Athletic vs Arsenal live updates: Champions League score and latest goal alerts – The New York Times

UCL
Advertisement
live
Updated 33s ago
The 2025-26 Champions League campaign is under way with Arsenal in Bilbao to face Athletic Club.
The Premier League side made it to the semi-final of this competition last season, while the hosts made it to the same stage of the Europa League.
Eberechi Eze is one of five players to be making his Champions League debut for Arsenal.
It's good to see Gyokeres back on his feet.
He'd been key to Arsenal getting a foothold in the game after a difficult start, and his runs will be just as important going forward.
Advertisement
33’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
That’s good to see.
Viktor Gyokeres is up with a smile on his face — and a lovely new black head bandage to cover that head injury.
He has been assessed by the medics and is back on to resume play.
30’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
The medics are on the pitch after Gyokeres and Gabriel clash heads as they both tried to meet a cross and turn it goalward.
Gyokeres is bleeding from the back of his head and needs a bit of attention.
The sound of Athletic's fans whistling was a good sign that Arsenal at last found some composure.
Slowly, their front players have begun to put the pressure on, with Madueke's dynamism and Gyokeres's strength and hard running beginning to turn the mood.
26’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Now they are in the groove!
Much better build-up play from Arsenal results in a glancing, diving header from Gyokeres flying just wide of the post.
They still need to be wary though, as Athletic break and Raya has to come far off his line to clear from Williams in pursuit.
23’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
That was better from Arsenal.
Gyokeres makes a run on the break and manages to get a shot off from a tight angle, but it is tame and easily saved by Unai Simon.
Advertisement
21’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
And you sense it is because he will not be altogether happy with his team’s performance so far.
Athletic Club have had more intent in possession but Arsenal show a flicker of hope with some good running from Madueke, forcing Gorosabel to clear the ball off Eze’s toe to deny him a free shot on goal.
When the Champions League draw was made, Arsenal fans may have felt somewhat assured given how dominant they were against Athletic Club in pre-season at the start of August.
Ernesto Valverde's side have started this game in a completely different manner though, which is a credit to them.
Arsenal's more patient approach made sense given that's how they often play in big away games, but turning that Athletic backline around quickly a couple of times may be helpful to change the rhythm of the game.
14’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
When they get the ball, Athletic Club are moving it well and are making attacking inroads.
Berenguer gets a shot away but it is deflected behind for a corner and Arsenal just about manage to get that clear.
The hosts are enjoying this so far.
Arsenal are not their usual controlled selves. This is a bit frenetic and while the energy is fuelling Athletic, it is making Arsenal's touches a little jittery and imprecise. They could do with settling down.
8’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
There was plenty of venom on that free kick from Adama but it goes no further than the wall.
Athletic have shown they are a danger with a few entries into the Arsenal box.
Advertisement
6’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is back in his native Basque Country — albeit not at his former club Real Sociedad but instead against their big rivals Athletic Club — and so far his side have looked a bit tentative.
They have had plenty of the ball and are feeling their way but on a rare foray forward for Athletic, the hosts win a free kick on the edge of the box after a Rice foul. He earns a yellow card for that one.
3’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Athletic Club have not seen much of the ball since Arsenal took kick-off, with the visitors moving the ball around their backline as they look for an opening to progress the ball upfield.
The hosts have been disciplined in their shape, though, and are pinning Arsenal back despite their possession.
1’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s side take kick-off and we are under way at San Mames!
How Athletic Club would like for the younger of the Williams brothers to be out on the pitch, but their young star can only watch on from the stands this afternoon.
Inaki Williams may well be their biggest threat leading the line and is tasked with breaking down Arsenal’s defence.
And they are lapping up the Champions League anthem in front of a pretty noisy crowd in Bilbao.
We are just a few minutes away from kick-off now.
Advertisement
Two ex-Real Sociedad players in the starting line up — Zubimendi and Merino — plus manager Mikel Artea will bring some extra spice and local rivalry for the Athletic Club fans.
Expect a warm, fervent atmosphere. Overcoming that is the first job for Arsenal. But this squad should have the quality and experience to manage.
So what sort of impact can Eberechi Eze have for Arsenal?
This is his time to show he is the man for the big occasion on another step up in his already impressive career.
Today marks the first time the 27-year-old has played in a club competition outside of the English domestic system. Although he does have 13 caps for Arsenal.
After Arsenal's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Mikel Arteta spoke about the benefits of having different profiles of players to fit the same positions in relation to Ethan Nwaneri replacing the injured Martin Odegaard. Speaking to TNT ahead of this evening's game, he has just said:
💬 “In this moment, if you don’t have players who can do different things, it’s not going to be enough.”
The emphasis on that feels encouraging from a spectator point of view, even without Nwaneri starting tonight. Madueke and Eze showed just how much of a lift different types of players can be out wide. In pre-season, when Arsenal beat Athletic Club, it was the midfield duo of Rice and Zubimendi which provided a different dynamic.
Hopefully there's more of the same soon.

source