Club Brugge were unable to produce an upset in the Champions League, falling 3-0 at home to Arsenal. Noni Madueke put the visitors in front midway through the first half. Despite creating a host of chances, Brugge couldn’t find a way through while Arsenal settled the contest shortly after the break through Madueke again and Gabriel Martinelli.
Ivan Leko made two changes to the side that lost at STVV on Saturday. Carlos Forbs replaced Hugo Vetlesen and Simon Mignolet had been set to return in goal, but the goalkeeper felt discomfort during warm-up and was forced to withdraw at the last moment. That handed Dani van den Heuvel another start.
Arsenal, leaders in both the Champions League and the Premier League, showed immediately that they had no intention of surrendering their unbeaten run. Van den Heuvel was called into action within minutes to stop a strike from Ødegaard. Brugge responded through Forbs on the break, but Raya was quick off his line to smother the ball. The visitors moved the ball with ease and came close after twenty minutes when White diverted a Lewis-Skelly effort onto the post and Gyökeres headed just wide moments later. Tresoldi then tested Raya at the other end, but without troubling the keeper.
Arsenal opened the scoring halfway through the first period when Madueke skipped past Seys and Onyedika and fired into the top corner. Vanaken cleared the ball off the line shortly afterwards and Van den Heuvel was needed again to keep Club in the game. Brugge grew into the game during the final fifteen minutes of the half and carved out a couple of chances. Vanaken flicked a Forbs cross narrowly wide with a clever back-heel, Stanković sent a superb strike centimeters past the post and Raya denied efforts from Forbs, Tzolis and Stanković. On the stroke of half-time Van den Heuvel was forced into a save by Madueke.
Brugge deserved an equaliser but were punished instantly after the restart. A looping cross from Zubimendi reached Madueke at the back post and the winger headed in unchallenged for 2–0. White deflected another chance wide soon after. Tzolis tried to respond with a long-distance strike, yet it was Arsenal who struck again before the hour when Martinelli cut inside and curled it into the far corner.
While the game had been put to bed, Club continued to push for a consolation goal. Mechele saw a shot blocked, Tzolis dragged his shot wide and Raya thwarted Furo. Stanković' header went just wide off the target and Meijer hammered his left-footed strike across the goal. At the other end Jesus' effort clipped the top of the crossbar, while van den Heuvel reacted well on a dangerous cross and a low effort from Jesus.
Plenty of chances for the hosts, but they failed to take any and even needed a solid performance by van den Heuvel in the closing stages of the game to prevent further damage. The Dutch goalkeeper produced two fine saves to deny substitute Nwaneri.
This 3-0 defeat means that Club has to win the two remaining fixtures in the group stage, against Kairat Almaty and Marseille, to keep their hopes of reaching the knock-out stage alive.
UEFA Champions League - Match day 6
Attendance: 29,000 - Jan Breydel Stadium
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Ger)
Club Brugge: Dani van den Heuvel- Hugo Siquet (67' Bjorn Meijer), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Joaquin Seys (74' Kyriani Sabbe) - Aleksandar Stanković, Raphael Onyedika (74' Hugo Vetlesen), Hans Vanaken - Carlos Forbs (83' Mamadou Diakhon), Nicolò Tresoldi (67' Kaye Furo), Christos Tzolis. Bench: Axl De Corte, Zaid Romero, Cisse Sandra, Romeo Vermant, Gustaf Nilsson, Jorne Spileers and Shandre Campbell. Coach: Ivan Leko.
Arsenal FC: David Raya - Ben White (82' Marli Salmon), Christian Nørgaard, Piero Hincapié (62' Riccardo Calafiori), Myles Lewis-Skelly - Martin Ødegaard (71' Ethan Nwaneri), Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino - Noni Madueke (71' Bukayo Saka), Viktor Gyökeres (62' Gabriel Jesus), Gabriel Martinelli. Coach: Mikel Arteta.
Yellow: Nørgaard, White.
Red: none
Goals: 25' Madueke (0-1), 47' Madueke (0-2), 56' Martinelli (0-3).