THERE will only ever be one true team of Invincibles at Arsenal.
Yet even the Premier League title-winning team of 2003-04 would nod their heads in approval at the current run of European results which Mikel Arteta has overseen at the Emirates.
GettyGabriel Martinelli scored early as Arsenal beat Olympiacos 2-0[/caption]
AFPBukayo Saka was also on target as the Gunners maintained their 100 per cent start[/caption]
Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka struck the goals in a laboured victory but it means Arsenal have won both of their Champions League matches.
Already, it would be a surprise if they fail to finish in the top eight and so avoid a play-off round.
Remarkably, in home group phase European matches under Arteta, which includes both the Champions League and Europa League, Arsenal have won FOURTEEN matches in a row.
Even more surprising is the fact they have kept clean sheets in those last 11 matches, meaning the last player to score here in a group match was Rapid Vienna’s Koya Kitagwa who struck on December 3 2020 in his team’s 4-1 loss.
Arsenal also did well in Europe last season, losing to PSG in the semi-finals although they would have reached the final had they been playing with a decent no 9.
But while the progress has been slow for the amount of money which has been spent, Arsenal are now becoming a force both in Europe as well as domestically.
Arsenal edged past the Greek champions even though the game should have been far more straightforward than it proved to be and Arteta’s team suffered a few scares.
And crucially, It was also nice to see Martin Odegaard, who has once again struggled with form and injury, dictating play for much of the game.
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He seemed to be enjoying himself as he sprayed passes around the pitch just like we used to see each week a couple of seasons ago.
Known for over-playing some of his players, Arteta was even able to mix and match his team, giving starts to Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who will both hope to be in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad which he will name tomorrow.
Jurrien Timber, who has been outstanding this season, started the game on the bench along with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, although all four of those players appeared in the second half.
With his selection, the Arsenal manager clearly had one eye on Saturday’s home game against West Ham, a match they simply have to win to keep up the pressure on a Liverpool team who now seem to be in transition a year later than everyone expected.
And one player finding his feet is Viktor Gyokeres who arrived from Sporting Lisbon with Arsenal fans hoping he would be the key to unleashing hell on opposing defences.
GettyMartinelli was sharp to the ball as he poked Arsenal ahead early on[/caption]
GettyIt would prove to be a vital goal as Arsenal clung on to their lead[/caption]
Gyokeres could still be that man. He played a major part in the opening goal and he has scored three times in the Premier League.
Equally, there is still so much more to come and he is trying a bit too hard and is guilty of being selfish and is also lacking composure at key moments.
Yet it would still be a surprise if he failed to register 20 goals in all competitions this season while there is certainly no criticising his workrate.
ReutersSaka lifted the pressure when he struck in the dying moments[/caption]
ReutersA collective sigh of relief could be heard around the Emirates[/caption]
Gyokeres loves to bully defences and he did exactly that to both of the visiting team’s central-defenders when racing on to a through pass from Odegaard.
While Gyokeres fired a shot which was deflected by keeper Kostas Tzolakis against the post, it gave Martinelli a tap-in.
The Brazilian will have been grateful as he was guilty of missing an easy header at the start of the game following a decent cross by Lewis-Skelly.
ReutersNottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, also chief of Olympiacos, watched next to Rafa Benitez[/caption]
GettyArsenal huffed and puffed as they made hard work of the match[/caption]
Like Sunday’s 2-1 win at Newcastle, Arsenal keeper David Raya had little to do but he saved his team with a class save to push over a cracking volley by Daniel Podence.
Arteta, though, will have been angry with the weak defending which allowed the former Wolves winger to be presented with the chance.
Gyokeres blazed over a couple of times before half-time, as did Leandro Trossard.
ReutersDavid Raya was forced to make several big saves[/caption]
Mikel Arteta was ultimately pleased with what he sawReuters
With Arsenal still searching for the second goal to seal the game. Trossard was denied by a decent save by keeper Tzolakis with Odegaard, once again, creating the chance with a clever run and through ball.
Odegaard should have completed his fine performance at the end but forced a good save from Tzolakis before failing to score the follow-up.
Unsurprisingly, though, Odegaard played a part in the second when exchanging passes with Saka who then stuck a shot through the legs of the keeper.
Arsenal lived dangerously. And they got lucky when Ayoub El Kaabi thought he had equalised but team-mate Chiquinho, who forced a save from Raya, was offside.
But they avoided conceding and Arteta’s men remain Invincible at home in the group stages – although it is still a bit early for Arsenal fans to start booking hotel rooms for next year’s final in Budapest.
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