From Arsenal's reserves, Martinelli and Trossard refuse to disappear

BILBAO, TUESDAY — Two Arsenal forwards, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, did not take long to address a multitude of doubts since the beginning of the season. Coming off the bench, they concluded the match as the heroes of Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

A decade-long wait to return to the Champions League made the host Bilbao perform aggressively at the San Mames Stadium on Tuesday (17/9/2025). The visiting team, Arsenal, struggled significantly in the first match of the Champions League group stage, especially from the kickoff until halftime.

Until the 65th minute, the score remained tied with no goals. The attacking trio of Arsenal, consisting of new players Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, had no answers to break down the opponent's defense. Finally, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta made a change.

The substitution of Arteta is somewhat difficult to understand. Gyokeres, who is the only pure striker in the Arsenal squad at San Mames, was taken off. Trossard, who is originally a winger, came on. Five minutes later, Eze, who is the source of the team's creativity, was replaced by Martinelli.

Interestingly, the idea of replacing the manager proved to be very effective. Just 36 seconds after Martinelli entered the field, Arsenal immediately took the lead. The goal was scored by Martinelli, assisted by Trossard, which originated from a counter-attack situation from the midfield.

Arsenal punished the high defensive line of the team coached by Ernesto Valverde. Arteta intentionally brought in Martinelli, who has a very fast sprint, to exploit that gap. Meanwhile, Trossard was assigned to play deeper to bridge the ball from the midfield.

Arteta's gamble paid off. At the end of the match, as Bilbao focused on attacking, Arsenal doubled their lead. This time it was Martinelli who provided the assist for Trossard's goal. Martinelli managed to get past one player on the left side before sending a cross into the penalty area.

"In the second half, there was more space (in Bilbao's defense). When I arrived, I was just trying to run to take advantage of that. It is difficult to win here. The atmosphere is incredible, but we deserved to win because we were more clinical," said Martinelli, who was named the best player of the match.

Arsenal won 2-0. Martinelli and Trossard each contributed one goal and one assist. Through their heroic performances, the two players seemed to want to make a statement from the bench. They can still be relied upon even though "The Gunners" have many new players.

Arteta emphasized that the status of starters and substitutes is merely an illusion. “(Substitutes) are just as important as starters, if not more important. And, we can still change (the composition) in every match. I am very satisfied with their performances,” said the manager regarding Martinelli and Trossard.

Martinelli and Trossard alternated in filling the left winger position last season. This season, that position has been taken over by Eze, who arrived from Crystal Palace. Before Eze's arrival, Martinelli even lost his position to Noni Madueke. In fact, Madueke's original position is on the right wing.

Both have only combined for 190 minutes in the last four matches. They arrived at San Mames with a contribution of one assist since the beginning of the season. At the same time, Eze and Madueke were cheered by supporters after their impressive performance against Nottingham Forest last weekend.

At the end of the transfer window, Martinelli and Trossard received offers from several clubs. However, Arsenal was reluctant to let them go. In addition to the offers being below standard, Arteta also still very much needs both players for the significant mission this season.

The greatest attention is focused on Martinelli. The 24-year-old player was once projected to be the future star of Arsenal. However, his performance has actually declined year after year since his best season in 2022-23. In this season, the player's confidence appears to be diminishing further.

According to Arteta, there has never been any doubt about Martinelli. The player just needs the momentum to shine again. "I admire Gabriel. His attitude, commitment, positivity, and what he is willing to do for the team. He deserves to get the results today," he said.

Arsenal initially faced difficulties due to the aggressive high block defense of the opposing team, especially in the first half. Bilbao employed a zonal defense with a 4-4-2 scheme that focused on preventing the visitors' progression in the central area. As a result, "The Gunners" spent more time playing the ball in the initial third.

Bilbao threatened several times through counter-attack transitions after cutting off Arsenal's ball flow. However, Inaki Williams and his teammates were less sharp in their finishing. They missed the presence of national team winger Nico Williams, who was absent due to injury.

"This result does not reflect the actual match because I think we played well. We have given our all and there are still seven matches remaining. We came here not just to enjoy the competition, but to compete," emphasized Inaki, the captain of Bilbao.

Thanks to this result, Arsenal further solidifies its dominance over teams from Spain. "The Gunners" successfully became the first team to achieve six consecutive victories against Spanish representatives in the Champions League. The presence of the manager and many players from Spain in the Arsenal camp has not been in vain. (AP/REUTERS)