EMIRATES STADIUM — Midway through the second half, Mikel Arteta took a rare glance away from the pitch. His eyes had been glued to the action as Arsenal tried to see off Olympiakos, kicking every ball, pressing every pass, desperate for a second goal that would kill the game as a contest.
A few minutes later they were on the pitch and in stoppage time, Saka got the goal that allowed Arteta to smile, perhaps for the first time that evening, and know that three points were safe.
Martinelli has now scored three times in his last four games (Photo: Getty)
“With all respect, last season, we were looking at [the bench and] we had five academy players that probably never played professional football in the Champions League,” Arteta said afterwards.
The 24-year-old will probably go past 300 appearances for the club this season and will make his 200th in the Premier League on Saturday. It is no coincidence that he missed much of last season, and some of this one, with a hamstring injury and that “Saka limps off” is a headline far too regular for Arteta’s liking.
Bukayo Saka comes off the bench to make it 2-0 for Arsenal @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/rDH1BTDRyJ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 1, 2025Such is the nature of Arsenal’s squad now that Arteta can make six changes to the starting line-up and it is hardly any weaker. He was confident enough to leave the likes of Saka and Eberechi Eze out, and trust that Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli would do the job in their place.
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It’s not just the forward line that has capable replacements either. Declan Rice does, Arteta insists, get tired sometimes although he rarely shows it, glutton for punishment that he is – and the Gunners still looked assured in midfield with Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino doing the job without him. He added much off the bench, but will be far fresher as a result of the light work afforded him on Wednesday evening.
Even when Gabriel Magalhaes went down injured in the second half, he could have played on – and perhaps made it worse. But with the very capable Cristhian Mosquera ready to step into his shoes, why take the risk? The Brazilian defender came off and did not disappear down the tunnel for treatment, suggesting his withdrawal was a precaution Arteta might not have been able to exercise 12 months ago: compare that to the 2022-23 season, when Arsenal’s title bid collapsed because William Saliba went down with a back injury. Rob Holding was the back-up then, and the Gunners defence crumbled.
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Why? Because what propelled Man City to multi-tournament success was having two world-class players in every position.
Arsenal are not far off that, and 20 years on from the last time the Gunners last did the double, that’s what they will need to do it again.
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