Champions League Recap: Arsenal and Spurs Start Strong, Chelsea Faces Bayern Challenge
The UEFA Champions League season is underway with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur securing victories in their opening matches. Meanwhile, former Scotland winger Pat Nevin discusses Chelsea's chances against Bayern Munich.
Chelsea's Champions League Outlook
Chelsea is returning to the Champions League after a few years' absence with a young and developing squad. Pat Nevin of BBC Radio 5 Live acknowledges the significant leap in competition from the Conference League. He points out that facing Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena will be a considerable challenge.
Nevin suggests that securing a draw against Bayern would be an excellent result for Chelsea, given the pressure and expectation at Bayern's home ground. He emphasizes that Chelsea should approach the game without fear, despite their relative inexperience compared to other top teams in the competition.
While Nevin doesn't anticipate Chelsea reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals this season, he believes they can perform well and sees potential for deeper runs in future years.
Liverpool Integrates New Signing Alexander Isak
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk addressed the media about new teammate Alexander Isak, who recently joined from Newcastle. Van Dijk acknowledged the difficulties of prolonged transfer negotiations and expressed his pleasure at the deal's completion.
Van Dijk emphasized the importance of Isak quickly reaching peak fitness and contributing with goals, assists, and link-up play. He also noted the competition and improvement that fellow forward Hugo Ekitike brings to the team. Van Dijk humorously declined to reveal what he said to Isak after losing the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle last season.
Arsenal's Tactical Victory Over Athletic Club
Arsenal began their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club at Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao. Late goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard secured the win, marking Arsenal's sixth consecutive victory against La Liga opposition.
Despite Athletic Club's fast start, Arsenal's experience gradually took over. No Athletic player had Champions League experience, making them the first Spanish team to field an entirely debutant starting XI since Real Madrid in 1995. Noni Madueke was a constant threat on the wing, while Arsenal's substitutions proved decisive.
Martinelli scored the quickest-ever goal by an Arsenal substitute in the Champions League, followed by Trossard. Mikel Arteta praised his "finishers" for making a significant impact, drawing a parallel to Eddie Jones's rugby strategy. This victory marked Arsenal's first away win in their opening Champions League match since returning to the competition two years prior.
| Season | Result |
|---|---|
| Seville (A) 2023/24 | W 2-1 |
| Seville (H) 2023/24 | W 2-0 |
| Girona (A) 2024/25 | W 2-1 |
| Real Madrid (H) 2024/25 | W 3-0 |
| Real Madrid (A) 2024/25 | W 2-1 |
| Athletic Club (A) 2025/26 | W 2-0 |
Spurs Secure Narrow Win Against Villarreal
Tottenham Hotspur earned a 1-0 victory over Villarreal, thanks to an own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior. This match marked Thomas Frank's debut as a manager in the Champions League and the beginning of a new era for Spurs after the departures of Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy.
Despite the early lead, Spurs struggled to maintain control throughout the game. Pedro Porro played in Lucas Bergvall, whose cross led to Junior's error. The game became disjointed, with the referee struggling to maintain order. Villarreal improved in the second half, but Spurs' defense held firm, with Micky van de Ven standing out.
Van de Ven emphasized that the team didn't play well but secured the crucial three points. Frank acknowledged the need for offensive improvement while praising the team's defensive organization. Spurs have now won five consecutive games in major European competition for the first time since 2013/14.
"It was a tough one tonight. We didn't play very well to be honest. We had a really good start and of course you want to build on that, but Villarreal are a really difficult team to play against. It is tough, but we got the three points and that is [the] most important [thing]."
