Arsenal fans all say the same thing as ‘one of the best’ shines vs Athletic Club
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Charlie Grace
Tue 16 September 2025 21:15, UKUpdated Tue 16 September 2025 22:13, UK
Arsenal fans have all sung the praises of one star who showed his qualities during their 2-0 victory away at Athletic Bilbao.
Gabriel Martinelli made Arsenal history with his goal, giving the Gunners the lead off the bench after just 36 seconds.
Arsenal’s victory over Nottingham Forest gave Mikel Arteta’s side a huge momentum boost coming into their Champions League opener.
During that game, Stuart Pearce was positive about the strength of Arsenal’s bench, and that positivity was repaid with Arteta’s two substitutes, Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, scoring the visitors’ two goals in Bilbao.
Arsenal will now travel to Man City in a game that looks set to have title race implications further down the line this season.
Credit: Imago
Arteta’s bench may look even stronger against Man City than it did tonight, with William Saliba and Bukayo Saka coming back into the fold at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
Yet, it’s in central defence where the biggest selection conundrum may come, with Cristhian Mosquera’s performance hitting the headlines for all the right reasons.
Mosquera joined Arsenal from Valencia for £13 million in the summer, and his performance suggested that the fee is a true bargain.
One fan said: “Another quality shift from Mosquera tonight, deputising for one of the most important players in the team in Saliba shouldn’t have been an easy job, but he has done it effortlessly again like it’s nothing.”
Cristhian Mosquera vs Athletic ClubCompleted passes74/79Defensive contributions7Aerial duels4/6Cristhian Mosquera’s performance vs Athletic Club (Fotmob)
Another fan said: “The reality is Mosquera is already one of the best CBs in the Premier League.”
With someone else pointing out: “Mosquera is the only starting player who has come out of this game with any grace.