Martinelli and Saka Deliver a Hard-Fought Arsenal Victory in the Champions League
1 octobre 2025
Arsenal earned a precious, hard-fought 2-0 victory over Olympiakos on Wednesday evening in the second round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring in the 12th minute, and Bukayo Saka wrapped up the win with a stoppage-time strike at 90+2.
This victory marks Arsenal’s second win in the competition, lifting them to six points in fifth place, while Olympiakos sit on one point in 29th place.
Notable changes
Arteta changed his starting XI, resting Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, along with Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurriën Timber, as fresh legs were brought in.
The midfield welcomed captain Martin Ødegaard back alongside Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi, while Martinelli and Leandro Trossard operated on the flanks behind striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Olympiakos lined up with Ayoub El Kaabi up front, supported by Pedro Podence and Chikinho, with Gilson Martinez roaming through midfield.
Fast English Response
From the outset, the match suggested it would not be easy. Within two minutes, Miles Lewis-Skelly sprinted through the middle and delivered a precise cross that found Martinelli unmarked, but his header glanced past the left post.
Moments later, El Kaabi forced a sharp save from David Raya, and Arsenal countered quickly as Ødegaard released a superb through ball to Gyökeres’ run; the Swede’s shot rebounded off the keeper and the post, and Martinelli was quickest to follow up and slide the ball home for 1-0 in the 12th minute.
Arsenal’s pressure continued, and in the 20th minute Podence whipped in a cross from the left; Raya produced a brilliant save to preserve the lead as the ball deflected away from danger.
Odegaard then produced a sensational through ball to set Gyökeres again in on goal, but the striker fired over the bar, leaving Arsenal’s fans anxious as the first half ended with a slender advantage.
As the visitors pressed, Kaabi’s close-range effort in the 37th minute was denied by a fine Raya stop, while a Ben White challenge a few minutes later kept Arsenal ahead as the half closed.
The first half finished with Arsenal ahead 1-0 after a controversial moment when Kaabi appeared to be fouled inside the box, but the referee and VAR did not award a penalty, sending the teams to the break with Arsenal still in front.
Saka seals the win
The second half continued with a similar tempo. In the 47th minute, Kaabi tested Raya again with a header, but the goalkeeper stood firm to keep Olympiakos in reach.
Arsenal continued to press in the 66th minute, with Ødegaard winning the ball and feeding Trossard; the Belgian cut inside and shot, but the keeper saved to preserve the lead.
Shortly after, a later attempt by Chikinho was ruled offside, amplifying the sense of tension among the Emirates crowd.
Arteta’s changes at 73 minutes—introducing Saka and Eze for Martinelli and Trossard—brought renewed energy to the right flank, and Saka’s impact was immediate, especially with his constant runs and link-up play on the right.
The most dramatic moment arrived in the 82nd minute when Saka crossed from the right to Ødegaard, whose shot was saved, but the rebound was bundled home by Saka to seal the victory, sending the home fans into a chorus of celebration.
With stoppage time looming, Saka shifted to the left after a positional swap with Eze, receiving a one-two from Ødegaard and coolly slotting the ball past the keeper for a final flourish.
Punchline 1: Arsenal hit the target so cleanly tonight that even their trophy cabinet took notes. Punchline 2: If precision football exists, Arsenal just wrote the instruction manual—with a pen that never runs dry.
