Emirates Stadium CNN —
It wasn’t pretty and at times it wasn’t pleasant, but Arsenal got the job done in the Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk suffered the most unfortunate of own goals as Gabriel Martinelli’s shot rebounded off the post and hit his back, before the ball dribbled over the line for the winning goal after half an hour.
The goal neatly summed up what was largely a scrappy and tense affair as Arsenal was unable to create much during long periods of possession and extend its lead.
After Riznyk saved Leandro Trossard’s second-half penalty, Shakhtar went in search of a late equaliser but a combination of poor final passes and resolute Arsenal defending mean it leaves north London empty handed.
Fans at the Emirates were treated to one of Arsenal’s most complete performances under Mikel Arteta when the Gunners cruised to a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, but they will also be pleased to see that this team can grind out a victory when well below its best.
Though on paper Shakhtar at home is one of Arsenal’s kinder fixtures in the group stages of the redesigned Champions League, Saturday’s surprise 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth further elevated the importance of a victory as the Gunners sought to return to winning ways.
“First half we were dominant,” Arteta said after the match. “We created four big chances. We should have converted them and put the game to bed.
“The second half was very different. We looked tired. We lacked sharpness with and without the ball. We had two big chances, missed a penalty and then the emotion is difficult to overcome but we had to dig in.
“They’re a good side. It’s the Champions League - just get the win and the clean sheet.”
Arsenal shot out of the blocks at a blistering pace and immediately put Shakhtar on the back foot. The two Gabriels - Martinelli and Jesus - in particular were causing problems down the flanks.
The home fans responded to Arsenal’s positive start, as the first chants of “Arsenal, Arsenal,” echoed around the Emirates.
Arsenal’s early dominance should have been capped with a goal, but Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori side-footed his effort over the crossbar after the ball had fallen kindly for him in the penalty area.
Keen to lift the team after a difficult opening five minutes, Shakhtar fans began jumping up and down in their corner of the stadium and twirling their orange scarves above their heads. The players responded.
After successfully riding the early waves of Arsenal attacks, Shakhtar grew into the game and started to look like a threat on the counterattack.
But a missed interception from Dmytro Kryskiv, as Calafiori played the ball out from the back, allowed Arsenal to quickly bypass Shakhtar’s midfield and slice through the defense.
Martinelli cut back onto his right foot and fired his shot against the post, but a fortuitous rebound hit Riznyk on the back and the helpless Shakhtar goalkeeper turned around to see the ball creep over the line.
Though it will go down as a Riznyk own goal, Martinelli deservedly received the adulation of his teammates and the fans.
The Brazilian had been at the heart of much of Arsenal’s good work in the first half. His dribbling especially - done at a feverish pace, as though the ball was attached to his foot with a short piece of string - had been a joy to watch.
Arteta said Martinelli found “another gear, another level” in what was a “great performance.”
Arsenal, seemingly clicked into gear now, was dominant for the remainder of the half, with only a couple of smart saves from Riznyk and a last-ditch block in the Shakhtar defense keeping the deficit to a minimum.
The second half began much as the first ended. Martinelli quickly brought another save out of Riznyk, before pumping his arms towards the crowd and orchestrating an increase in decibels.
Much as it did in the first half, though, Shakhtar again grew into the match and perhaps should have done better with the chances it created. So far, a lack of quality in the final third had been the bane of the visitor’s evening.
But Arsenal finally had the chance to put the game to bed when a VAR review found defender Valeriy Bondar had turned Mikel Merino’s cross behind with his hand, leading referee Benoît Bastien to point to the penalty spot.
Riznyk, however, continued his impressive form on the night and guessed the right way to save Trossard’s effort, as the Shakhtar corner of the stadium erupted.
That save gave the Ukrainians some impetus for the final 15 minutes, but they couldn’t capitalise on a period of sustained pressure to create any clear-cut opportunities.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had to get down smartly to save Pedrinho’s long-range shot, but that was the closest Shakhtar came to snatching a point.
Shakhtar manager Marino Pusic said afterwards he was “very proud” of his players, particularly the way they defended given the team isn’t “pushed to defend” in its domestic league.
“It’s not easy to play against such a tremendous team, for me one of the best in Europe,” he said.
