Club Brugge vs Arsenal: Madueke, Martinelli give Gunners easy win in Belgium

Arsenal continued their strong Champions League run on Wednesday night with a comfortable 3-0 win over Club Brugge in Belgium.

The Premier League leaders came into the game looking to shake off their loss to Aston Villa, and they didn’t waste time showing intent. Martin Odegaard tested stand-in goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel early on, as the visitors controlled the opening minutes.

Piero Hincapie struck the post in the 23rd minute, and just two minutes later, Noni Madueke opened the floodgates with a powerful strike from range. The former Chelsea winger doubled the lead right after the restart, heading home from close range after a brilliant cross from Martin Zubimendi.

Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-0 ten minutes later, curling a superb finish past the young goalkeeper as Arsenal cruised through the second half.

The hosts, playing their first match under new manager Ivan Leko, tried to respond late in the game, with Furo and Stankovic forcing small chances. But Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya stayed alert.

Teenager Marli Salmon got his Champions League debut after replacing Ben White, while Gabriel Jesus hit the crossbar as he searched for a comeback goal.

Arsenal now remain top of the Champions League league-phase table with six wins from six, scoring freely and conceding almost nothing.