After finding life rather tricky in the Basque Country two weeks ago, winning 2-0 against Athletic Club, Arsenal once again were made to work hard for their win in the Champions League.
Welcoming Olympiacos to the Emirates Stadium, meeting the Greek champions for the 13th time in 15 years, they were a difficult side to get the better of, but like they did in Bilbao, Mikel Arteta’s men got the job done, 2-0 victors again.
While the Gunners struggled to create clear-cut opportunities to score from in the second half, in truth, it was a game they could have won by four or five goals.
In the opening 45 minutes the Londoners were electric, scoring early through Gabriel Martinelli before substitute Bukayo Saka rounded things off late on.
While not on the scoresheet, the biggest positive from the night was undoubtedly the performance of skipper Martin Odegaard.
After suffering an ankle injury on international duty just over a year ago, the Norwegian has looked a little lost for form but was back to his best in Europe on Wednesday, putting in a masterclass performance from the middle of the park.
It was Odegaard who supplied Saka’s goal and it was the club captain who played the ball in behind in the build-up to the opener.
To see him in full flow again is a joy, and he will be vital now as Arteta’s side aim to go deep in this year’s competition. So far they have six points from six, but trickier ties await, notably Atletico Madrid in match week three.
Speaking of Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres will have no doubt been delighted he was back in the side.
Viktor Gyokeres' performance in numbers vs Olympiacos
In all honesty, this has been a difficult start to life for the hulking Swede in north London.
At Sporting CP last season, he showcased his credentials by scoring 54 goals, three of which came against Manchester City in this very competition.
Yet, in Arsenal colours, he’s not been able to demonstrate the same level of clinicalness inside the penalty area.
Gyokeres has scored three times, two coming in one game against Leeds United, but there is a sense that he needs to work on his final action.
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He had six shots against Newcastle on Sunday but none of them felt too clean. The truth is that he’s taking too much time to get his efforts away.
That said, the summer arrival is improving. The very fact he was so threatening last weekend is evidence of that.
Against Olympiacos, the 27-year-old perhaps put in his best non-scoring display for Arsenal yet. Finally afforded space in behind, he was unlucky not to score on a few occasions.
His forward play for the first goal was sublime. Odegaard fed the ball in behind and Gyokeres bulldozed his way forward, crashing past two defenders and then getting a shot away that came off the post.
Fortunately, Martinelli was ready and waiting to tap the rebound into an empty net.
Gyokeres was a willing runner for much of the game and was found with great regularity by an in-form Odegaard. You can tell the chemistry between Arsenal’s chief creators and their new striker is indeed improving.
It’s hard to judge him too much so far. Visits to Old Trafford, Anfield and St James Park’ have historically been tricky and with easier fixtures to come, the Swedish superstar looks like he’s growing in confidence at just the right time.
Whether he goes on to replicate some of Arsenal’s great strikers of the past remains to be seen. He bears the number 14, famously worn by Thierry Henry and later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
No Gunners striker has lifted the Premier League since the days of Henry, not even the likes of Robin van Persie or Auba. Perhaps now will be the year they finally do so.
To stand any chance of that, not only will they need Odegaard and Gyokeres in top form, but they will also need to find a way to get more out of their future Van Persie.
Arteta could be brewing the next Van Persie at Arsenal
The scorer of 30-plus goals in a single campaign during the Arsene Wenger era, Van Persie was a menacing centre-forward and Gyokeres will no doubt hope to emulate him.
However, one player who already looks ready to emulate the great Dutchman is Martinelli.
The Brazilian has endured a sticky few years. In 2022/23, he ended the term as the club’s joint-top scorer alongside Saka and Odegaard, but he has not replicated that since.
While he still looks a tad timid in 2025/26, he is finding his feet once more, even with limited game time.
Martinelli’s start on Wednesday evening was just his fourth of the season to date but he more than made it count, scoring the first goal of the game.
The 24-year-old is certainly a man in form having scored three in his last four, the most important of which came against Manchester City, delicately lobbing Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Citizens’ net with barely minutes remaining.
All of his goals this season have so far come from central areas and that’s where the Brazilian could become a force in the years to come.
For years, Martinelli has been a wide forward. Those 15 goals in 2022/23 came from the left flank, but there is a striker waiting to be unleashed. His record as an out-and-out centre-forward is better than in any other position, albeit that is from a small sample size.
Left wing
186
40
26
Right wing
18
3
3
Striker
16
9
0
Total
220
52
29
Having netted nine goals in 16 matches, the proof is there. He’s a very threatening striker. He’s got pace and he’s got the ability to run in behind. The goal in Bilbao a few weeks ago showed no defender is quick enough to keep up with him and that goal against City came courtesy of another run in behind the defence from a central position.
Interestingly, it was as a central attacker where Unai Emery got a lot of joy from Martinelli, too. During his debut year in England, 2019/20, he found the net on seven occasions in nine matches as a centre forward.
FFC’s stat of the day: Arsenal have never lost a match in which Gabriel Martinelli has scored.
So, why the comparison to Van Persie? Well, when the Netherlands icon first signed for Arsenal, he did so as a wide player. Like Martinelli, he was traditionally a left winger.
That said, the plan for Wenger was always to transform him into a striker and he did just that, to great success too.
While Van Persie may not have had the pace of Martinelli, his finishing ability was remarkable. At Arsenal, the Flying Dutchman registered 132 goals in 278 matches, cementing himself as one of the finest players to don the famous shirt. It was a great success story for Wenger.
Now, in 2025, Arteta must take a leaf out of the Frenchman’s book. The Brazil international may well have been fielded on the wing on Wednesday night, but he looks more at home centrally, just as Van Persie did.
After the arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke this summer, Arsenal’s number 11 was always going to find it tricky to get regular starts, but with Kai Havertz out and Gyokeres still getting up to speed, perhaps the forward could revive his career by permanently moving to the striker role.