Arteta turns the bench into Arsenal's new weapon

Despite a shake-up in their squad due to injuries, Arsenal still opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over Athletic Club, thanks to the timely brilliance of two "trump cards" Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

Trossard scored in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

At San Mames Stadium in the early morning of September 17, during the first 70 minutes, the Gunners struggled against Athletic Club's tight play. But then, two reserve players - Martinelli and Leandro Trossard - stepped onto the stage to decide the match, opening the 2025/26 Champions League journey with a symbolic 2-0 victory.

When the "supporting actor" becomes the main character

The moment Martinelli sprinted and coolly finished just 36 seconds after coming on for Eberechi Eze, was not just a goal. It was also an affirmation: Arsenal were no longer dependent on the starting 11. Six minutes earlier, Trossard had only just been brought on to replace Viktor Gyökeres. And then it was this duo that created a "duet" to defeat Ernesto Valverde and the Basque team.

15 minutes after the opening goal, Martinelli again played the role of creator, returning the favor to Trossard for the Belgian player to double the gap. Two goals, two clear marks from the substitutes - a scenario that only a few months ago, few people thought Arsenal could do.

The day before the match, Mikel Arteta had stressed that he had “learned from the pain of last season” when they were eliminated in the semi-finals by PSG. That defeat showed that Arsenal lacked depth and the ability to turn things around from the bench.

Therefore, the summer transfer window with 300 million pounds brought Gyökeres, Eze, Madueke, Zubimendi, Mosquera, Hincapié and Nørgaard - names capable of competing for official positions.

Martinelli shone immediately after coming on against Athletic Bilbao.

“Sometimes the ones who finish a game are more important than the ones who start it. They showed that today,” Arteta said after the match.

He could not hide his satisfaction when he saw the determined look in Martinelli and Trossard's eyes before entering the field. Their confidence, readiness and connection were proof of the positive change within the team.

Looking back at the 2024/25 semi-final at the Parc des Princes, Arsenal's bench that day featured Kieran Tierney, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Sterling - names no longer associated with the club - along with a few inexperienced young players like Setford, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis. At that time, apart from Trossard, Ben White and Calafiori, Arteta had almost no options capable of turning the game around against PSG.

Compared to now, the difference is clear. In Bilbao, Arteta also left William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kepa and even 15-year-old prodigy Max Dowman on the bench without needing to use them. In other words, Arsenal now have enough depth to rotate and maintain pressure on all fronts.

Depth - the deciding factor in the Champions League

Throughout history, many teams have won the title thanks to “super subs”. MU had Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 1999, Liverpool had Divock Origi in 2019, and Real Madrid were saved many times by Rodrygo Goes, Marco Asensio or Joselu. The Champions League is a harsh arena, where a moment from the bench can change the whole season.

Mikel Arteta is changing the way he looks at the bench.

Arsenal now have such players, Martinelli and Trossard are just two examples. With Gyökeres, Madueke or Eze, Arteta has many options capable of exploding. The important thing is that he has changed the way he sees things: the bench is no longer a place for “supporting roles” but a strategic arsenal, which can be launched at the right time to finish off opponents.

However, it cannot be said that Arsenal are perfect. The absence of Martin Ødegaard due to a shoulder injury exposes the fact that the “Gunners” still lack a worthy replacement for the role of conductor.

In big matches, Ødegaard's creativity is indispensable. Besides, pillars like Saka or Havertz - who scored the decisive goal in the 2021 Champions League final - still have to maintain stable form to ensure the long-term journey.

The win over Athletic Club is not a huge milestone in assessing Arsenal’s title ambitions, but the way it was achieved is of particular value. Opponents now understand that even if they can stop the first team, they still have to be wary of the powerful “reserve” on the bench. And psychologically, that brings a significant advantage to Arteta and his team.

The 2025/26 Champions League has only just begun, the journey is long and full of challenges. But the match in Bilbao alone showed that Arsenal have matured, differently than a year ago. It is no longer a team that only relies on a few stars, but a team that can change the fate of the match thanks to the "trump cards" from the bench.

Source: https://znews.vn/arteta-bien-ghe-du-bi-thanh-vu-khi-moi-cua-arsenal-post1585814.html