Match report – Player ratings – Video
The walk, from Nueva Plaza in Bilbao’s old town, up Gran Via, is basically a straight line all the way to Estadio San Mames. The red and white of Athletic Club and their fans is everywhere. Young and old making their way to the game. The bars and cafes are packed, people drinking beers and eating pintxos.
We have a pit stop in El Globo on the way. It could be a long evening, you need fuel for the tank. Closer to the stadium we stop again for one final refreshment, and Arsenal fans and Athletic Club fans are mingling happily in the sunshine. A group of lads pass by singing ‘I wanna stay here, I wanna stay here, London’s a shit-hole, I wanna stay here‘. Everyone laughs.
The atmosphere is fun, friendly. Some local fans (and a co-opted Londoner who spends a lot of time in Bilbao), tell us how much it means for them to be in the Champions League after so long. As a club that only ever picks players from the Basque region, their talent pool is restricted compared to everyone else, so it’s a real achievement. You can feel the pride, and their welcoming nature for the visiting fans is something that should add to that too.
Inside, the pre-game atmosphere builds. Just before kick-off the entire stadium feels like it’s jumping at one point, scarves and flags being waved as their anthem plays, it’s a tremendous display. Goosebumps, I have to say. But the away end is also in good voice as the game begins.
First half
What was clear to me very early on was that Athletic had done their homework in a very serious way. We had a lot of the ball, but found it almost impossible to play in a progressive way. They blocked off passing lanes really well, with a lot of positional discipline, and we found it tough going. I can only really remember one chance at either end. For us, Viktor Gyokeres – who suffered a nasty cut to his head in a collision with Gabriel – shot tamely at the keeper; and right before the break they pulled a shot wide, but it was not a game replete with goalmouth incident.
Second half
It felt like more of the same in general, but I felt we started to give them something to think about down our right via Noni Madueke. There wasn’t much end product, but he started to see more of the ball. On the other side Eberechi Eze struggled to impose himself, and it felt like we’d need to change something to crack the game open. The first of Arteta’s subs saw Leandro Trossard replace Gyokeres, then it was Martinelli for Eze. People often use the word ‘inspired’ when a player comes off the bench to score and make an impact, but I’ll go back to one I used at the weekend after our win against Forest: depth.
Football fans love shiny new toys, that’s normal, but too often the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. Martinelli has had a difficult time of late, an indifferent pre-season, and his future has been questioned/in discussion. Last night he showed he still has plenty to offer, and I don’t think there’s another player in our squad who scores that goal. The two touches to put him through on goal are very, very good, and it doesn’t matter if the finish squeezed in under the keeper, it was 1-0 to Arsenal. That will do his confidence the world of good.
The away end erupted into his Bella Ciao chant, and it rang out for a long, long time. Perhaps until Martinelli returned the favour for Trossard, and provided the assist for the Belgian to make 2-0 late on. I haven’t seen proper highlights at this point, but it looked to me like it deflected in off the post and into the far side of the net. Apparently this is the first time ever in the Champions League that two players have come off the bench to score and assist each other, so well done those men. You can imagine there’s been frustration about their lack of minutes so far, but this is the perfect way to respond to that and give the manager something to think about ahead of the weekend.
Even from the stands you could see the team rally around Martinelli after he scored, and right at the final whistle he sought out and had a big hug with Riccardo Calafiori. Speaking about that afterwards, Arteta said:
That’s the spirit, that’s why I really enjoy every single day working with them and being part of this team, because the way they look after each other is genuine, and they really want the best for each other. They recognise someone that works every single day in a manner that Gabi does, and you can go through struggles or moments and recognising that and having that capacity to connect with him, I think it would mean a lot to him.
In different ways the Forest and Athletic Club games have demonstrated the value of our squad depth – and when you can bring on two players like Trossard and Martinelli, it speaks to the quality of our squad. Imagine the bench with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz on it too. Oh, and Ben White. Which leads me to this, while the goal-scoring duo will rightly get the spotlight after their exploits, can we just talk a little about our defence?
In five games this season we’ve conceded just one goal, and that was a worldie of a free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai. Last night, we felt rock solid again. Gabriel, a colossus of a player whose consistency is genuinely remarkable, was the cornerstone of another fantastic defensive effort, but what about Cristhian Mosquera? There was a time when Arteta would have taken a risk with Saliba for a game like this, but with this young man at his disposal, he doesn’t need to. I thought he was absolutely outstanding last night, his reading of the game is so impressive for a 20 year old defender, and I love his bravery on the ball too. What a signing.
Overall, a very solid start to our European campaign. We had to face decent opposition last night, but also a big occasion, and we managed that very well. As ever there are things we could do better, but you can’t argue with a 2-0 win away from home.
Bilbao and the away experience
First, safe travels back to the old friends and new I met over the last couple of days. Some of the journeys people made to get to Bilbao to support Arsenal were really something. From multiple flights to sleeping in airports to very long bus rides, the commitment is really impressive to watch 90 minutes of football.
I’m sure they felt rewarded by what the team produced but also what this city provides. I can’t recommend it highly enough, if you have the good fortune to be able to make a trip here. I count myself lucky to have been here a few times. The food and drink is amazing, the people are great, and the place itself is beautiful. If you could catch at Athletic Club game at the same time, all the better.
I have some time to kill before my flight home this evening, and I’m just gonna stroll around, have a pintxo here and pintxo there before I head to the airport. We’ll have an Arsecast for you tomorrow when I get back to Dublin.
For now, have a good one folks.
