Victor Gyokores scored twice in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase encounter on Tuesday.
The Swede added gloss to the scoreline in a dominant win for the Gunners after Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli had put Arsenal two goals ahead. All four goals came in a frantic second half.
Mikel Arteta’s side saw a goal disallowed in the first half, but a cagey first period made way for the goals to rain as the visitors could not hold off Arsenal in the second half, the hosts opening the floodgates from a free kick. Declan Rice’s delivery was headed into the net by Gabriel to open the floodgates in 57 minutes as Arsenal scored four goals in a 14-minute blitz.
Martinelli finished off a mazy Lewis Smith-Kelly run with a curler into the far post on 64 minutes before Gyokores scored his brace. The highly-rated striker saw his shot deflected into the net on 67 minutes before bundling in Gabriel’s knockdown from a corner-kick with his thigh to complete the rout.
Arsenal have won all three UCL fixtures so far, and have not conceded a goal. They sit in third place due to inferior goal difference compared to champions PSG in first place, and Inter Milan in second.
It was a goals fest all around Europe in other matches, as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen served a nine-goal UCL classic in Germany, with the UCL champions triumphing 7-2 in a game both teams finished with ten men. Both red cards were handed out in the first half, and it was the PSG who had the upper hand on a night their returning stars scored, including Balon D’Or winner Ousmanne Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Vitinha.
PSV Eindhoven came from behind to humble Napoli 6-2, while Barcelona were 6-1 victors against Olympiakos. Jose Mourinho and his Benfica side also fell to a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
RESULTS
Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen 2-7 Paris Saint-Germain
PSV 6-2 Napoli
Villarreal 0-2 Manchester City
Newcastle United 3-0 Benfica
Kairat Almaty 0-0 Pafos FC
Copenhagen 2-4 Borussia Dortmund
Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Inter Milan
Barcelona 6-1 Olympiakos
