Arsenal secured a crucial Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk, bouncing back from their weekend defeat to Bournemouth. The Gunners’ 1-0 victory came courtesy of a bizarre own goal by Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, who was unfortunate to deflect Gabriel Martinelli’s shot into his own net.
In the 29th minute, Martinelli’s effort hit the post before rebounding off Riznyk’s back and rolling over the line, giving Arsenal the lead after a dominant start. The home side continued to push forward, with Riccardo Calafiori missing an early opportunity to open the scoring, while Gabriel Jesus came close to doubling the lead only to be denied by the Shakhtar keeper.
Despite Arsenal’s control, Shakhtar posed a threat on the counter-attack. Winger Eguinaldo kept the Gunners’ defense busy throughout the match, reminding Mikel Arteta’s side that the game was far from over.
The Gunners, already struggling with injuries, were without key players such as captain Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. To add to Arteta’s concerns, defender Ben White was substituted at halftime, likely due to his yellow card, while Calafiori was withdrawn after an awkward fall.
Late in the game, Arsenal had the chance to seal the win when a VAR review awarded them a penalty for a handball by Valerii Bondar. However, Leandro Trossard’s weak spot-kick was easily saved by Riznyk, who put in an impressive performance despite the own goal.
In stoppage time, Shakhtar nearly snatched a dramatic equalizer when Pedrinho’s shot from the edge of the box forced a brilliant save from Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya.
While it wasn’t Arsenal’s most convincing performance, the team will be relieved to get back on track ahead of a pivotal Premier League clash with league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
