Ademola Lookman shines as Atalanta hold Arsenal in the Champions League
Arsenal kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Atalanta, in a match where Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman played a key role for the Italian side.
The game, held at the Emirates Stadium, marked Lookman’s second start of the season for Atalanta after missing their opening three games due to injury.
Lookman, who has been impressive for Atalanta this season, put in a solid performance against Arsenal despite the lack of goals. The winger played a pivotal role in Atalanta’s attack, continuing his good form from their 3-2 win over Fiorentina in the Serie A just days earlier.
Arsenal dominated possession in the early stages of the game, controlling the tempo for the first 20 minutes, but struggled to break through Atalanta’s defense. Despite both teams’ efforts, they headed into halftime with no goals on the board.
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The second half saw Atalanta shift into attacking mode and they were rewarded with a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Arsenal’s Thomas Partey on Atalanta midfielder Ederson. However, Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya made a crucial save, diving to stop Mateo Retegui’s penalty and then quickly reacting to save the rebound, keeping the game level.
Both teams continued to search for a breakthrough but failed to create any significant chances, and the match ended in a goalless draw. While the result might have been disappointing for both sides, Ademola Lookman’s performance earned praise, with his consistent play contributing to Atalanta’s defensive resilience and attacking threat.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s coach, made two key changes from the squad that defeated Tottenham over the weekend, bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Declan Rice for Jorginho and Leandro Trossard. Despite the changes, Arsenal could not find a way past Atalanta’s solid defense.
Looking ahead, both teams will be keen to improve as they progress in the Champions League, with Arsenal hopeful for a deeper run and Atalanta eyeing further success after their Europa League triumph.
