Arsenal substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard pounced in the final stages to secure a 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao in their Champions League opener on Tuesday. Last season's beaten semi-finalists got off to a winning start in the Basque country as they shaded a tight game at the San Mames stadium in the first of eight group matches. Mikel Arteta's side, chasing a first major trophy since 2020 and their first ever Champions League win, ground out their victory with a typically sturdy defensive display and their late goals. 

Martinelli scored in the 72nd minute, 36 seconds after coming off the bench, before Trossard added a second after 87 minutes, each setting the other up. "We started to grow throughout the game. In the second half we were more fluent, dominant, and the finishers made the impact for us to win the game," Arteta told reporters. "(The substitutes) are at least equally important, if not more important. "We have discussed that -- the finishers are going to be more important this season sometimes than the starters, and we can change the game then, when teams start to drop off."