Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League match on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium. Despite not being at their best, Mikel Arteta’s team managed to get the job done.
The game’s only goal came shortly before the half-hour mark when Gabriel Martinelli’s shot took a deflection and found its way into the net after hitting the post, courtesy of Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. This was the third own goal by a goalkeeper in this Champions League season, tying the record for the most in a single campaign.
In the second half, Arsenal was awarded a penalty when Shakhtar’s Valerii Bondar was penalized for handball. However, Riznyk redeemed himself by saving Leandro Trossard’s penalty, marking Arsenal’s fourth miss from their last eight penalty attempts in the Champions League, a stark contrast to their successful conversion of 11 out of 12 prior to this streak.
As the match progressed, Arsenal relied heavily on David Raya, who made critical saves to ensure that the Gunners maintained their lead and secured the victory. This win marked Arsenal’s first 1-0 outcome in a Champions League group phase match since November 2013, and it also represented their first run of three consecutive clean sheets in the competition since November 2007.
Additional noteworthy statistics include Dmytro Riznyk becoming the third player in Champions League history to both score an own goal and save a penalty in the same match, following Benfica’s Mile Svilar in 2017. Furthermore, Shakhtar Donetsk has now gone three matches without scoring in the Champions League, a first since October 2021.
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