Once again, experts and fans are discussing Arsenal's squad depth. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench in Bilbao to save the game.
This not only proves the Gunners' strength but also shows how far their current squad has gone compared to last season.
However, a more notable question concerns Mikel Arteta's tactics. The win over Athletic Bilbao was a match in which Arsenal were almost uncompromising under any real pressure from the opponent. The Spanish team had 11 shots but only two were on target, and those were all easily blocked by David Raya.
The Gunners' victory once again depended on their solid defensive system. However, the "Gunners" had to make a lot of effort in the first match of the Champions League this season. For most of the time, Arsenal's attack lacked flexibility, and the obvious weakness once again came to light.
Like the match against Liverpool last month, Arsenal played with a 3-man midfield consisting of Mikel Merino and Declan Rice, fronted by holding midfielder Martin Zubimendi. And like the match against Liverpool, they were limited in their ability to attack for most of the match.
The issue that is causing a lot of controversy is the coordination between Merino and Rice in the number 8 position. In the Premier League, the pair have played together in nine games, but Arsenal have won just one of them.
The only victory was a 4-0 home win for Ipswich, a weak opponent, when the pressure to get points was completely reduced as the team was focusing on the Champions League.
In other matches, Arsenal were under pressure to win but lacked creativity. The 10-man loss to Bournemouth was an example, as the Gunners were inconsistent even before William Saliba was sent off.
They also only had one shot on target in the 0-1 loss to Newcastle, and a total of 0 shots on target in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.
In many games, Rice has played as a defensive midfielder, while Merino has played higher. However, in the past 12 months, both have shown quite similar styles - preferring to move from the back to create space in the box and score. The fact that both are in the same team sometimes creates many doubts about the effectiveness.
Arteta prioritizes using Merino and Rice in midfield thanks to both of their excellent one-on-one duels. He stressed the importance of this factor ahead of the match against Bilbao.
"We know that the first 20 to 25 minutes will be very difficult, especially the way they play. The match was very tense, many players played directly, with many one-on-one challenges" - Arteta shared at the press conference.
However, that tactic also has to pay the price. "The Gunners" only had one shot on target despite controlling the ball more than 65% during that time. This could be part of Arteta's plan as they try to keep the game tight and use the bench to find a win. This is also the tactic they applied against Liverpool at Anfield but failed.
With the next match being the reception of Manchester City at Emirates, the development is expected to take place as at Anfield. Arteta's deployment of midfield will be an important highlight, not only affecting Arsenal's chances of winning, but also reflecting the team's spirit before the match.
It will depend a lot on Martin Odegaard's fitness. If the shoulder injury has not recovered yet - like when he was only on the bench in the match against Liverpool - Arteta will have to make an important decision.
Will Arteta continue to use the midfield he played for Bilbao? Or will he boldly add an attacking player to the starting lineup?
