Noni Madueke netted two goals to help Arsenal secure a 3-0 win over Club Brugge, effectively securing their spot in the Champions League knockout stages with two group matches remaining.
Madueke scored his first goal for Arsenal against Bayern Munich two weeks prior, and the England international continued his scoring form in Belgium, striking just 25 minutes into the match.
The former Chelsea player picked up the ball near the halfway line, shrugged off the challenge of left-back Joaquin Seys, and unleashed a powerful 22-yard shot that struck the underside of the crossbar before finding the net.
Just 80 seconds into the second half, Madueke scored again, this time heading in Martin Zubimendi’s precise cross.
Gabriel Martinelli added a third goal for Arsenal with a superb strike, becoming the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches.
Following this victory, Arsenal joined Manchester United, Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester City as the fifth English club to win their first six European Cup matches.
The top eight teams in the group are guaranteed a place in the last 16, and Arsenal is six points clear of ninth-placed Liverpool, boasting a superior goal difference of 13.
To ensure knockout European football for a third consecutive season, Arsenal needs just one more point from their upcoming matches against Inter Milan on January 20 and Kazakhstan’s Kairat the following week at the Emirates.
After a stoppage-time 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa that ended their impressive 18-match unbeaten streak, Mikel Arteta had to make several changes for the match in Bruges due to eight unavailable players.
Midfielder Christian Norgaard stepped in as an emergency center-back after Jurriën Timber was unable to recover from an injury sustained in the loss at Villa Park.
Martin Odegaard forced a save from Tristan van den Heuvel in the opening minutes, before a close call from Piero Hincapie, whose side-footed shot hit the post.
Madueke then proved the doubters wrong who questioned his £50 million transfer from Chelsea as he scored amidst swirling noise regarding his move. Despite a knee injury sidelining him for two months, he returned to form, scoring in Arsenal’s previous match and then delivering another stunning shot in Bruges.
The Belgian side gained momentum towards the end of the first half, with Carlos Forbs forcing David Raya into action. Raya made critical saves against Christos Tzolis and Stankovic, showcasing his skills in goal.
However, Arsenal took command again just after halftime when Madueke headed Zubimendi’s cross into an open net for his second goal.
Martinelli then made history ten minutes later with an exceptional curling shot from outside the box that found the top corner, marking his fifth consecutive goal in the Champions League, surpassing Gabriel Jesus’s previous record for Arsenal.
Moments after, Jesus returned from a 332-day injury layoff, coming on for the ineffective Viktor Gyökeres
, and almost scored, hitting the woodwork with a right-footed effort.
In the final moments, 16-year-old Marli Salmon made his debut, capping off an unforgettable night for both the young player and Arsenal as their incredible European campaign continued.