Arsenal trio let side down in Atalanta draw as Mikel Arteta sent Ethan Nwaneri message

On Thursday, ATALANTA and ARSENAL drew 0-0 in the Champions League.

Arsenal were blunt and uninspiring in their Champions League opener against Atalanta in Bergamo, drawing 0-0. Bukayo Saka threatened with a low free-kick in the first period, and Gabriel Martinelli fired over at the near post in the second, but that was all the Gunners could muster in a lackluster performance from Mikel Arteta’s side.

Atalanta will be kicking themselves for not taking the full spoils, as Mateo Retegui’s spot-kick and rebound were both brilliantly saved by David Raya, who single-handedly earned his team a point.

A trip to face the reigning Europa League champions was never going to be easy, but Arsenal will have fancied their chances of defeating the team currently sitting ninth in Serie A after losing twice in four games.

Thomas Partey was erratic in midfield, giving the ball away on numerous occasions, and nearly cost Arsenal the game with a clumsy tackle on Ederson that resulted in a penalty for Atalanta.

Martinelli provided insufficient attacking threat on the left wing and squandered Arsenal’s best chance of the game late on, giving Raheem Sterling and Leandro Trossard hope to take his place in the starting lineup.

And Gabriel Jesus was largely ineffective in the middle until he and Partey were hauled off before the hour, demonstrating why Arteta frequently prefers Kai Havertz as his starting centre-forward.

Arteta sent Nwaneri a message.

The Arsenal manager has experimented with a variety of potential solutions in the absence of Martin Odegaard. Against Tottenham, Jorginho and Partey formed a midfield duo, but in Bergamo, Havertz took the center.

When Arsenal went long, he alternated with Jesus, who dropped extremely deep to accommodate taller players vying for aerial duels. Although the plan looked good on paper, the Gunners did not play free-flowing football.

The idea of replacing Odegaard with a 17-year-old may intimidate Arteta, but wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri is the closest player Arsenal has in terms of profile to the injured Norwegian. And Thursday night’s team performance would have sent a clear message to the Gunners.

David Raya’s Magical Moment

Raya is having a fantastic season between the sticks for the Gunners, and his mesmerising double save against Atalanta could well be his best performance in an Arsenal shirt. As if diving right to save Mateo Retegui’s second-half penalty wasn’t impressive and important enough, Raya then sprung to his left to clear the Italian’s rebound header.

Former Premier League midfielder Robbie Savage said during his TNT Sports co-commentary duties that it was one of the best saves he’d ever seen, and it’s difficult to disagree.

Gamble favours Manchester City.

Though a Champions League opener is a significant event, Arsenal fans will have been preoccupied with Sunday’s Premier League match against City throughout.

Arteta could have rested his key players in Italy to keep them fresh for the weekend, but he took a risk and fielded his strongest team possible. It wasn’t enough for the Gunners to secure all three points, and City, who had an extra day of rest following their draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, will have been relieved to see their upcoming opponents given a difficult runaround overseas.