While Arsenal are still trying to affirm their ambition to win the Premier League, their journey to conquer the UEFA Champions League seems to have really begun.
For nearly an hour, Atletico Madrid's away trip to Emirates Stadium was as predicted: tense, intense and full of calculations. Then the turning point appeared when Arsenal scored 4 goals in a row to end the 4-0 victory.
The expanded and somewhat cumbersome group stage format makes the first results in theory less meaningful. However, the impact of this victory on Arsenal's young squad - who are eager to touch the European title after many years of progress - is certainly huge.
Diego Simeone's side lost 4-0 to Benfica last season, but they rarely collapsed so quickly and heavily in the second half.
"We played very well until Arsenal opened the scoring. From that moment on, we should have defended better. Arsenal played great, taking full advantage of all our mistakes. set pieces can always decide the game, and today, they turned every big chance into a goal" - Simeone admitted after the match.
Arsenal's ability to take advantage of set pieces is already too famous. In the Premier League, no one has found a solution to this problem, with their 37 corners-on goals since the start of the 2023-2024 season being 16 more than the team behind them. Therefore, Simeone - one of the world's best defensive coaches - has certainly planned to prevent that.
And for a while, he did. The answer is very simple, although extremely difficult to do. That is, don't give The Gunners a chance. Arsenal were only awarded a corner kick in the first 45 minutes. However, right in the first set piece of the second half - Declan Rice's free kick in the 57th minute - center back Gabriel Magalhaes headed the opening goal. According to Opta, it was Arsenal's first chance from a dead ball in the whole match.
That goal opened up a real rain of goals. Gabriel Martinelli scored an impressive double in just 7 minutes, before Viktor Gyokeres scored 2 more goals, sealing a 4-0 victory that caught the attention of the whole of Europe. Those 4 goals were like a bucket of cold water poured on Atletico's ambitions.
Arsenal's strong summer investment has made many believe they have one of the best squads in Europe. However, their domestic form has not really met that expectation.
The win over Atletico could be a major milestone - a night when the Gunners' new signings began to integrate and show their worth. Martin Zubimendi controlled the midfield well, while Gyokeres scored goals that Mikel Arteta believes he deserved.
"He absolutely deserves it, because everything we see in him - from his contribution on the pitch to his influence in the dressing room - is amazing.
In the past few weeks, although he has not scored, his efforts and dedication are undeniable. The important thing is that he maintains confidence, emotional stability to continue playing football freely and enjoy it" - Arteta said about Gyokeres.
nothing is certain in October, but this time has marked a symbolic transition. From Simeone - the master of the counter-attacking defensive philosophy - to Mikel Arteta, who is building Arsenal into the most resilient defensive team in Europe.
Arsenal have only had one shot on target in their last three games. They have also conceded just three goals in all competitions this season - the fewest in the opening 12 games of the club's 138-year history. A solid defensive foundation is opening the way for them to conquer new milestones.
