Arsenal and Atalanta fought hard in their opening clash of the new UEFA Champions League format, though the match ended 0-0 with very few clear chances at the Gewiss Stadium.
David Raya stole the headlines with a standout performance, making a magnificent double save to deny Mateo Retegui twice – first saving his penalty and then clawing the rebound off the line.
Mikel Arteta’s side felt the absence of Martin Ødegaard, with the Gunners limited to just six shots. They did create two big chances, both of which were missed by Gabriel Martinelli. Raheem Sterling, bright off the bench, put the Brazilian through on goal in the 75th minute, but Martinelli couldn’t find his feet and lashed the shot over the bar. He lacked composure in Arsenal’s last major opportunity.
Atalanta pressed well throughout, and their man-to-man marking stifled Arsenal’s buildup play. While their forwards moved fluidly in the final third, they will rue the missed penalty and rebound as chances were hard to come by.
Both teams take a point on the first matchday of the Champions League, with seven more games to go in the new format. Arsenal face Manchester City on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash, with their next Champions League tie coming against PSG at home. Meanwhile, Atalanta host Como on Monday night, with their next European matchup being Shakhtar Donetsk away.
Atalanta Player Ratings
Embed from Getty ImagesMarco Carnesecchi – 6
The goalkeeper didn’t have too much to deal with but was solid when called upon. Calm on the ball and able to launch long passes to the forward line. He attempted 28 long balls, with nine finding their target, offering Atalanta an option when playing out from the back wasn’t viable.
Berat Djimsiti – 6
Kept things tidy at the back but wasn’t tested too often on the right side. He was able to keep Martinelli quiet for the majority of the match, and he won two aerial duels.
Isak Hien – 7
Solid defensively and managed to keep Arsenal’s attackers in check. The Swede was crucial in Atalanta’s build-up play and won the most aerial duels (4) among his teammates. He dealt well with both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
Sead Kolašinac – 7
The former Arsenal defender put in a well-rounded performance against his old side. He kept the left side secure and got the better of Bukayo Saka, who had to get subbed off in the end. However, the Bosnian offered little going forward.
Davide Zappacosta – 6
Worked hard to provide width but struggled to make an impact offensively. Defensively, Zappacosta tracked back well and helped stifle Arsenal’s wingers.
Marten de Roon – 6
Won key loose balls and kept the midfield flowing, controlling the tempo at times. The Atalanta forwards would have appreciated a few more attempts to find them when making runs in behind, but the pivot with his midfield partner Ederson worked well.
Éderson Silva – 7
The more dynamic of the two central midfielders. He created a big chance for Lookman and won seven ground duels. His box-to-box play was strong, a role Arsenal notably lack in their own midfield.
Matteo Ruggeri – 6
A quiet game and he struggled to impose himself. He tried to add width but spent most of the game tracking back to double up against Saka.
Charles De Ketelaere – 5
Seemed out of sync and unable to find a rhythm. Despite having a lot of the ball, the Belgian struggled to create any real danger. He had a shot off target but was largely ineffective.
Ademola Lookman – 6
Tried to drift inside but was handled well by Arsenal’s centre-backs. He was a bright spark, completing one of his four dribble attempts and offering the most creativity in Atalanta’s attack with some decent crosses.
Mateo Retegui – 8
The penalty and rebound miss will still be playing in his head, but he was Atalanta’s biggest threat. He was constantly sought after by his teammates but had to be creative to find opportunities due to Arsenal’s strong defensive pairing. Drifted well and remained dangerous throughout.
Substitutes
Juan Cuadrado – 7
Came on in the 60th minute and made an impact on his debut. Showed good feet and wasn’t shy to shoot when given the chance.
Raoul Bellanova – N/A
Nicolo Zaniolo – N/A
Mario Palasic – N/A
Lazar Samardzic – N/A
Arsenal Player Ratings
Embed from Getty ImagesDavid Raya – 9
Produced one of the saves of the season with a penalty stop followed by a brilliant save on the rebound. A crucial moment that kept Arsenal in the game. Apart from that, Raya had little to do but was sharp when called upon.
Ben White – 6
He did his job defensively but wasn’t heavily involved in the attack. The right-hand side lacked cohesion, so White wasn’t able to connect well with Saka or Kai Havertz whenever he dropped into the Odegaard void that he has left.
William Saliba – 7
Strong at the back, and dealt well with Atalanta’s forwards. Lookman had a big opportunity in the second half, but Saliba caught up and timed his tackle to perfection.
Gabriel Magalhães – 7
The confidence from the North London Derby showed.Confident and composed, Gabriel made four clearances and dealt with everything that came his way. A commanding presence at the back.
Jurriën Timber – 6
Solid and kept things tight defensively. They could have done with Timber drifting into the central spaces of midfield, but it felt tactical to keep the width at left-back and support Martinelli.
Kai Havertz – 5
Havertz struggled to influence the game and often looked lost in the midfield battle. This happened often last season. The German lost four aerial duels and couldn’t get any shots of danger away. It’ll be surprising if Havertz continues playing midfield after his inconsistency last season playing there. Arsenal lost seven total Premier League and Champions League matches last season when Havertz was in the starting lineup. He played as a midfielder in 6 of these games.
Thomas Partey – 4
A poor performance from Partey, who conceded the penalty with a lazy challenge. Failed to create anything meaningful and was substituted after 57 minutes.
Declan Rice – 6
It was a quiet performance from the Englishman, and he didn’t dictate the play as he usually does. When he dropped back into defensive midfield, he looked more of the usual self and won a few more tackles. He was the better of the other two midfielders, but couldn’t create anything meaningful.
Bukayo Saka – 5
Apart from a free-kick attempt, Saka was mostly anonymous. The absence of Odegaard was felt, as there was little connection in the final third.. The chemistry with White lacked the usual quick combinations. He was subbed off after 73 minutes for Sterling, who was able to create more in the little time he had.
Gabriel Jesus – 5
Initially, Jesus was lively in the first 20 minutes, dropping deep and floating around the pitch. He was rotating positions with Havertz and Saka often. However, that quickly diminished, with very little created afterwards. He did end up creating three key passes and, in the first half, looked the better of any other Arsenal attacker. But ultimately, he managed zero shots.
Gabriel Martinelli – 4
Missed both of the big chances Arsenal created and struggled to get in behind Atalanta’s defence bar that chance in the second half. The Brazilian has lacked his usual spark this season, and that carried onto this game. Both his shots were off-target, no crosses were completed and there were no successful dribble attempts either. His poor form continues, with no goals or assists in his last 17 appearances for Arsenal. Sterling may start ahead of him in the next game.
Substitutes
Jorginho – 6
Came on in the 57th minute, added control to the midfield, and allowed Rice to drop back, but didn’t change the game.
Leandro Trossard – 6
Also came on at 57 minutes, and tried to create openings but was met with resistance from Atalanta’s defence.
Raheem Sterling – N/A
Came on too late to make a big difference but did create a chance for Martinelli.
Riccardo Calafiori – N/A
Not enough time to have an impact but showed promise in possession.
