Arsenal scale over shakhtar with Champions league win

Arsenal rebounded from their disappointing loss to Bournemouth with a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, thanks to an own goal by Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. Mikel Arteta’s team had suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League, marking their first loss in all competitions since April.

Although Arsenal’s performance against Shakhtar was lackluster, they secured the win through Riznyk’s own goal, resulting from Gabriel Martinelli’s shot. Leandro Trossard missed a late penalty that could have extended their lead.

Injury concerns grew for Arteta as Riccardo Calafiori was substituted in the second half after injuring his knee, adding to the team’s woes as they were already without Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Jurrien Timber. Additionally, William Saliba is suspended for the upcoming Premier League match against leaders Liverpool.

Declan Rice acknowledged that the team had let their standards slip following Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth. Despite Arteta’s call for his players to channel their disappointment into motivation, the response was underwhelming.

Arsenal now has seven points from three Champions League matches, but this performance was a stark contrast to their earlier 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain. Shakhtar, on the other hand, remains scoreless in the tournament with just one point from three games.

The Ukrainian champions faced significant travel challenges to reach London and played competitively, though they struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Arsenal’s physical presence was evident, but they failed to capitalize on set pieces.

Arsenal took control without dominating until they scored in the 29th minute, when Martinelli’s low shot deflected off Riznyk after hitting the post. Kai Havertz nearly doubled the lead but was denied by a last-ditch clearance. Gabriel Jesus, wearing the captain’s armband to boost his confidence after a goal drought, missed a close-range chance.

Right-back Ben White, fortunate to avoid a second yellow card, was substituted at halftime, with Thomas Partey moving to defense. Arsenal continued to threaten but missed a penalty late in the game when Trossard’s shot was saved by Riznyk, leading to a tense finish. David Raya made key saves to secure the victory for Arsenal as they held on to their narrow lead.