If Saturday's Villa heartbreak was a scar, Wednesday's demolition of Club Brugge was the salve. Arsenal didn't just win—they commanded. 3–0. Sixth straight UCL triumph. 18 goals scored, one conceded. Top of the table, three clear of Bayern, knockout spot locked (barring catastrophe).
A rotated squad, injury-ravaged defence, and a cauldron crowd? No matter. Noni Madueke's brace, Gabriel Martinelli's curler, and a 333-day Gabriel Jesus return turned Brugge's desperation into our delight. Mikel Arteta's depth? Weaponized. The Emirates roar echoed in Belgium: COYG!
Jan Breydel Stadium? Hostile—15,000 Blauw-Zwart faithful under new boss Ivan Leko (Hayen sacked Monday) baying for a lifeline. Brugge, 26th with four points, needed chaos. Arsenal? Delivered calm.
Arteta's tweaks: Christian Nørgaard drops to CB (immense), Myles Lewis-Skelly at LB, Noni Madueke right, Gabriel Martinelli left, Viktor Gyökeres central. Midfield? Martin Zubimendi-Ødegaard-Merino steel. No Rice (ill), no Saka (rest), no Saliba/Gabriel (injured).
Proactive from kickoff: Ødegaard forces Van den Heuvel low, Lewis-Skelly's deflection clips the post. Brugge push—Stanković curls wide, Forbs tests Raya—but Arsenal probe relentlessly.
Highlights of Club Brugge vs Arsenal
— S👻 (@scrapytweets) December 11, 2025
pic.twitter.com/z5VQckNYgU
26’ — NONI MADUEKE. 1–0.
Picks up midway. Shrugs marker. Carries 30 yards. Thunderbolt off the bar, in. Slow-mo stunner. Madueke's third UCL goal. Brugge grows, but at halftime: Gunners lead, groove intact. xG: 1.1–0.6.
SECOND HALF: BRACE, CURLER, JESUS – CONTEST CRUSHED
Leko's pep talk? Fizzled. Arsenal surge.
48’ — NONI MADUEKE. 2–0.
Zubimendi's floated cross kisses the far post—Madueke ghosts in, header home. Brace. Clinical. Brugge shell-shocked.
56’ — GABRIEL MARTINELLI. 3–0.
Cuts inside from left. Pauses. Curler, top bins. Fifth straight UCL goal—Arsenal record. First Englishman since Henry (2006). Martinelli: Maturity incarnate.
Game over. Brugge huff—Tzolis wide, Raya denies Stanković—but Arsenal toy.
60’ — GABRIEL JESUS ENTERS.
333 days post-ACL. 10 touches. Hits the bar with a venomous volley (Nwaneri assist). Sharp. Hungry. Dimension unlocked.
Cameos seal the joy: Ethan Nwaneri (energy, flair), 16-year-old Marli Salmon (senior debut, RB—assured). Fourth youngest Gunner ever. Hale End heartbeat.
An Arsenal debut to remember.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 10, 2025
Marli Salmon becomes the fourth youngest player to feature for the Gunners ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MAEu52dta3
No first-choice CBs? No panic. Nørgaard (ex-Brentford steel) and Hincapié? Solid—12 clearances. Raya? 2 saves, distribution dagger. Lewis-Skelly-Timber flanks locked. Zubimendi? Midfield maestro—92% passes, lines broken. Brugge xG: 0.8. Ours: 2.4. Fortress exported.
HEROES IN RED: MADUEKE MOTM
- Noni Madueke (9.5/10): Brace, dribbles (5/6), fire. MOTM. "We all want each other to succeed."
- Gabriel Martinelli (9/10): Golazo, menace. UCL record-breaker.
- Martin Zubimendi (8.5/10): Assist, control. Masterstroke signing.
- Martin Ødegaard (8/10): Vision, tempo. Rust shed.
- Gabriel Jesus (8/10, sub): Bar-rattler, spark. Welcome home.
- Christian Nørgaard (8/10): CB hero. Depth king.
Arteta: "Madueke, Martinelli—special moments. Depth? Our superpower. Jesus back? Priceless." Leko: "Outclassed. Arsenal? Elite."
📊 STATS: DOMINANCE DEFINED
| Metric | Arsenal | Club Brugge |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 59% | 41% |
| Shots (on target) | 16 (7) | 9 (1) |
| xG | 2.3 | 0.7 |
| Passes Completed | 562 (89%) | 398 (77%) |
| Duels Won | 55% | 45% |
"You can tell how much better we are with them" 🤩
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 11, 2025
Mikel Arteta reflects on the quality of his squad after Arsenal defeated Club Brugge 3-0, with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scoring two 'unbelievable' goals 🔴 pic.twitter.com/B3smuFh8ML
UCL: 18/18 points. GD +17. Fifth English side with six straight openers (after United, Leeds, Liverpool, City). Knockouts direct—two games to polish.
Villa scar? Healed. Injuries (Gabriel, Saliba, Rice, Havertz out; Calafiori doubtful)? Managed. Rotation rewarded: Madueke/Martinelli shine, Jesus returns, youth thrives. Brugge fought (new gaffer, home fire)—but Arsenal owned.
Winter looms: Wolves Saturday (Zubimendi breather?), then Villa revenge. This UCL run? Not luck—blueprint. Title? Ours to seize.
CLUB BRUGGE 0–3 ARSENAL.
PERFECT SIX. JESUS RISES. BELIEVE.
COYG ❤️⚪
NORTH LONDON LEADS EUROPE.
