Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lauded his squad depth after substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard played decisive roles in the Gunners’ 2-0 Champions League victory over Athletic Club in Bilbao.
Martinelli, who came on for Eberechi Eze in the 71st minute, scored just 36 seconds later, converting a chance created by Trossard, who had replaced Viktor Gyökeres six minutes earlier. The duo combined again in the 87th minute, with Martinelli assisting Trossard for Arsenal’s second goal.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Arteta highlighted the importance of his substitutes. “Sometimes the finishers will be more important than the starters this season,” he said. “And in the end, the finishers made the impact to win the game. They are at least equally important, and maybe more important, in that stage of games.”
Arteta acknowledged the emotional difficulty of leaving players out of the starting lineup. “I know how much they want to play in this competition and what it means to them. Every time you give the lineup, you’re disappointing a lot of players. But the only thing I can do is my job. I have to make decisions based on increasing the priority of winning football matches. They know that’s the only reason why I’m going to make certain decisions sometimes right, sometimes wrong.”
The Arsenal boss also addressed concerns about a first-half collision involving Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Magalhães, confirming that there were no serious head injuries.
Arteta reserved special praise for Martinelli, who made an immediate impact off the bench. “I adore Gabby,” Arteta said. “His attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team. When I looked on the bench and looked at him, in his eyes I could see that he was ready, Leo [Trossard] as well. They play with that confidence, and that connection between them is really good. I think that’s going to help us a lot this season.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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