Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli produced spectacular goals as Arsenal cruised past Club Brugge 3–0 on Wednesday, maintaining their perfect Champions League record and all but securing a direct berth in the last 16.
Former Chelsea winger Madueke opened the scoring with a thunderous long-range strike before heading in a second moments into the second half. Martinelli sealed the victory with a trademark cut-inside and curling finish from the edge of the area.
Injury-hit Arsenal have now won all six of their Champions League matches this season, conceding only once. Having already qualified for the knockout phase ahead of their trip to Belgium, the Gunners now look almost certain to finish in the top eight, a position that guarantees automatic entry into the round of 16 and avoids the perilous play-off round.
The dominant performance was a timely response after Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders suffered their first defeat since August, a 2–1 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend.
Brugge, meanwhile, were playing their first match under returning coach Ivan Leko following the dismissal of Nicky Hayen on Monday.
Arteta, dealing with a lengthy injury list, made five changes from the Villa defeat, including a start at centre-back for Christian Nørgaard and a first appearance since November 1 for Viktor Gyökeres.
Arsenal began brightly and nearly took the lead when Piero Hincapié deflected a wayward Myles Lewis-Skelly effort onto the post. Minutes later, Madueke broke the deadlock in emphatic style, collecting the ball just inside the Brugge half before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable left-footed strike that crashed in off the underside of the bar.
Brugge’s threat was sporadic, though Carlos Forbs — who scored twice in a 3–3 draw against Barcelona last month — caused occasional problems on the right. The hosts rallied late in the first half, with Aleksandar Stankovic going close twice and Christos Tzolis forcing David Raya into action.
But any momentum evaporated less than a minute after the restart. Madueke, deputising for the injured Bukayo Saka, headed home Martín Zubimendi’s cross to double Arsenal’s lead.
Martinelli, largely a fringe figure this season, added a stylish third in the 56th minute as Arsenal threatened to run away with the game. Brugge mounted the odd attack, but the visitors came closest again when substitute Gabriel Jesus — making his return after 11 months out — struck the crossbar.
Arsenal ultimately saw out the match in complete control, underlining their status as one of this season’s Champions League frontrunners.
