October 02, (THEWILL) — Gabriel Martinelli endured a moment of frustration before becoming Arsenal’s hero in their 2–0 UEFA Champions League victory over Olympiacos on Wednesday evening. The Brazilian forward missed a glaring opportunity within the opening two minutes, placing an unmarked header wide from just eight yards. He swiftly made amends by tapping in the opening goal after Viktor Gyökeres’s shot struck the post, reacting faster than anyone else after the Swedish striker had muscled past both visiting central defenders.
Arsenal controlled proceedings throughout the first half at Emirates Stadium, though they required David Raya to preserve their advantage. The Spanish goalkeeper produced a remarkable save to keep out Daniel Podence’s attempt towards the top corner following a cross from Chiquinho. The Gunners had opportunities to extend their lead before the interval but failed to convert their dominance into additional goals, leaving the Greek visitors with hope of repeating their recent success at the north London venue.
Olympiacos offered a greater threat after the restart, testing Arsenal’s defensive resolve with counter-attacks. Ayoub El Kaabi thought he had equalised shortly past the hour mark, only for his effort to be disallowed for offside. Mikel Arteta, who had made six changes from the weekend win over Newcastle United, turned to his bench in search of reassurance. Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze were introduced, with the former linking up well with Martin Ødegaard, whose shot was brilliantly stopped by Konstantinos Tzolakis.
The visitors grew increasingly confident in the final stages, creating nervous moments for the home supporters. Arsenal finally killed off the contest deep into stoppage time when Ødegaard threaded another precise pass to Saka inside the penalty area. The winger’s powerful strike slipped through the goalkeeper’s legs to secure three points and maintain the Gunners’ perfect record in the competition.
The victory is Arsenal’s second UCL win of the season, following their opening success against Athletic Club. It also marked a third consecutive triumph across all competitions.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
