Gabriel Martinelli has revealed he told his team-mates his plan to break down Athletic Club’s defence moments before stepping onto the pitch in Arsenal’s 2-0 Champions League win over the Spanish side.
The Brazilian winger says he had spotted the gaps behind the defence while watching from the subs bench and already had a plan to exploit them for when he was introduced.
And that is exactly what happened, latching onto a pass from fellow substitute Leandro Trossard to score just 36 seconds after arriving on the pitch.
“I told the guys on the bench there was space in behind,” Martinelli said. “When I came on, I just tried to get in.
“I wanted to see where I could find the space. Leo saw me, it was a great ball from him, and I just tried to put the ball in the net.”
With just a few minutes remaining, Martinelli returned the favour for Trossard to seal the victory.
“For the second goal, I wanted to go past my man and look to find someone in the box, and I knew they were tired, too. I was able to find Leo, and he did the rest.” Martinelli added.
“They were playing at home, so they did well too, but I thought we were clinical and deserved to win.
“When you play for Arsenal, you go to win every game, so it is really good to start the campaign with the victory.”
