Squad depth hailed as super-subs lead Arsenal to victory over Athletic Bilbao

Arsenal's starting XI against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday featured five players who joined the club over the summer, but it was two familiar faces who made the difference as the Gunners claimed a 2-0 victory at the Estadio San Mames in their opening match of the 2025-26 Champions League.

The Gunners dominated most of the play but could not crack the hosts' defence until late, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard each scoring deep into the second half to secure the result.

Neither goal-scorer started the match for Mikel Arteta's side, as both Martinelli and Trossard have had their roles changed with the introduction of several new players prior to the beginning of the campaign. Regardless, it was the attacking duo who came off the bench and combined for both goals, with Martinelli scoring roughly 30 seconds after his introduction into the match.

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The Brazilian received a lobbed pass inside his own half from Trossard and bolted goalward, controlling the ball deftly and pulling away from the Bilbao defence before slotting home the game's opening goal in the 72nd minute.

Then, 15 minutes later, Martinelli and Trossard switched roles as the latter received the ball from the former inside the penalty area and momentarily delayed his shot before striking the ball off a defender and past goalkeeper Unai Simon to put the result beyond doubt.

It was a short yet impactful time on the pitch for both men, and Arteta was full of praise for the substitutes.

"Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi [Martinelli] and Leo [Trossard] came on to make the difference for the team," the Arsenal manager said.

"They were outstanding, and the rest of the team as well. In many moments, they were at a very good level. When someone is able to win the game in those actions and be so clinical, it's exactly what we need because the threat can come from different ways and different players. I'm very pleased with that."

Arteta has placed a premium on creating depth all over the squad since taking over the reins in 2019, and he stated that all the players who came off the bench in Tuesday's victory were vital to the result.

"It means that [they] are connected and they feel that they are really, really important," Arteta explained. "We have discussed that a lot. We're going to need that.

"Piero [Hincapie] comes in and plays five minutes, and so does Christian [Norgaard], and it's the best five minutes of their lives.

"That's the spirit that we need amongst the squad. If we have everybody at that level, we'll win a lot of games."

How to watch the Champions League in the USA on DAZN 

Soccer fans in the US can watch selected Champions League as part of their DAZN subscription package, in Spanish language.

For each match week, DAZN will have exclusive coverage of the top three pick games, including the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, and PSG, in Spanish.  Click here to see which games are available on DAZN .

Sign up between September 11-September 19, 2025, to get an Annual Subscription for $179.99 (down from $224.99) as a one-off up-front cost; or $15.99 per month for 12 months, (reduced from $19.99 per month)*.

A DAZN subscription also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.

CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in English language this season.   You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.

*New customers only

How to watch the Champions League in New Zealand on DAZN 

Every Champions League game during the 2025-26 season is streamed in high-definition and comes as part of a DAZN subscription.

New customers can get a special 20% discount for a subscription. Sign up between September 11-September 19, 2025, to get an Annual Subscription for $119.99 (down from $149.99) as a one-off up-front cost; or $11.99 per month for 12 months, (reduced from $14.99)*.

A DAZN subscription also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.

How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN

Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription. 

There are three subscription options, offering differing selections of sports in each. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)