'I could see in his eyes' - Mikel Arteta claims he knew Gabriel Martinelli was 'ready' to be Arsenal's match-winner from the bench in Champions League opener against Athletic Club

The Gunners took all three points away from Bilbao, as substitutes Martinelli and Leandro Trossard secured a 2-0 victory for Arteta's men. The Gunners started the game with new signings Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke in attack, but it was the substitutes who made the difference in Bilbao.

Arteta spoke about Martinelli's contribution after the game and told reporters he could see he was ready to go before he sent him on. He said: "I looked on the bench, I looked at him, and in his eyes I could see that [Martinelli] was ready, Leo as well. That's going to help us a lot for the future, it is going to dictate the quality of our season. The finishers are going to be more important this year than the starters. I love it. That’s the attitude I need from all of us. It’s always very difficult emotionally to leave players out. I know how much they want to play in this competition and what it means to them. Every time you do a line-up, you are disappointing a lot of players. It hurts me."

Martinelli's goal saw him make history for the Gunners. His strike, just 36 seconds after coming on, is Arsenal's fastest ever substitute goal in the Champions League. Trossard and Martinelli are also the first Arsenal duo to assist each other's goals as substitutes in the Champions League.

Arsenal now head back to the Emirates to prepare for a testing Premier League clash with Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side haven't made the best start to the Premier League season but will move level on points with the Gunners if they taste victory on Sunday.