokeres netted a late double - in his first European goals since joining from Sporting CP over the summer - but it was Arsenal's defensive resilience that once again stood out.
Mikel Arteta's team have only conceded three goals across all competitions in 2025/26, as part of a nine-game unbeaten streak, and they successfully repelled Atletico's attack in North London.
Arsenal's reputation as a Set Piece FC was bolstered as Gabriel scored off a Declan Rice free-kick, and Gyokeres' second goal came via a corner, meaning the Gunners are now the first side in Europe's big five leagues this season to score 10 goals from set pieces in all competitions.
However, their record solely in the UCL is even more eye-catching, since their return to Europe's main stage at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
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After three straight wins at the start of 2025/26 - against Athletic Club, Olympiakos and Atletico - Arsenal have now won all nine of their home group stage/league phase games by an aggregate score of 27-0.
That statistic also makes Arteta's charges the first side in UCL history to keep a clean sheet in nine successive home first phase games.
Arsenal have never lost or conceded in a Champions League group/league phase game at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta 😳 pic.twitter.com/kg1yjEbB32
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 21, 2025
Up next for Arsenal is a home Premier League tie with Crystal Palace on October 26 - as they head into the weekend with a three-point lead at the top of the table - with a trip to Slavia Prague their next European outing on November 4.
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