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Soccer-Arsenal run riot to crush Atletico Madrid
SOCCER-CHAMPIONS-ARS-ATM-REPORT:Soccer-Arsenal run riot to crush Atletico Madrid
By Martyn Herman
LONDON -Arsenal thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 thanks to a devastating second-half broadside at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday to secure a third successive Champions League victory.
What had been a compelling clash with little between the sides became an Arsenal rout with goals by Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres leaving Diego Simeone's side shell-shocked.
Shortly after Julian Alvarez hit the crossbar for the visitors, Arsenal defender Gabriel broke the deadlock by heading in a Declan Rice free kick in the 57th minute.
Martinelli finished off a sweeping move seven minutes later and Gyokeres prodded in his first goal of the night via a deflection as Arsenal ran riot, the Swede ending a nine-game scoring drought for club and country.
Gyokeres bundled in his second as Atletico were again unable to deal with a set piece.
Victory extended Arsenal's unbeaten run to nine games and put them on nine points in the group phase, well on the way to qualifying for the knockout stages.
Atletico, on three points, will have to dust themselves down after their six-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to a juddering halt.
Overflowing with confidence after climbing to the top of the Premier League, Arsenal began strongly and almost took the lead when Eberechi Eze's shot deflected off David Hancko and hit the crossbar.
Myles Lewis-Skelly dragged a shot wide and Bukayo Saka was denied by a block from Atletico keeper Jan Oblak.
The visitors weathered the storm, though, and were almost gifted a goal when Arsenal keeper David Raya was caught well out of his goal and Alvarez had the goal at his mercy but curled his shot wide from an angle.
When Alvarez curled a superb effort against Arsenal's crossbar soon after the restart the outcome was very much in the balance but Atletico then caved in.
Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicholas Jover would have been purring at the opening goal, with Rice's sublime delivery giving Gabriel the easiest of headers past Oblak.
Sensing their moment, Arsenal moved in for the kill and by the time Atletico came to their senses, the game was up.
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