Arsenal player ratings vs Atletico Madrid: Can anyone stop Gabriel?! ‘Set-piece FC’ strike yet again as Viktor Gyokeres bags confidence-boosting brace in crushing Champions League win

Arsenal had an opening in the first five minutes, as Eberechi Eze took aim from outside the area, and his shot was deflected looping before crashing against the crossbar. Meanwhile, midway through the half, David Raya made a terrible mistake trying to knock the ball out of play, only to lose possession, and after Atletico took their throw-in quickly, Julian Alvarez was only able to shoot narrowly wide of the far post.

After the half hour, Arsenal thought they had the advantage, as Martin Zubimendi collected the ball high and fed Bukayo Saka; his shot was caught by Gabriel Martinelli, but VAR correctly ruled the Brazil international offside.

After the second-half restart, Atletico also hit the bar, as Alvarez shot from the edge of the area and sent Raya scrambling, only for the Spaniard to be saved by the woodwork. But it was Arsenal who took the advantage, four minutes before the hour, thanks to Gabriel who headed home from a beautiful free kick from Declan Rice.

Martinelli added a second just after 60 minutes, as he met a lovely through ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly and found the bottom corner, before Viktor Gyokeres virtually ended the game as a contest with a scrappy finish from the edge of the six-yard box.

Gyokeres added his second, and Arsenal’s fourth, in the 70th minute, after another outstanding delivery from Rice found Gabriel at the far post, marking the end of a whirlwind 13-minute period in which the north London side established themselves as genuine European contenders this season.

AIM assesses Arsenal players from the Emirates…