Fourteen-minute blitz sends Arsenal cruising past Atletico

Arsenal produced a blistering second-half display, scoring four times in just 14 minutes, to sweep aside Atletico Madrid and extend their flawless run in the Champions League group stage, Sport360NG reports.

The Gunners made an energetic start, with Eberechi Eze striking the crossbar via a deflection, while Julian Alvarez almost punished David Raya after catching the goalkeeper off his line with a speculative effort from distance.

Both teams struggled to find rhythm for much of the first half and early in the second, until Gabriel Magalhães broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. The Brazilian defender rose highest to head home Declan Rice’s pinpoint free-kick, sparking an Arsenal onslaught.

Moments later, Gabriel Martinelli doubled the advantage with a superb curling finish after an incisive run from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Viktor Gyökeres then bundled in his first goal in eight matches to make it three, before the Swedish striker added his second three minutes later, turning in Gabriel’s knockdown from another dangerous corner.

The emphatic win leaves Mikel Arteta’s side with three wins from three in Europe and yet to concede a goal in the competition.

Set-piece mastery powers Gunners again

Set-pieces continue to be a defining weapon for Arsenal this season. Having already earned praise from Liverpool’s Arne Slot and Fulham’s Marco Silva for their proficiency in dead-ball situations, Arteta’s men again demonstrated their dominance in that area.

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka provide top-class delivery from both flanks, and Rice’s impact has been particularly notable, only Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu (11) has registered more assists from set-pieces than the England international (10) since August 2023 across Europe’s top five leagues.

It was Gabriel who delivered the breakthrough once again, just as he did in the Premier League win over Newcastle last month, and his goal opened the floodgates against an unusually disorganised Atletico defence.

With 10 set-piece goals already this season (excluding penalties), Arsenal’s precision from dead-ball scenarios could prove crucial as they chase silverware on multiple fronts.