Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta lavished praise on substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard after they registered a 2-0 Champions League win against Athletic Club in Bilbao. Martinelli and Trossard both scored in the second half after a goalless first half.
Martinelli took only 36 seconds to score Arsenal’s opening goal in the 72nd minute after Trossard provided an assist. Trossard then scored the second goal in the 87th minute to give all three points to the Gunners.
“Sometimes the finishers will be more important than the starters this season,” Arteta told reporters. “And in the end, the finishers made the impact to win the game.
“They [substitutes] are at least equally important, and maybe more important, in that stage of games.
“It’s always very difficult emotionally to leave players out. I know how much they want to play in this competition and what it means to them.
“And every time you give the lineup, you’re disappointing a lot of players.
“They know how I feel about them, so they know that when I have to leave a player on the bench or out of the squad, it hurts me.
“But the only thing I can do is my job. I have to make decisions and I have to make decisions based on increasing the priority of winning football matches.
“And they know that that’s the only reason why I’m going to make certain decisions sometimes right, sometimes wrong.”
The Spaniard showered praise on Gabriel Martinelli for scoring the opening goal and bringing the right energy to the game.
“I adore Gabby,” Arteta said. “His attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team.
“I don’t know about externally, but we certainly value all the qualities that he has and that he brings to the team. And I’m so happy that today he decided the game.
“When I looked on the bench and looked at him, in his eyes I could see that he was ready, Leo [Trossard] as well.
“They play with that confidence and that connection between them as well is really good. I think that’s going to help us a lot this season.”
Arsenal will next take on Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
