Mikel Arteta’s side tore Atletico Madrid apart in a 14-minute spell of devastating football that left Diego Simeone’s team in ruins.
Four goals without reply, two from Viktor Gyökeres, gave Arsenal their third consecutive Champions League win and their most emphatic performance of the season.
Arteta had called for “aggression and patience” before kick-off. He got both, and plenty more besides.
“I’m delighted for Viktor,” he said after his striker broke his mini-goal drought. “The work rate and everything he brings to the team, he deserves a goal. We brought him here to score and his demands on himself are very high, but we value a lot of the things he does for the team. You can see the smile on his face. He’s used to scoring so many over the last two years, so hopefully it’s the start of a beautiful run.”
Gabriel Magalhães headed in Declan Rice’s free-kick to open the scoring before Gabriel Martinelli curled in a superb second after an electric run from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Gyökeres then struck twice in three minutes, the first a scrappy finish from close range, the second forced home after another Rice corner.
The Swede’s goals may not have been spectacular, but they were exactly what Arsenal have lacked in recent seasons: a centre-forward scoring the ugly ones that make the difference. “He makes us a much better team,” said Arteta. “I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal.”
The numbers underline just how far this side have come. It was Arsenal’s seventh straight win against Spanish opposition in Europe and their 10th goal from Rice’s set-piece deliveries since he joined in 2023.
They have now conceded only three goals in 12 matches in all competitions, the best defensive record at this stage of any season in the club’s history.
Atletico, meanwhile, could only admire what had hit them. Simeone admitted, “They were the better team. We have to accept it, but there are lessons to learn so we can keep improving.”
Even when the visitors started well, striking the crossbar through Julián Álvarez, Arsenal’s belief never wavered. Once they scored, they were merciless, out-running and out-thinking one of Europe’s most disciplined sides. Lewis-Skelly played with composure beyond his years, and Rice and Zubimendi once again dominated every area of the pitch.
The result leaves Arsenal level at the top of the league phase with Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, both also boasting perfect defensive records.
Arteta’s verdict was simple. “I am extremely happy and proud about the performance. It required a lot of aggression and a lot of patience. Today we were extremely efficient and we’re really happy.”
Few could argue. On a night when Simeone’s men were left chasing shadows, Arsenal looked every inch like a side built to end their European wait.
