Madueke scores twice as Arsenal maintain perfect record in Bruges
Arsenal's Noni Madueke celebrates scoring. Pic: PA Wire via Belga.
Mikel Arteta masterminded the perfect response to a potentially damaging weekend defeat by Aston Villa with a record breaking sixth consecutive Champions League victory that all but guarantees automatic qualification to the knockout phase.
The significance is that the Arsenal manager will now be able to rest players in their remaining two league matches while avoiding the added two fixtures of a February qualifying play-off at a time when his side should still be challenging in three other competitions.
Even with key players injured, Arsenal were favoured to come through this latest tie, but the manner of the win was a reminder that this Arsenal side are genuine contenders domestically and in Europe.
The goalscoring stars were the often maligned duo of Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. Madueke struck a goal of the season contender midway through the first half, nodded in a second shortly after half-time and Martinelli’s 56th minute curler marked the first time an Arsenal player has scored in five consecutive Champions league matches.
Arsenal took the game to their Belgian hosts from the start, notably using the new long throw threat of Christian Norgaard.
The Danish midfielder was making only his second start since his summer switch from Brentford, and this time as a substitute central defender, with Gabriel, William Saliba, and Christian Mosquera being joined on the treatment table by Jurrien Timber, who sustained a knock in the weekend defeat at Aston Villa.
Another versatile defender, Ricci Calafiori, was deemed only fit enough to be named as a sub. When Arsenal have injuries, they have them in numbers and in cluster of the same position.
While it’s their defenders suffering now, at least their striker crisis is easing with Viktor Gyokeres recalled for his first start in nearly six weeks and Gabriel Jesus who came off the bench to replace the Swedish forward, for his first taste of competitive action for 332 days.
Brugges had issues of their own with former Sunderland and Liverpool keeper injured in the warm-up and the club in a state of unrest following Monday’s sacking of popular manager Nicky Hayen. Supporters welcomed his replacement Ivan Leko, poached from rivals Gent, by holding up banners and chanting in support of Hayen.
This is a club with a proud European history and only last month led Barcelona here three times before ending in a 3-3 draw. They are a team blessed with pace in attack and often threatened on the counter, mainly through Portugal striker Carlos Forbs, as a way of relieving themselves from relentless bouts of Arsenal pressure.
What they lacked, however, was a player with the dribbling and finishing skills of Madueke. The England winger, playing in his preferred right-sided role while Bukayo Saka was rested on the bench, rode three challenges as he ran at goal from just inside the Brugges half before shooting into the top right hand corner of the net with the sweetest of left foot strikes from 25 yards out. A goal of rare quality and one that further validates Arteta’s decision to approve his big-money summer move from Chelsea at a time when some Arsenal fans doubted his ability.
Following swiftly from his first Arsenal goal, in their last Champions League tie against Bayern Munich, Arteta knows he has a player he can rely on to deliver on the big occasions.
The 25th minute goal forced Brugges to come out and be more attacking, and they had Arsenal’s makeshift defence scrambling as David Raya made a string of decent saves to bail them out.
The action and attacking intent was relentless and Madueke sent the entranced crowd into half-time by going close to double his tally with another left foot shot which Dani Van Den Heuvel saved well.
Brugges fans then turned their anger on no-nonsense German referee Sven Jablonski and were back loudly behind their team for all of two minutes of the second half until Madueke heeded in a deft Martin Zubimendi cross.
Martinelli, a player who has been a great team player as a substitute so often this season, made the most of a rare start with Leo Trossard injured to cut in from the left to curl in a 56th minute beaty with his right foot. It was by far the highlight of his match.
Arteta was able to use the closing stages to give Jesus his comeback opportunity from the bench and some minutes for teenage midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, as well as Saka, Calafiori and teenager Marli Salmon. Only three players have played for an English club in the Champions League while 16 or younger and all three have done so for Arsenal – Jack Wilshere, Max Dowman and Salmon.
Van Den Heuvel 6, Siquet 6 (Meijer 67), Ordonez 6, Mechele 6, Seyes 6 (Sabbe 74), Stankovic 7, Onyedika 6 (Vetlesen 74), Forbs 7 (Diakhon 83) , Vanaken 6, Tzolis 6, Tresoldi 6 (Furo 67).
Raya 8, White 6 (Salmon 83), Norgaard 6, Hincapie 7 (Calafiori 63), Lewis-Skelly 6, Merino 7, Zubimendi 7, Odegaard 6 (Nwaneri 71), Madueke 8 (Saka 71), Martinelli 6, Gyokeres 5 (Jesus 62).
Sven Jablonski 6.
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