Arsenal grind out win over Shakhtar in Champions League

Mikel Arteta's side crashed to a damaging 2-0 defeat against the Cherries in the Premier League last weekend. That was Arsenal's first loss in all competitions since the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich in April.

Their response against Shakhtar was unconvincing, but they did enough to claim three points thanks to Riznyk's first half own goal from Gabriel Martinelli's strike. Leandro Trossard missed a late Arsenal penalty that would have put a flattering gloss on the scoreline at the Emirates Stadium.

Worryingly for Arteta, Riccardo Calafiori was forced off in the second half after appearing to injure his knee in the latest injury blow for a team currently missing Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber.

Arteta is already without suspended French defender William Saliba for Sunday's crucial Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice admitted his side let their "standards slip" after Saliba's red card against Bournemouth set them on the way to their first Premier League defeat this season.

Arteta had urged his players to use the "pain" of that setback as motivation against Shakhtar, but the response was tepid. The Gunners have seven points from their opening three Champions League games, yet this was a far cry from the impressive 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in their previous tie.

With one point from three games, Shakhtar remain without a goal in the Champions League this term. The Ukrainian champions spent 17 hours travelling to north London by bus, train and plane, setting off from Kyiv on Friday and stopping in Lviv before reaching Poland for a flight to England.

Unable to play home European fixtures in Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022, Marino Pushych's side competed gamely but lacked a cutting edge.

 

October 22, 2024

Lethargic Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino compared his side to an NBA basketball team after nine of the starting line-up at Bournemouth stood over 6ft tall. That imposing strength is key to Arsenal's set-piece prowess and they should have taken an early lead from Trossard's corner, only for Calafiori to shoot wastefully over from close range.

Shakhtar had managed just one shot on target in their first two Champions League games, but they threatened a shock opener when Eguinaldo's goal-bound shot was blocked by Gabriel Magalhaes. Arsenal were in control without ever looking dominant before their fortuitous opener in the 29th minute.

Martinelli teased the Shakhtar defence with a menacing raid before cutting inside to unload a low drive that hit the post and rebounded into the net off the unlucky Riznyk's back.

Kai Havertz came within a whisker of doubling Arsenal's lead when Mykola Matviyenko made an agile goal-line clearance as the German prepared to head in Gabriel Jesus's cross. Jesus had the captain's armband as Arteta tried to give him a confidence boost following 22 games without a goal.

But Jesus was guilty of a poor finish, taking Havertz's pass and shooting too close to Riznyk from close range. Arsenal right-back Ben White, fortunate to avoid a second booking late in the first half, was replaced at the interval, with Thomas Partey moving from midfield to fill in.

Trossard headed wide from Martinelli's cross before Riznyk plunged to his right to keep out Martinelli's blast. Unusually subdued in attack, Arsenal squandered a golden opportunity in the closing stages when Valerii Bondar blocked Merino's cross with an outstretched arm.

Trossard took the penalty but his tame effort was easily saved by Riznyk, a miss that sparked a nervous finale for lethargic Arsenal. Pedrinho's powerful strike from 18 yards was pushed away by Arsenal keeper David Raya before Marlon Gomes' header was gratefully clutched by the Spaniard as the Gunners held on.

 

October 22, 2024