A touch of Brazilian brilliance catapulted us to the leading position in our Champions League group during the halfway point of the competition. It was Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus who worked their magic to secure the win against Sevilla.
In the closing moments of the first half’s added time, Martinelli sprinted an impressive 50 yards to score our first goal. Then, just three minutes into the second half, Gabriel Jesus netted a spectacular goal, marking his third consecutive goal in the Champions League and putting us firmly in control of the match.
Sevilla didn’t give up easily, as Nemanja Gudelj headed in a goal to narrow the gap. However, our team remained resolute and held on to secure the victory.
Martinelli Shines
As the players took the field amid a deafening roar from the crowd at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, the home fans were eager to give their team an early boost. However, it was our team that had the best chance in the first 15 minutes.
Gabriel Jesus made a powerful run and set up Martinelli for a one-on-one opportunity against Sevilla’s goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland. Unfortunately, Martinelli’s shot was blocked by Nyland’s foot, and the ball unluckily bounced away from our player.
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Oddly enough, the rain began to fall, and the scoring opportunities dwindled as the first half progressed. The next two significant chances fell to the Europa League titleholders. Lucas Ocampos missed the target after a promising run, and just before the halftime whistle, Youssef En-Nesyri narrowly missed the mark with an attempt that veered past David Raya’s far post in what was Sevilla’s most promising move of the half.
It seemed like the first half would end without any more action until our trio of Brazilian players surprised Sevilla in the final seconds. While the Spanish team was pressing in our penalty area, Gabriel made a clearance that found Gabriel Jesus. Jesus displayed remarkable ball control, executing a skillful Cruyff turn that left Gudelj and Boubakary Soumare bewildered.
This allowed him to pass the ball to Martinelli, who had a wide-open field to run into. Martinelli calmly utilized the space, outsmarted Nyland, and slotted the ball into the net, giving us a halftime lead.
Goals on Both Ends
That moment at the end of the first half pumped up our players, and their enthusiasm continued into the second half, particularly during a strong eight-minute period after the break, which resulted in our second goal.
Once again, Gabriel Jesus displayed his brilliance by earning the goal he deserved. Declan Rice advanced up the field and found Jesus near the corner flag. Jesus cleverly maneuvered past Jesus Navas and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner of the net, doubling our lead. This achievement also made him the first Arsenal player to score in his first three Champions League games for the club since Marouane Chamakh did it in 2010.
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However, our two-goal advantage was short-lived as Sevilla quickly narrowed the gap just six minutes later. They won a corner, and Ivan Rakitic delivered a precise cross, which was met by Gudelj’s header, beating Raya and rekindling the home team’s hopes.
It was crucial for us to navigate through the following phase of the game to hush the crowd. We successfully limited Sevilla to only a couple of acrobatic attempts from Lucas Ocampos and Mariano Díaz as the match approached its final minutes.
As time ticked away, Raya comfortably saved an En-Nesyri header, and Diaz narrowly missed the target with a header as Diego Alonso’s team threw everyone forward in a desperate search for an equalizer. Fortunately, we stood firm and secured a significant three points in the context of the group standings.
Interesting Facts and Numbers
In our 14th away match against Spanish teams in the Champions League, we managed to score more than once for only the second time. The first occasion was a 3-2 victory against Celta de Vigo in the 2003/04 round of 16.
When Gabriel Jesus set up Gabriel Martinelli for the opening goal, it marked the first time that two Brazilian players combined to score a Champions League goal for our team.
Gabriel Jesus has been a key figure in the Champions League with 14 goals and four assists in his last 17 starts. He’s also only the second player to score in his first three appearances for our club in this competition, a feat previously achieved by Marouane Chamakh in 2010.
This match was Martinelli’s 30th goal for us in all competitions, and it’s worth noting that we’ve never lost when he’s found the back of the net, boasting an impressive record of 25 wins and 5 draws.
In the Champions League group stage, we’ve only lost one of our last 11 matches, winning 8 and drawing 2. We’ve also managed to score at least one goal in our last 20 group-stage matches in this competition.
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Looking ahead, we’re set to host Sheffield United at home on Saturday as we aim to extend our unbeaten start to the Premier League season to ten matches. After that, our focus will shift to the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, November 1, when we’ll face West Ham United in the fourth round at the London Stadium.