Arsenal vs Olympiacos Review
Arsenal secured their sixth consecutive win in the UEFA Champions League group phase by defeating Olympiacos 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta made six changes from the team that won against Newcastle, and two of those players linked up to create an almost immediate goal. Myles Lewis-Skelly delivered a perfect cross to Gabriel Martinelli, who initially failed to make clean contact and pushed the ball wide. Fortunately for Martinelli, his next opportunity was nearly impossible to miss, as he tapped the ball in from right on the goal line after Viktor Gyökeres’ first shot was saved and hit the post.
Gyökeres missed another great opportunity later in the first half, curling the ball over the bar after cutting inside. However, it wasn’t all one-sided for Arsenal, who were facing a team that had won their last three visits to the Emirates. Olympiacos also had chances to equalize before halftime. The best chance came from Daniel Podence, whose volley was brilliantly saved by David Raya. Martin Ødegaard had an impressive first half, effortlessly distributing passes across the field, and Arsenal’s captain continued to impress in the second half by setting up Leandro Trossard, whose close-range shot was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Shortly after, Olympiacos believed they had scored an equalizer when Chiquinho tapped in a rebound, but the initial header from Ayoub El Kaabi, which Raya saved, was ruled offside. In the final moments, Arsenal aimed to secure the win, with Tzolakis making a strong save against Ødegaard’s run. However, the goalkeeper was unable to stop Bukayo Saka’s goal during stoppage time, as the substitute slid the ball between his legs. The Greek team performed admirably but ultimately suffered their 11th consecutive away loss in the UCL group phase.
