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UCL Champions League Returns For too long Arsenal laboured. They jittered. They were rushed off the ball and careless on it. It was not a performance to ignite a Champions League campaign with much enthusiasm. On 71 minutes, Mikel Arteta looked to his bench and sent on Gabriel Martinelli, a player whose confidence and output have been damaged of late. After some underwhelming performances, he has become a target for the critical edge of the fanbase. What, they wondered, happened to the kid who broke into the team like an electric bolt?   Advertisement But Martinelli is made of special stuff. As those who know him best can testify, his endeavour is undeniable. His spirit is not easily broken.   It took 36 seconds for Martinelli to seize his moment, to reprise what he is personally able to describe as a “Bernabeu goal”. This had the flavour of his iconic late match-winner at Real Madrid — one of those beautiful moments where he has so much grass in front of him to zoom into, and then he picks a finish and is able to just carry on running straight into the joy of the celebration.   In turning the tide in Bilbao, he was mobbed by team-mates whose happiness for their friend was obvious. They know. They all know how it feels to be struggling a bit, to feel the pressure that comes just as much from within as it does from anyone outside who is assessing your work. His courage to keep on trying to find his best and to serve the team is loved within the group.   Arteta was delighted with Martinelli’s renewed spark. “I adore Gabi, ” he enthused. “Fully deserved it. His attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team. As a family, we certainly value all the qualities that he has. ” With different circumstances, Martinelli might have been sold this summer. As it happened, he stayed put and saw new talent arrive in Noni Madueke — who was excellent once again with his trickery and desire to impact the match — and Eberechi Eze, both of whom are expected to limit his game time out wide. Martinelli was involved in Arsenal’s second with some crafty wing play, finding fellow substitute Leandro Trossard, who took a pause in the box as if slowly lighting a cigar, before pinging his shot in off the near post.   Not only did Martinelli and Trossard win a tough Champions League game for Arsenal, they also epitomised a key message about how Arteta wants to spread the love around his newly grown squad. “The finishers are at least as important or more important than the starters, ” he says. Making that message stick is easier said than done, but it’s a drum he will repeatedly beat. Advertisement The value of finishers for Arsenal is crystal clear. If we are looking for the big difference between Arsenal’s collective now and the one that ran out of steam and ideas in last year’s semi-final, finishers, or game changers, were a huge factor. Last April against Paris Saint-Germain, needing goals, Mikel Merino was the makeshift centre-forward, Bukayo Saka was just back from a serious injury, and there was no room for manoeuvre.   The attacking substitutions Arteta dared not trust were Raheem Sterling, enduring a painfully ineffective loan, and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, an academy lad who was never expected to play for the first team and has since moved to FC Lausanne.   That was then, this is now. In the impassioned helter-skelter of San Mames, Arteta started with a front three of Madueke, Eze and Viktor Gyokeres. When it needed a refresh, he was able to call upon Martinelli and Trossard, both seasoned campaigners.   “It’s always very difficult emotionally to leave players out, ” Arteta added. “I know how much they want to play this competition and what it means to them, and every time you pick the line-up, you are disappointing a lot of players. But to have that experience, I looked on the bench, I looked at Gabi, and in his eyes I could see that he was ready. Leo as well. ” Arsenal are right to be excited about their shiny new toys, and Madueke was a beacon over the first hour and a bit when the team were not functioning anywhere near their best. His start to life at the club has been pretty exemplary and it speaks volumes that Saka’s absence has not been too keenly felt.   Make no mistake, this was not a straightforward victory. Athletic played with tremendous heart. It is a core value given their unique philosophy to form their team out of players from the Basque region, and they hunted and harassed Arsenal to the point where Arteta’s team strained to find their preferred level of control.   Advertisement They also suffered two head injuries, both accidental and requiring treatment for bloody wounds. Arteta later sounded confident that both Gyokeres and Merino would be available for the next game against Manchester City on Sunday.   A team aspiring to go far in Europe’s top competition has to rise above intense atmospheres and a pack of hectic pressers in opposition. The defensive sector of the team stood firm, and it’s worth noting that the only goal they conceded this season so far was a freakish free kick.   Then, it was down to the finishers to show their worth, and feel the full value of their importance. (Top photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Since football fandom kicked in in the 1970s, the path to football writing started as a teenager scribbling for a fanzine. After many years with the Guardian and the Observer, covering the game from grassroots to World Cup finals, Amy Lawrence joined The Athletic in 2019. Follow Amy on Twitter @amylawrence71