Athletic vs Arsenal live updates: Goalless in Champions League game after first-half Gyokeres head injury – The New York Times

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It is goalless in the second half of Arsenal's Champions League opener away to Athletic Club.
Chances were at a premium in the first half, with Viktor Gyokeres and Alex Berenguer going closest at either end. Gyokeres suffered a head injury that led to a pretty significant cut, but he was able to continue after being bandaged up.
The Swede is one of five players making his Champions League debut for Arsenal this evening.
51’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
That was a classic bit of centre-forward play from Gyokeres, who holds the ball up well before releasing Madueke.
The wide man has the beating of Boiro for speed and gets a shot away at the near post but Simon is able to punch clear.
Madueke has been Arsenal's most threatening player.
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47’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
And he should probably do better from there!
The Sweden international was completely unmarked and Rice’s ball was perfect but the header drifts wide of the post.
46’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Navarro trips the Arsenal man as he made a cute turn to spring towards the box.
Rice will take it…
Just a thought that hit me when thinking back to the Arsenal vs Athletic game last month, but Rice playing long passes in behind for Saka was a real theme of that game early on.
Rice has been dropping deep like he did in that game, but hasn't really looked to play many of those long balls as often.
Madueke has proven to be a willing runner in behind, so playing into that may be useful for Arsenal.
Will we see a winner in this 45 minutes?
No changes for either side as we resume the second half.
HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Just one other game going on in the Champions League right now, and there have been goals in that one!
A nightmare start at home for PSV Eindhoven as they find themselves two goals behind against Union St. Gilloise. Promise David and Anouar Ait El Hadj have got the goals for the Belgian side.
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HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
As we have said, not a first half that will last too long in the memory — here is the tale of the tape:
HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
It hasn't quite been the return to the starting XI that Declan Rice will have hoped for.
Despite his best protests, he was shown a yellow card for a very late sliding challenge in just the eighth minute and he made another foul as the half drew to a close.
It hasn't been his best performance in an Arsenal shirt so Mikel Arteta may consider replacing him at half-time, although he has created two chances so far.
HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
On first viewing, it looked a pretty innocuous clash between Gabriel and Gyokeres, but the replays soon showed that it was a nasty one for Arsenal's new No 9.
There are few players in world football that you want thundering into the back of your head than Gabriel and it left his team-mate with quite the gash.
Fortunately, the Arsenal medical team were able to work their magic and the patched-up Gyokeres has been able to continue.
HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Not quite the exciting start to the new Champions League campaign we were hoping for, then.
Credit to Athletic Club for knocking Arsenal off their early-season rhythm, but they haven't been able to properly test the visitors' resolute backline.
There wasn't too much to get us off our seats in that first half. Viktor Gyokeres had Arsenal's two best chances, but it would be harsh to criticise him for missing them.
The game did improve in the latter stages of the half with the home side going close to an opener through Alex Berenguer, but it is still very much goalless in this one…
HT Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
Not the most edifying half from Arsenal, who seem bothered by the sense of occasion which clearly inspires the home team's efforts. An improvement in composure and more attacking purpose would be an obvious instruction for the second half.
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That’s the break!
Plenty to digest from that first half, even with a lack of goals.
45+3’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
He steals onto a pass played out from the back by Calafiori but Arsenal get back and put bodies in his way to block the effort from range.
The resulting corner comes to nothing and…
45’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
And that’ll be from the injury to Gyokeres earlier in the half.
42’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
That might well be the best chance of the game so far!
After Timber chases a lost cause off the end of the pitch and loses a boot in the process, Athletic break down the other end and Berenguer drags a shot inches wide of Raya’s post.
He had a couple of options to square it inside if he wanted to there but opted to shoot.
41’ Athletic Club 0-0 Arsenal
There’s a chap in the crowd tasked with shipping up chants and boos with a drum — and he is making his presence felt in this half.
Gyokeres' injury caused Arsenal to lose a bit of attacking momentum as we come to the end of the half.
Let's see if they can find something special before the break.
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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.
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 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.

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