Martinelli on target as Arsenal battles past Olympiacos
When Gabriel Martinelli scored for the second successive UEFA Champions League match to give Arsenal an early lead against Olympiacos a routine night beckoned for the hosts but in the end there were sighs of relief for a gritty 2-0 victory.
Arsenal needed a stoppage-time goal by substitute Bukayo Saka to finally see off Olympiacos and allow it to join five other sides with six points from their opening two group games.
Until Saka found the net it looked as though Olympiacos, which had won on its past three visits to Emirates Stadium, could return to Greece with some deserved reward.
But it was unable to puncture Arsenal's rearguard and will need to pick up some momentum after managing only one point so far in the group.
"Very happy, winning in the [UEFA] Champions League is always complicated," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.
"[Goalkeeper] David [Raya] had to make an incredible save to deny them a goal. We got a little bit deeper and they were very dangerous."
Martinelli scored and assisted in Arsenal's opening UEFA Champions League win away at Athletic Club and also grabbed a last-gasp equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City in the Premier League this season.
He again proved his knack of scoring important goals when he converted from close range after Viktor Gyokeres's shot bounced back off the post.
Arteta had made six changes to the side that started the dramatic win at Newcastle United at the weekend, with captain Martin Odegaard returning and Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Saka all taking a place on a high-calibre bench.
The depth in quality of Arsenal's squad was quickly apparent as the home side began in silky fashion with Olympiacos chasing shadows in the early stages.
Martinelli wasted a glorious chance in the third minute, mistiming his header wide of the goal from a superb Myles Lewis-Skelly ball into the area.
He soon made amends and it looked all too easy for Arteta's side at that stage but it was given a wake-up call when former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence struck a first-time volley that drew a superb flying save from Raya.
Arsenal remained dominant but Olympiacos, backed by a loud visiting contingent, shrugged off its early setback and grew in stature for the rest of the first half and began the second period in positive fashion.
It had the ball in the net when Ayoub El Kaabi's header was clawed out by Raya and Chiquinho touched in the loose ball but El Kaabi was deemed initially offside.
Arsenal's miserly defensive record at home in the UEFA Champions League now stands at 10 clean sheets from its past 13 games.
Its resilience was fully tested and it was a relief when Saka was played in by Odegaard and his shot went through Olympiacos keeper Kostas Tzolakis.
Apart from the three points, the biggest plus for Arsenal was the sight of Odegaard back pulling the strings after a season so far disrupted by niggling injuries.
"It was nice to be back. I have missed it and I felt good, and it was a good win," the Norwegian said.
"We know the quality we have in the team and how solid we are defensively so if we can create those chances and flow, it is always going to be good."
Olympiacos has now lost its past 11 UEFA Champions League group or league matches away from home but coach Jose Luis Mendilibar praised his team.
"I think we were in it until the end, save the final few minutes, at a very difficult ground," he said.
"We believed in ourselves and we didn't change our style of play, despite the fact that we were playing against a top side which is not a bad thing, even though we lost."
