Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, despite not being at their best. The match featured several notable moments that contributed to the outcome.
Arsenal took the lead just before the half-hour mark when a deflected shot from Gabriel Martinelli struck the post and rebounded into the net off Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. This marked the third own goal by a goalkeeper in the competition this season, tying for the most in a single campaign.
In the second half, Riznyk made headlines again when he saved a penalty taken by Leandro Trossard after Valerii Bondar was penalized for handball in the box. This miss continued a troubling trend for Arsenal, which has now failed to convert four of its last eight penalties in the Champions League, a stark contrast to their success in earlier attempts.
As the match progressed, Arsenal’s David Raya had to step up with crucial saves in the final moments, helping his team secure the win. This victory was significant as it was Arsenal’s first 1-0 win in a Champions League group phase match since November 2013, and they also achieved three consecutive clean sheets in the competition for the first time since 2007.
Key statistics emerging from the match highlighted that Riznyk became the third player in Champions League history to both score an own goal and save a penalty in the same match. Furthermore, Shakhtar Donetsk has now failed to score in three consecutive Champions League games for the first time since October 2021.
Overall, Arsenal’s performance was less than impressive, but they did enough to secure a valuable three points in their Champions League campaign.