October 23, (THEWILL) – Arsenal registered a narrow 1-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, courtesy of an own goal from goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. The triumph came following their recent English Premier League setback against Bournemouth, marking their first return to action since that 2-0 defeat.
The decisive moment arrived in the 29th minute when Gabriel Martinelli’s low strike struck the post before deflecting into the net off Riznyk’s back. The London side dominated possession throughout the match but struggled to create clear opportunities, with Leandro Trossard missing a penalty in the closing stages.
Manager Mikel Arteta faced additional concerns when Riccardo Calafiori left the pitch with an apparent knee injury during the second half. This adds to Arsenal’s current injury list, which includes several key players ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Ukrainian champions, who endured a challenging 17-hour journey to reach London, remained competitive despite their circumstances. Unable to host matches in Ukraine since 2022, Marino Pushych’s team displayed admirable organisation but failed to register a goal in their third consecutive UCL match.
Arsenal have accumulated seven points from their opening three fixtures in Europe, though this performance notably differed from their previous 2-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain. David Raya, the Arsenal goalkeeper, made crucial interventions late in the match, denying both Pedrinho and Marlon Gomes to preserve the result.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
