Battle of the Flanks

December 10, 2025

Jan Breydelstadion, Brugge

Club Brugge entered the night under the shadow of change. Ivan Leko, appointed only on Monday after a barren run of one win in seven, inherited a squad unsettled but not undone: at home in Europe, they had yielded just a single defeat in their previous seven. Their method was simple, almost doctrinal—absorb pressure, wait for the opponent’s imbalance, and strike.

Arsenal, by contrast, opened with the authority of a side determined to impose its rhythm. Martin Ødegaard set the tone within two minutes, dropping deep to orchestrate play before arriving in the box to finish the move he had begun—his early effort forcing the Brugge keeper into action. With Jurrien Timber the latest addition to the club’s defensive absentees, Christian Nørgaard slipped into central defence beside Piero Hincapié, a makeshift solution that would be tested early.

On twenty minutes, Myles Kelly carved out the first clear chance, his strike redirected by Hincapié onto the post. Seconds later, Gabriel Martinelli burst down the left to find Viktor Gyökeres, whose glancing header shaved the woodwork. Brugge responded through Tresoli, though his tame effort hardly troubled Raya—yet it proved the prelude to something far more incisive. Noni Madueke, collecting the ball just inside the Brugge half, accelerated past two challenges, cut infield, and unleashed a 25-yard left-footed thunderbolt off the crossbar and in. A moment of pure individual brilliance, and his second Champions League goal in as many matches.

Brugge rallied, driving forward in waves. Stankovic twice came close, so did Tresoldi. Arsenal endured more than they created as the half closed, saved again by Madueke’s menace on the counter.

Two minutes after the restart, Zubimendi bent the match back toward Arsenal’s control, reaching the byline to send a vicious cross for Madueke to nod home at the far post. Martinelli then produced a goal of historic finality—cutting inside from the left and firing a right-footed missile into the far top corner, becoming the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Champions League games.

Gabriel Jesus returned after 332 days to raucous acclaim, striking the crossbar within ten minutes. Sixteen-year-old Salmon made his debut. Arsenal left Brugge unbeaten, three points clear, and emphatically in command.

Club Brugge 0 – 3 Arsenal

(N. Madueke 25’, 47’, G. Martinelli 56’)