Arsenal Secure 1-0 Win Over Shakhtar as Liverpool Clash Looms

Mikel Arteta acknowledged Arsenal's "fatigue" following a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, courtesy of an own goal by Shakhtar's goalkeeper, Dmytro Riznyk. Arsenal's unconvincing win came days after a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth, their first loss in all competitions since April's Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

The only goal came in the first half when Gabriel Martinelli's shot rebounded off the post, hitting Riznyk and deflecting into the net. Despite the fortunate goal, Arsenal struggled to assert dominance. Leandro Trossard missed a late penalty that could have widened the scoreline, but Riznyk's save kept Shakhtar in the game.

Arteta acknowledged his team's struggles, saying, "It's always difficult in the Champions League. We should have scored more in the first half and the second half I felt a bit of fatigue. Credit to Shakhtar, they are brave. When you give them time on the ball and you lose the ball, you will suffer."

With seven points from three Champions League matches, Arsenal sit in a promising position but lacked the sharpness they showed in their previous 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain. Arteta admitted that playing with ten men for 60 minutes in their recent league match contributed to the team's weariness. "We left the game a bit open, but we dug in for three points," he added.

Trossard's missed penalty frustrated Arteta, who said, "I don't know. He is one of the takers, but Leo took it." The penalty incident came after Shakhtar's Valerii Bondar was penalized for a handball.

Adding to Arsenal's concerns, Riccardo Calafiori was forced off with a knee injury in the second half, joining a growing list of sidelined players, including Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, and William Saliba, who is suspended for Sunday's Premier League match against Liverpool. Arteta provided an update, saying, "Saka is not training yet so he won't be available and Calafiori felt something and could not stay on. Bit of a worry."

Shakhtar, still without a goal in this year's Champions League, showed resilience but lacked the finishing touch. The Ukrainian team endured a long journey from Kyiv, involving bus, train, and plane, to reach London, as they remain unable to host home fixtures due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Arsenal's performance, while enough to secure the win, was far from dominant. The Gunners had chances to extend their lead, including a poor finish from Gabriel Jesus, who wore the captain's armband, and a missed header from Trossard. Shakhtar came close to equalizing late in the match, with David Raya saving efforts from Pedrinho and Marlon Gomes to preserve Arsenal's narrow lead.

Despite the lackluster display, Arsenal collected three valuable points ahead of their crucial Premier League showdown with league leaders Liverpool this weekend.