Hot water fiasco couldn’t save Atlético Madrid from the beating at Arsenal.
Arsenal achieved their 100th Champions League win on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres, which propelled them to their biggest European win this season over Atlético Madrid at the Emirates, humbling the opposition who had reported them to UEFA due to a lack of hot water.
If anyone had been given ten guesses to predict the outcome of the Champions League meeting between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid, the odds of arriving at a 4-0 scoreline in favour of the host are not only slim, but maybe impossible.
Yes. Diego Simeone’s charge has not been at their best on the road this season, but for all it is worth, they had never fired blanks in 11 games up to that point and averaged 1.08 goals conceded per 90 minutes.
They had a better head-to-head record against Arsenal and had put five past Real Madrid in the derby a few weeks back. Maybe now, people start to realize how superior Arsenal was, but before kickoff, it was a fact not many would embrace.
Nevertheless, all it took was 13 chaotic minutes, and Arsenal put four goals past Diego Simeone’s charge, all deserved for their dominance since the kickoff whistle went off in the Emirates.
The drama many thought would unfold on the pitch began 24 hours before kickoff, when Atlético Madrid left the stadium after their evening training, without access to hot water for their showers.
Atlético Madrid complained about hot water at Arsenal
Before what was tagged the biggest European fixture of the week due to the form and reputation of both teams, Atlético Madrid filed a complaint to UEFA, regarding the lack of hot water for their players to shower after training on Monday evening.
Given the narratives of the clash, it found its own name before kickoff, and as people would refer to it ahead of kickoff, the ‘hot water’ derby. But after what happened on the night, it is clear that it wasn’t a derby, as both teams were just misunderstood to be defensive.
Reports later clarified the issue, that the system broke down, but was fixed in time for the players’ use, only that the visitors from Spain departed the Emirates earlier than planned, and had left the stadium when the issue was resolved.
Arsenal issued apologies later on Tuesday, and later in the day, during their Matchday three clash in the UEFA Champions League, the Gunners finally unleashed the hot water, only this time, it was in the form of goals.
Arsenal baptize Atléti with hot water
While many expected a boring affair, it was fun from the onset and even though no goal was produced in the first half, it was as interesting as it could be, with Mikel Arteta’s charge enjoying more of the possession while the visitors looked dangerous on the counter.
After the opening 55 minutes produced no goals, with Eberechi Eze and Julian Alvarez having struck the woodwork, it looked as though the game was headed for the end many had predicted, but it was then that Arsenal brought out the showers for Atléti.
They couldn’t wait for it on Monday evening, but there was no escaping it on Tuesday. From Declan Rice’s free-kick, Gabriel Magalhaes heads Arsenal in front three minutes from the hour mark, and like that, the floodgates were opened.
Seven minutes later, Myles Lewis-Skelly made an audacious run from his own half, beating a couple of Atlético Madrid players in his way before setting the ball for Gabriel Martinelli to curl a low strike into the bottom corner for 2-0.
Viktor Gyokeres finally ended his goal drought after Eze’s deflected shot fell into his path. The Swedish striker showed great strength and hunger to hold off his marker and power a deflected shot past Jan Oblak.
He completed his brace three minutes later in the 70th minute. Another Declan Rice corner found Gabriel at the other end of the post. The Brazilian headed it back across the goal, and Gyokeres was able to get his thigh to divert it into the net.
With all four goals coming in a single half, it makes the Gunners the first side to beat Los Rojiblancos by a difference of four goals in a single half since conceding four first-half goals without reply against Hercules in a league match in January 2011.
Arsenal made it 100 Champions League wins, while also continuing their impressive perfect run against Spanish teams since their return to the competition in 2023 — seven wins out of seven, with the likes of Madrid, Girona, Sevilla, and Athletic Club also part of their victims.
Arsenal continued their perfect run in the Champions League with three wins out of three, but for Atletico Madrid, after losing both trips to England in the competition, they remain on three points, earned from their 5-1 win over Frankfurt in round 2.
Twelve games into the season and just three goals conceded with eight clean sheets, all Atlético had to show for their efforts was a tame shot on target by substitute Thiago Almada 12 minutes from time, which was no real threat for David Raya.
The Gunners will now look forward to their upcoming London derby clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday as they look to continue their impressive form and hold on to their slender lead at the Premier League summit, while Atlético travel to Seville to face Real Betis on Monday night in LaLiga.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
1 Comment
Thank you for this wonderful analysis, it is really a great one .