Superb strikes from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli helped Arsenal maintain their perfect record in the Champions League as they defeated Club Brugge 3-0.
With this win, Mikel Arteta’s side are now at the top of the table, three points clear of Bayern Munich with two games remaining, and a place in the last 16 is almost guaranteed.
After a pedestrian start in Belgium, Arsenal suddenly came to life when Maduke picked up the ball near the halfway line, moved forward and fired a shot from outside the area, hitting the underside of the crossbar to give his team the lead.
Maduke’s double gives Arsenal the lead
It was a goal-scoring game on any given night, but Madueke’s header added to Arsenal’s advantage before Martinelli equaled that goal by cutting in and curling in a fine shot of his own.
Gabriel Jesus, making his first appearance since January and coming off a 342-day break due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, almost added a fourth goal when his shot hit the crossbar, but three points proved to be enough for Arsenal.
The goal will grab the headlines, but Brugge may be a little dissatisfied with the scoreline after testing out a makeshift Arsenal defense made up of midfielder Christian Norgaard and centre-back Pierrot Hincapie (due to a growing injury crisis) on a number of occasions before the game was finally pushed out of reach.
David Raya was relied upon heavily to ensure his fifth clean sheet of the competition, making seven saves in the match, despite having been limited to just nine shots on target in the five games prior to the trip to the Jabledel Stadium.
In any case, Arteta was able to rotate his injury-ridden squad, keeping Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafioli off the pitch until the final stages of the game, and shifted his focus to Saturday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers as they look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Arteta: Injury problems add to all challenges
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.
“We know how difficult it is to play in the Champions League and win away from home. With so many players missing, the challenge is greater, but I spoke to the players and said it’s about showing how much we want it and showing our resilience.”
“An example of that is Christian Norgaard, the best preparing player of all. He makes us all better every day and plays in any position, in any condition. His attitude is always perfect.”
Noni Madueke celebrates his stunning opening goal against Club Brugge
Maduke: We can win the Champions League and the Premier League!
Arsenal winger Noni Madueke told TNT Sports:
“We are fighting on all fronts. We feel we can fight on all four fronts. We can win this competition. We can win the league. That has to be our goal. We are in a good position at the moment.”
“We’re a close-knit group. We want each other to do our best. We know we have top players around us. It’s not about the individuals, it’s about the group. We all know we have a role to play. That’s the good thing about this team.”
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Courtney Sweetman-Kirk reacts to Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League.
The story of the game in terms of statistics…
What will happen to Arsenal?
Arsenal have two league games left, facing Inter Milan at the San Siro on January 20th and Khairat Almaty at the Emirates Stadium on the 28th.
