Arsenal Thrash Atletico Madrid 4–0 to Mark 100th Champions League Victory

Arsenal stormed to a resounding 4–0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, delivering a dominant second-half performance that sealed their 100th win in the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners, who had already impressed in the first half without finding the net, broke the deadlock shortly after the restart when Gabriel Magalhães powered home a header from Declan Rice’s pinpoint delivery. That goal opened the floodgates, with three more strikes in six sensational minutes dismantling Diego Simeone’s side.

Gabriel Martinelli doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a classy finish before Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres ended his goal drought by netting twice in quick succession, putting the result beyond doubt and keeping Mikel Arteta’s men top of their group with a perfect record.

“Having impressed in the opening 45 minutes without getting on the scoreboard, that changed after the break when Gabriel headed us in front, before three goals in six minutes swept Diego Simeone’s side away,” the club said in a post-match statement.

Arsenal began brightly, applying relentless pressure from the opening whistle. Ebere Eze and Bukayo Saka were both denied by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, while Declan Rice came close and Martinelli saw a first-half goal ruled out for offside.

Atletico’s best moment came early in the second half when Julián Álvarez rattled the crossbar, but Arsenal’s response was swift and ruthless. “Martinelli’s power and pace drew a foul from Marcos Llorente, allowing Rice to whip a devilish delivery into the box,” the club’s report continued. “Gabriel was left unmarked to nod home the opener.” The second goal arrived moments later, as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly combined to set up Martinelli, whose first-time effort glanced off the post and in. Gyökeres then added a quickfire double — his first a fortunate deflection that beat Oblak, the second a tidy finish from close range — to complete a breathtaking six-minute spell that left Atletico shell-shocked.

With the contest effectively over, Arteta introduced several substitutions to rest key players ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace. The result also extended Arsenal’s remarkable defensive record in Europe — they remain unbeaten and yet to concede a goal at home in the Champions League’s league phase under Arteta, now spanning nine matches.

Arsenal will return to Premier League duty this weekend at the Emirates before shifting focus to a Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Brighton next Wednesday, followed by a league trip to Burnley on November 1.

The Gunners’ emphatic win not only kept their Champions League campaign flawless but also underscored their growing reputation as one of Europe’s most in-form sides.