- Arsenal could only manage a point from their trip to Atalanta on Thursday night
- David Raya was the hero for the Gunners as he saved a second-half penalty
- Mikel Arteta's side defensively sound but lacked cutting edge up front
Arsenal could only manage a goalless draw from their opening Champions League encounter of the 2024/25 season against Atalanta.
After a goalless first half in northern Italy, it was Gunners goalkeeper David Raya who made the difference after the break when he produced an excellent double save from Mateo Retegui's penalty.
Arsenal kept last season's Europa League winners at bay for large periods but couldn't create much themselves, ultimately settling for a point on their first European excursion of the new campaign.
How the game unfolded
After a mature and efficient performance on the road in the north London derby, Arsenal were never likely to be overawed in the opening stages at the Gewiss Stadium. Mikel Arteta's side dominated the early proceedings in Bergamo, with Bukayo Saka's driven free kick almost handing them the lead.
Despite Arsenal's territorial dominance and measured approach, they struggled to break down an Atalanta side that defended man-for-man across the pitch. The Italian outfit started to build in confidence as the minutes passed and created their first real opening on the half-hour mark as Charles De Ketelaere fired wide from the edge of the box.
A first half for the purists drew to a muted close as Atalanta and Arsenal cancelled one another out. However, after seeing how the Serie A side dismantled Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in last season's Europa League, Arteta would have been pleased with his side's composure in a difficult environment.
Arteta's contentment was short-lived in the second half, however, with Thomas Partey gifting the hosts a penalty two minutes after the restart. But the Ghanaian midfielder was bailed out by his goalkeeper Raya, who produced an excellent penalty save and an even better stop from the rebound to deny Retegui.
Atalanta didn't let the missed penalty dent their spirits and they continued to increase their intensity in the final third. Substitute Juan Cuadrado was next to threaten Raya's goal but the former Chelsea man curled a 20-yard effort just over the Arsenal crossbar.
Raheem Sterling was introduced in the closing stages as Arsenal looked to steal victory and the loanee made an immediate impact. His neat through ball set Gabriel Martinelli up with 15 minutes to play but the Brazilian cannoned his close-range effort over the crossbar.
However, neither side could make the all-important breakthrough as the clock ticked down, with both teams seemingly happy to accept a point from their first Champions League outing of the term.
Arsenal player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya - 9/10 - Spent the first half twiddling his thumbs and trying to keep warm but was quickly called into action after the break. The Spaniard produced a truly sensational double save from Retegui's penalty to secure a point.
RB: Ben White - 7/10 - Subdued last season's Europa League final decider Ademola Lookman, coping well in one-v-one duels with the former Everton and Fulham forward. Didn't have too much freedom in the Atalanta half.
CB: William Saliba - 8/10 - Composed from the first minute to the last and didn't put a foot wrong up against a lively Atalanta forward line. The French defender produced a brilliant sliding challenge to deny Lookman late on.
CB: Gabriel - 7/10 - After scoring the winner in the north London derby at the weekend, the Brazilian was kept entertained by the indefatigable Retegui buzzing around the final third. However, he largely won the battle around his own penalty area.
LB: Jurrien Timber - 6/10 - An unspectacular but solid display from Arsenal's utility man at left-back, with De Ketelaere often left frustrated by the Dutch defender.
DM: Thomas Partey - 3/10 - Loose in his distribution throughout and carelessly handed Atalanta a spot kick early in the second half after being bamboozled by Ederson. Substituted before the hour mark following a disappointing outing.
CM: Kai Havertz - 5/10 - Stepped into midfield and was involved in plenty of duels with mixed levels of success. Couldn't replicate the attacking dynamism that Arsenal missed in Martin Odegaard's absence.
CM: Declan Rice - 7/10 - A typical Rice performance in both halves, bossing the midfield battle in and out of possession. Produced an important headed intervention early doors and picked up some interesting advanced positions.
RW: Bukayo Saka - 6/10 - The winger's free kick was the closest either side came during a tame first half, with Saka increasingly isolated as the game wore on. Barely had a kick during the second half and finished up with just 28 touches.
ST: Gabriel Jesus - 6/10 - Pressed and harried during his 58 minutes on the pitch but didn't exhibit the usual stellar close control and flair we've grown accustomed to. Created three chances for teammates, though.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10 - As expected, Martinelli was an energetic livewire down the left-hand side, putting in the yards in both halves. But his impact in the final third was limited and he fluffed Arsenal's best moment in the second half.
Substitutes
SUB: Jorginho (58' for Partey) - 6/10 - Certainly performed better than the man he replaced and kept things ticking along in the centre of the pitch.
SUB: Leandro Trossard (58' for Jesus) - 6/10 - Livened things up immediately but failed to build on a busy start.
SUB: Raheem Sterling (73' for Saka) - 7/10
SUB: Riccardo Calafiori (73' for Timber) - 6/10
Subs not used: Jack Porter (GK), Neto (GK), Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Jimi Gower, Salah Oulad M'Hand, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
Manager
Mikel Arteta - 6/10 - Only Arteta can say whether or not he is pleased by a point at Atalanta on what was a somewhat frustrating night for the Gunners. His side's defensive organisation was impressive but their lack of cutting edge in the final third was slightly concerning.
