Arsenal bounces back from shock defeat with hard-fought Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk

It wasn’t pretty and at times it wasn’t pleasant, but Arsenal got the job done in the Champions League with a hard fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium.

It wasn’t pretty and at times it wasn’t pleasant, but Arsenal got the job done in the Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk suffered the most unfortunate of own goals as Gabriel Martinelli’s shot rebounded off the post and hit his back, before the ball dribbled over the line for the winning goal after half an hour. The goal neatly summed up what was largely a scrappy and tense affair as Arsenal was unable to create much during long periods of possession and extend its lead. After Riznyk saved Leandro Trossard’s second-half penalty, Shakhtar went in search of a late equaliser but a combination of poor final passes and resolute Arsenal defending mean it leaves north London empty handed. Fans at the Emirates were treated to one of Arsenal’s most complete performances under Mikel Arteta when the Gunners cruised to a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, but they will also be pleased to see that this team can grind out a victory when well below its best. Though on paper Shakhtar at home is one of Arsenal’s kinder fixtures in the group stages of the redesigned Champions League, Saturday’s surprise 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth further elevated the importance of a victory as the Gunners sought to return to winning ways.