Gunners Make Mockery Of Madrid

Atletico Annihilated — Gabi, Gabi, Gyökeres! Arsenal Run Riot in Ruthless Second-Half Surge

If you blinked sometime after half-time, you might've missed the massacre. A devastating six-minute spell saw Arsenal rip Atletico Madrid to shreds like a Simeone touchline jacket under stress. From cagey chess to champagne football, north London turned into a fireworks factory, and poor Jan Oblak was holding the lighter.

⚔️ THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The first half was a masterclass in "nearly." Ebere Eze hit the bar with a shot so cheeky it deserved a booking for insolence, Declan Rice scuffed a sitter, and even Myles Lewis-Skelly had a pop. Atletico's main threat came when David Raya had a brief existential crisis and nearly gift-wrapped a goal to Julian Alvarez. Fortunately, Alvarez's effort rolled past the post like a hungover Sunday League penalty.

We did find the net through Martinelli after some slick Saka play — only for the Brazilian's enthusiasm to outrun the offside trap. Still, the Gunners were purring, and the Emirates crowd sensed something brewing.

🧱 GABI BREAKS THE WALL

After the interval, Atletico hit the bar through Alvarez — their last moment of relevance before the red tide rolled in. Martinelli drew a foul, Rice delivered an absolute tease of a free-kick, and big Gabriel rose like a lighthouse in a storm to nod it home. 1-0. Cue the roar.

Atletico wobbled. Simeone barked. The Emirates smirked.

🌊 SIX MINUTES OF MAYHEM

Then came the carnage. Rice to Lewis-Skelly, Lewis-Skelly to Martinelli — goal. 2-0. Simple. Beautiful. Inevitable.

Barely had Oblak finished sighing when Eze's volley deflected to Viktor Gyökeres, who twisted, stumbled, and still somehow bundled it in. A proper striker's finish: ugly, effective, and cathartic. 3-0.

Three minutes later, another Rice set-piece — Gabriel nodded down, and Gyökeres was on hand again to nudge home. 4-0. The Emirates didn't so much celebrate as explode.

🧱 CLEAN SHEET, CLEAN SWEEP

Arteta emptied the bench, preserving legs for Palace and egos for Atletico. The visitors trudged off dazed, wondering what exactly had hit them — spoiler: it was the Arsenal juggernaut, full throttle.

That's nine Champions League home games under Arteta without conceding. Nine. Not since the days of peak Cesc and pre-tax-fraud Flamini have we seen this kind of dominance in Europe.

🔥 FINAL WORD

100 Champions League wins, 100% record in the group, and the best part? We're doing it with swagger. Arsenal aren't just back at Europe's top table — we're carving our initials into it.

Next up: Crystal Palace at home. Bring your earplugs, Roy. The cannons are firing.