Gabriel Martinelli makes Arsenal history during Champions League clash against Athletic Club
Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli made it into the Champions League record books when he scored for the Gunners against Athletic Bilbao.
Martinelli scored the opening goal of the game as Arsenal beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in Spain to start their Champions League campaign with victory.
Mikel Arteta‘s side made it to the semi-finals of the competition last season before PSG knocked out Arsenal.
The Gunners have never won the competition but Arteta is hoping to change that this season.
Gabriel Martinelli makes Arsenal history in Champions League
Martinelli has faced increased competition down the left flank and it was Arsenal’s summer arrival Eberechi Eze who got the nod against Athletic Bilbao, but the Brazilian made his mark in the contest when he came on.
Just 36 seconds separated Martinelli replacing Eze, and the former breaking the deadlock in the contest.
Last campaign, only Ademola Lookman scored a goal quicker coming off the bench, just one second faster than Martinelli.
Meanwhile, Martinelli’s goal was also the fastest scored after coming off the bench in the Champions League.
36 – Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal just 36 seconds after coming off the bench, the Gunners’ fastest ever substitute goal in the UEFA Champions League. Introduction. pic.twitter.com/VxSDYR9IAj
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 16, 2025
Martinelli pushing for Arsenal recall
Martinelli has now been left on the bench for Arsenal’s past two matches, and he will would have wanted to have made an impact off the bench against Athletic Bilbao.
The 24-year-old ran in-behind the opponent’s defence and showed cool composure to slide the ball past the goalkeeper.
| Gabriel Martinelli | Stats |
| Appearances | 51 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 6 |
Arteta will be looking at Martinelli increasing his end product if he is to regain his place ahead of Eze in the team.
Leandro Trossard scored the second goal, also off the bench, and Arteta will be delighted at the impact his substitutions made reaffirming the strong squad depth he now has at his disposal.