Arsenal secured their second Champions League win of the season after narrowly defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0.
An own goal from Dmytro Riznyk was enough to get Mikel Arteta’s men over the line after a feisty contest, which also saw Leandro Trossard miss a second half penalty.
Here are five things we learnt from the game…
Absent Arsenal stars a blow for Liverpool showdown
Arsenal will head into their match against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon already without William Saliba, but face the prospect of having even fewer stars available. Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and captain Martin Odegaard were all out of the match against Shakhtar Donetsk through injury, raising concerns over their availability for the weekend. Not what Mikel Arteta needs going into a busy period of the season.
Sloppy Gunners just get over the line
Based off what has happened so far this season, Arsenal have not blown away any teams. Their attacking numbers have shrunk compared to previous seasons as their increased defensive maturity started to blossom. Despite a couple of shaky moments defensively, the Gunners were still the far more dominant side, and should have finished the match off a lot sooner.
Shakhtar deserve credit
It is incredible that Shakhtar Donetsk are where they are in spite of the difficult circumstances they face in their home land. The Ukrainian side arrived in England yesterday after a journey that spanned an 11 hour drive from Kiev to the Polish border, before flying three hours to London. Shakhtar played admirably and at times had moments to worry a far superior and better prepared Arsenal. Hats off to the Ukrainian Champions.
Partey shines brightest yet again
Thomas Partey looks to be a man transformed this season. The Ghanaian, who is yet to miss a game this season through injury, has been one of the brightest sparks for Arsenal this season. After an injury plagued 2023/24 campaign, Partey returned to fitness during the summer and has looked composed in the Gunners midfield, especially with Odegaard and Mikel Merino’s recent injuries and Declan Rice’s red card against Brighton in September. The 31-year-old has been ‘Mr Reliable’ for the north Londoners so far.
Gunners look lost without best stars
Without Martin Odegaard’s creativity and Bukayo Saka’s all round presence of the team, Arsenal have struggled at the top the pitch for answers. Leandro Trossard missed a penalty in the second half, Gabriel Martinelli was a mixed bag despite his first half strike resulting in the winner, Gabriel Jesus struggled to make an impression whilst Kai Havertz was made to have his back towards goal for much of the match. Something might need to change if the Gunners are to start performing in matches without their two best players.
PHOTO BY SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES VIA ONE FOOTBALL
