Arsenal remain unbeaten in the UCL

Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored wonder goals as Arsenal thrashed Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday to make it six wins from six in the Champions League, effectively securing automatic qualification to the last 16.
Former Chelsea winger Madueke unleashed a thunderbolt from distance to give the top-flight Gunners a deserved first-half lead and headed in from the penalty spot early in the second half.
Brazil striker Martinelli then put the result beyond doubt, cutting in from the left and hitting a right-footed curling effort from outside the box — rivaling Madueke for the goal of the night.
The crushing victory leaves injury-hit Arsenal top of the Champions League group stage with 18 points, with a top-eight finish all but assured with two games remaining.
Finishing in the top eight means automatic qualification to the last 16, avoiding the need for a risky play-off.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his side’s performance, particularly in light of the long list of players missing.
“Playing in the Champions League and winning away from home and especially when we have so many players out makes the task bigger, but I spoke to the boys,” he told TNT Sports.
“It was to show how much we wanted it, the resilience and how we prepared and I think there were some great examples, for example Christian Norgaard, who is a player who probably prepares the best of all.”

A rare defeat
Premier League leaders Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, traveled to Belgium after suffering their first defeat since August at the weekend — a 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa.
Ivan Leko, who returned to Brugge for a second time as manager, was overseeing his first game after Nicky Heijen was sacked by the Belgian side on Monday.
Arteta, juggling his resources, made five changes to the team that lost to Villa, with Norgaard starting at centre-back and Viktor Gyokeres returning to the starting line-up for the first time since November 1.
The visitors started strongly and were a long way from taking the lead when Gunners defender Piero Hincapie turned an awkward Myles Lewis-Skelly shot against the post midway through the first half.
But minutes later Arsenal took the lead after Madueke’s breathtaking strike. The winger picked up the ball just inside Brugge’s half, on the right of the Gunners’ attack.
He cut inside, finding extra gear and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed shot past Dani van den Heuvel, which went off the underside of the bar.
Brugge’s attacks were sporadic but Carlos Forbes, who scored twice in his side’s 3-3 draw with Barcelona last month, was an occasional threat down the right.
As time ticked towards half-time, Brugge suddenly looked more dangerous, with Aleksandar Stankovic twice going close and Christos Joli also testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
But any sense of momentum Brugge might have built disappeared in the opening moments of the second period when Madueke, playing on the right in place of late substitute Bukayo Saka, was on hand to head home Martin Zubimendi’s cross.
Martinelli, very much an Arsenal player this season, joined the party in the 56th minute.
Brugge threatened occasionally but Arsenal substitute Gabriel Jesus, back in action after 11 months on the sidelines, hit the crossbar as the visitors threatened more goals.