Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, thanks to an own goal, marking their second win in three Champions League matches following their first domestic league defeat of the season at the weekend.
The hosts had a penalty opportunity in the second half but failed to convert several chances. Despite dominating possession, Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm and had to fend off some late pressure from their Ukrainian rivals.
After a disappointing 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, Arsenal began the match energetically. Both Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus missed early chances before the game took a fortunate turn in the 29th minute.
Martinelli’s low shot hit the post and deflected off Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, resulting in the only goal of the match.
Arsenal nearly extended their lead before the break, only to be denied by Shakhtar captain Mykola Matviyenko, who cleared the ball off the line just before Kai Havertz could score with a diving header.
In the second half, Leandro Trossard missed a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball in the box. Shakhtar began to apply pressure and came close to equalizing when substitute Pedrinho’s long-range shot was brilliantly saved by Arsenal’s David Raya in stoppage time.
This victory temporarily places Arsenal in the top four of the new 36-team league phase, ahead of their upcoming away match against Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Shakhtar will look to regroup in their next fixture against Swiss team Young Boys.
Despite the win, Arsenal will be grateful to have come away with three points, especially without key players Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Odegaard due to injury, as their performance fell short of their usual standards. Additionally, defender Ben White was substituted at halftime, and Riccardo Calafiori left the pitch 20 minutes later after a misstep during a challenge.