Arsenal smashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 at the Emirates to stay perfect in the Champions League table. Read that again. This wasn’t some random Pot 4, we’re just happy to be here club. This was Atletico Madrid,
a team that expects to make a run in the knockouts and compete at the top of La Liga every season. Arsenal made them look ordinary. The Gunners exploded for four goals in thirteen minutes midway through the second half and held Atleti to a solitary shot on target, which may have been going wide anyway before David Raya grabbed it. It was a statement win (to the extent you can manage one of those in mid-October).
As I wrote about prior to the match, it was rather important for Arsenal to get three points from today’s contest. With Bayern visiting the Emirates and a trip to Inter Milan still on the cards, reaching that 15/16 point threshold, while doable, would have been much tougher from 6 or 7 points compared to 9. Banking points earlier takes some of the pressure off matches that will come during the more congested weeks of the season, too. Of course, if Arsenal play like they did today, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about at all vis-a-vis finishing in the top 8.
Arsenal were a bit unlucky not to be ahead in the first half. Ebere Eze’s deflected shot looped off the crossbar and Declan Rice put the rebound over the bar on the volley. Gabriel Martinelli had a goal called back for offside. There were a handful of other “nearly” moments where the timing was just off or the pass wasn’t quite right.
The Gunners were perhaps a bit lucky to not be behind, too. David Raya misjudged a ball that (I think) he thought would run out for a goal kick. As a result, he got himself into trouble on the sideline and had to tackle the ball out for a throw. Atleti took the throw quickly but Julian Alvarez couldn’t find the empty net from distance.
Atleti came out with a bit more jump in the second half but as was the case for most of the game, they huffed and puffed but couldn’t manage shots on target. Alvarez hit the crossbar with a shot from distance, which might have served as a bit of a warning sign for Arsenal. For what it’s worth, I think David Raya had it covered had it been on frame and on a similar trajectory but there was probably a sliver of space further towards the top corner of the goal, too.
A few minutes after Atleti came close, Arsenal broke the deadlock. Gabriel Martinelli stampeded through the midfield and was eventually fouled. On the ensuing free kick, Big Gabriel was left unmarked and headed home one of the easier goals he’ll score from a set piece. Arsenal may have done something to set him free, but I cannot overstate how poor the defense and marking was from Atleti — one player held two Arsenal attackers on and the biggest scoring threat was left wide open. Go look for the replay of the celebration, watch William Saliba run up to give Gabi a massive smack on the behind, and try not to laugh.
Six minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli doubled Arsenal’s lead. Myles Lewis-Skelly surged through the Atleti midfield, carrying between three or four players who couldn’t really get close to the young defender, and laying it off to a streaking Martinelli just inside the box. The Brazilian’s first touch, curling finish to the far post was Henry-esque.
Martinelli added to his Man of the Match candidacy four minutes later, finding Viktor Gyokeres in the box after Martin Zubimendi (who was excellent, as always, apart from a cheap, soft yellow card that will see him suspended for the next match) set him free down the wing. After a bit of scuffling in the box, Big Vik’s muscled shot found the back of the net. The Swedish striker delivered the final thrust two minutes later, bump (and grinding) the ball into the back of the net with his pelvis. Yet another set piece goal for the Gunners.
Arsenal have now won 7-straight matches in the Champions League against Spanish opposition, a feat that no club has ever managed. More impressively, Arsenal have kept 9 clean sheets through 12 matches this season. It took 21 matches last season to get 9 clean sheets. 12 matches – 25 scored, 3 conceded. There aren’t enough really’s in the world to describe how good that is.
Arsenal return to Champions League action on November 4th with a trip to face Slavia Prague. The Gunners host the surprise-of-the-season-so-far Crystal Palace side at the weekend, host Brighton midweek in the Carabao Cup, and travel to Burnley on November 1st before their next CL action.
