Arsenal showing signs of exciting improvement in overcoming Olympiacos in the Champions League

Arsenal (1) 2 v Olympiacos (0) 0

Martinelli 12

Saka 92

By Kaz Mochlinski at the Arsenal Stadium

Champions League

MD2

Arsenal’s increasingly promising start to the season continued as they saw off the spirited challenge of the Greek champions, Olympiacos, to maintain their 100% record in the early stages of the Champions League.

Exactly as in the opening game of their current European campaign, against Athletic Club in Bilbao a fortnight ago, Arsenal triumphed 2-0, with Gabriel Martinelli breaking the deadlock before the winning margin was doubled late on.

Indeed, it was the third consecutive midweek match won by the Gunners with the same scoreline, including the victory at Port Vale in the League Cup in between their two Champions League assignments.

In fact this Wednesday night in North London closely resembled the last one seven days previously at Vale Park in terms of the scoring sequence, with a quick goal in the initial phase of the contest being eventually added to towards the end.

Having scored against Port Vale in the eighth and 86th minutes, Arsenal found the Olympiacos net in the 12th and 92nd minutes. This time neither of the goals came from a set-piece, unlike three days beforehand at Newcastle United.

However, identically to the match with the Magpies, Martin Ødegaard was significantly involved in setting up both the goals, after coming on as a late substitute at St. James’ Park and now starting for the first time in five games.

The captain’s comeback from a shoulder injury was a big contributory factor in Arsenal ending a run of three defeats away to Newcastle in a row, and then likewise breaking the sequence of losing three times in succession at home to Olympiacos.

It was Ødegaard’s left-footed pass which sent Viktor Gyökeres away between defenders for a low left-footed shot deflected by the Greek goalkeeper, Kostas Tzolakis, onto the post, with Martinelli following up for a left-footed finish.

The opening goal of the evening owed a lot to the Arsenal players’ dancing abilities, which Ødegaard often demonstrates and in this instance was matched by Martinelli, quickly adjusting his feet at close range to the rebound off the upright.

That was the first time in the Champions League in London this season the home team had scored themselves, after both Tottenham Hotspur against Villarreal and Chelsea against Benfica were decided solely by first half own goals for two 1-0 wins.

Arsenal further bucked the trend by adding a late second to make their result 2-0, scored by Bukayo Saka, with another key contribution from Ødegaard, and a repeat first-time left-footed shot completing another entirely left-footed move.

Whereas Martinelli got his third goal in five matches, it was Saka’s first for five and a half weeks. From the left wing, he linked inside to Ødegaard for a one-two, taking the return pass in his stride with a shot through the keepers’ legs at the near post.

Saka’s strike extended to five the number of consecutive games in which an Arsenal substitute has scored, with the Gunners getting goals in all of them in the 84th minute or later, including three in stoppage time.

Goals in added time have also been an Olympiacos speciality recently, with five already this season in Super League 1 in Greece. However, Mikel Arteta was very aware of that, as he follows closely the continuing career of his old coach José Luis Mendilibar.

Olympiacos are celebrating their centenary in 2025, with Mendilibar being lauded as one of the most legendary coaches in the club’s history for leading the “Erythroleykoi” to victory in the Conference League last year.

To be the only Greek football club ever to have won a major European trophy is a great achievement, but Mendilibar still surviving in his position with Evangelos Marinakis as owner and president is arguably even more praiseworthy.

That is something which City Ground regulars have already become very familiar with since Marinakis added Nottingham Forest to his ownership portfolio. On this occasion he was present to watch his home town club from the stands.

What he and the rest of the vociferous travelling supporters saw was an energetic Olympiacos side prepared to take risks and attack at pace, especially down the flanks. It meant that David Raya had to be at his best to keep them out.

From a Chiquinho right wing run and cross in the middle of the first half, Daniel Podence got in front of Ben White to reach the ball with a first-time volley which Raya did brilliantly well to tip away one-handed as it flew towards the top corner of the net.

Olympiacos thought that they had equalised midway through the second period when Podence turned provider with a right-footed ball from the left for Ayoub El Kaabi to head down, forcing Raya to dive low to stop it from crossing the goal line.

Although Chiquinho showed lightning quick reactions to turn the loose ball into the net, the goal was ruled out for El Kaabi being marginally offside from the original cross, a decision promptly confirmed by a VAR review.

Olympiacos’s positive approach made their visit to Arsenal an unusually open and entertaining Champions League encounter for the interminable five-month phase preceding the knock-out rounds.

Equally, the Gunners could have taken the lead in the second minute from a Myles Lewis-Skelly run down the left and cross which Martinelli should not have put wide as he ghosted in for a free header with only the goalkeeper to beat.

And they continued to create numerous chances but failed to take them. For all of Gyökeres’s high-quality play, which was singled out for appreciation afterwards by Arteta, the Swedish striker will be frustrated again with his finishing.

Once more, going into the closing minutes of a match, Arsenal were anxious. But they now repeatedly demonstrate the fitness and squad depth that enables them to be stronger than many opponents as full-time approaches.

The club’s £250m summer spending on eight new players allows Arteta to rotate the line-up, resting his leading stars and reducing their playing minutes, with the head coach making six changes to the starting XI from Newcastle for Olympiacos.

It appears to be working. Martinelli scored for the second successive home game, and Ødegaard was outstanding from beginning to end. They have gone six matches unbeaten since losing at Liverpool, with three wins in a week now.

More than that, there is a growing excitement among the fans and around the club about the potential of this team. It has risen notably with the previous risk-averse attitude being abandoned against Newcastle and then Olympiacos.

And Arsenal can still keep clean sheets - six in nine games this season. In Europe, they have won 14 group / league phase matches at home in a row, and not conceded a goal in 11 consecutively - which Arteta emphasised in his analysis after the final whistle.

Since the Gunners’ return to the Champions League for the 2023-24 season, they have registered eight victories out of eight, all with clean sheets, in home group / league phase ties. Semi-finalists last time, they seem to be ominously improving.

Arsenal: (4-2-3-1) Raya - White (Timber 58), Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães (Mosquera 75), Lewis-Skelly - Zubimendi, Merino (Rice 58) - Martinelli (Eze 73), Ødegaard, Trossard (Saka 73) - Gyökeres

Olympiacos: (4-2-3-1) Tzolakis - Costinha, Restos (Biancone 86), Pirola, Ortega - Dani García (Sciponi 75), Hezze (Mouzakitis 86) - Gelson Martins (Taremi 62), Chiquinho (Strefezza 86), Podence - El Kaabi

Attendance: 56,820