It took Gabriel Martinelli just 36 seconds to prove Mikel Arteta's belief that Arsenal now have a squad capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.
After a 70-minute draw against Athletic Bilbao in Spain, Martinelli came on as a replacement for Eberechi Eze and immediately scored the opening goal. This shows that Arteta now has in hand factors capable of turning the situation around from the bench.
That goal came from an assist from Leandro Trossard, who has also just been brought on to replace Viktor Gyokeres. Not stopping there, 15 minutes later, Martinelli continued to leave his mark when he assisted Trossard to score a second goal, sealing a 2-0 victory for Arsenal.
Just a day before, at a press conference, Arteta reiterated the lesson from the unfortunate slip in the previous season. He affirmed that the summer transfer window of 2025 with a total cost of 300 million pounds has given Arsenal a squad that is not only stronger but also has the necessary depth to compete fairly for the Champions League championship. This is a title that the "Gunners" have never won in history.
So when the two came off the bench to win, it spoke to everyone about the quality Arsenal have under Arteta.
"Sometimes the players who finish the game are more important than the players who started this season. And in the end, they made the impact to win. The substitutes are at least as important, if not even more important, at the decisive moment," Arteta said after the match.
The Spanish coach also gave Martinelli special compliments. "I admire Martinelli - his attitude, his dedication, his positive spirit and what he is willing to do for the team.
I don't know how we perceive it from the outside, but here we really appreciate all his qualities and contributions. I am very happy that Martinelli decided the match today" - he said.
Arteta also emphasized his players' readiness: "When I look at the bench and Martinelli's eyes, I know he is ready and so is Trossard. They came on with confidence, connection and performed very well. I believe this will bring us a lot of value throughout the season".
When Arsenal's Champions League adventure ended last season with a 1-2 away defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Arteta's bench at that time only included the likes of Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho and Raheem Sterling.
He has now left the club, along with a few young faces who have never been challenged such as Tommy Setford, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Jack Henry- francis. That night at the Parc des Princes, Arteta only brought on Trossard, Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori, while the remaining options were simply not strong enough to make a difference against Luis Enrique's side.
This season is a completely different story. The summer transfer window saw a series of quality new players arriving at the Emirates such as Gyokeres, Eze, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Piero Hincapie and Christian Norgaar. And all are at the Estadio de San Mames.
On the bench, Arteta still has William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and the 15-year-old new god Max Dowman. The depth of the current squad is clearly outstanding, and it is this factor that has taken Arsenal to a new level.
Defeating Athletic Bilbao in the opening match may not be a turning point if Arsenal go far this season, but the way they do it has left a strong impression.
More importantly, Arsenal now know that they can turn the situation from the bench. And their potential opponents will also realise that.
Owning a group of players who can become the ones to finish the match when the pillars are at a dead end is a psychological advantage that few teams have.
