Arsenal returned to winning ways on Wednesday evening, as the Gunners defeated Sevilla 2-0 at the Emirates in the fourth fixture in Group B of the Champions League.
Due to results elsewhere in the group, Mikel Arteta’s side were unable to confirm their progression into the last 16, with just one point remaining to seal their advance into the knockouts.
After beating Sevilla just over two weeks ago in Spain, the north Londoners returned to home soil to take a maximum of six points from Diego Alonso’s experienced squad in the group stages.
Arsenal game in numbers vs Sevilla
It was a dominant display from the hosts, as Arsenal claimed 62% of possession and recorded 11 shots on goal compared to Sevilla’s single effort that came in stoppage time to reinforce the one-sided nature of the affair.
After being restored to the starting XI due to Eddie Nketiah’s absence, Leandro Trossard netted his second Champions League goal of the season on the 29th-minute mark, finishing a superb team goal crafted by Jorginho and Bukayo Saka.
The chances kept coming for Arsenal, however, it wasn’t until the 64th minute that the Premier League outfit extended their lead, with Saka switching from creator to scorer to join Trossard in claiming his second goal of the tournament this term.
The victory made the two defeats that plagued Arteta’s side’s form last week seem far away, as the north Londoners took full control of the group, stretching their lead at the summit to four points with two fixtures remaining.
There were a host of top performers on show in red and white on the night, with scorers Saka and Trossard receiving an abundance of praise, however, one star was described as having “the time of his life” by TNT Sports commentator, Darren Fletcher.
Gabriel Martinelli’s game in numbers vs Sevilla
Gabriel Martinelli caused havoc down the left flank for Arsenal throughout the evening, with his first-half performance causing Juanlu Sanchez a mountain of problems in frequent waves. Indeed, as per Squawka, No defender has been dribbled past more times (5) in a Champions League fixture this season than Juanlu was in the opening 45 minutes.
Minutes played
81
Touches
70
Assists
1
Successful dribbles
9
Passing accuracy %
85%
Key passes
2
Big chances created
2
Ground duels won
10
Possession Lost
28x
Figures via Sofascore
Lauded as “electric” by Arsenal figure Eduardo Hagn for his performance, the Brazilian claimed an assist for his efforts in the final third, however, his contribution to the scoreline was far from his most notable success in the game.
Juanlu had a night to forget because of the 22-year-old’s dribbling ability, as the Spaniard was dribbled past a magnificent nine times in 90 minutes, losing to his opponent both in and out of possession.
Martinelli showcased a tireless display on the wing, not only completing nine successful dribbles, but also portraying his combative side to win a stellar ten ground duels and one aerial duel to dictate the tempo on the left side, via Sofascore.
As highlighted in the table above, the winger was at his searing best against Sevilla, with his performance awarded an 8/10 match rating by Matt O’Connor-Simpson via GOAL, who added that the Spaniards “couldn’t live with him” during the tie.
There is still work to be done for Arsenal in the Champions League before qualification to the next round is confirmed, however, a collectively stellar performance on Wednesday night made the task in hand far easier.
