Gunners labour to 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League

Arsenal 1 (Riznyk 29, og)

Shakhtar Donetsk 0

Below-par Arsenal laboured to a 1-0 win in the Champions League over Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates this evening - thanks to an own goal from goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.

But injuries to Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori marred the win - with knocks and suspensions mounting ahead of the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.

Already without Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard this evening, and with William Saliba suspended, Mikel Arteta will be desperately trying to patch up his side before the weekend.

Arsenal started like a team who wanted to get their nightmare weekend out of the memory bank as quickly as possible.

Gabriel Jesus, spurred on maybe by Arteta's decision to hand him the captain's armband, looked sharp early on down the right in the continued absence of Saka, before fading as the game went on.

The Gunners had already had several promising attacks by the time Calafiori somehow shot over Riznyk's crossbar from seven yards after six minutes.

Leandro Trossard's corner was headed down by a Shakhtar defender and fell perfectly for Calafiori on the half-volley but, off balance, the Italian's shot was wayward.

Thereafter Shakhtar settled, restricting the home side to a Trossard flick which went just wide after good work from Martinelli down the left - and shots from distance from Declan Rice and Calafiori.

Martinelli was the bright spot - the first half at least was his best of the season so far.

Martinelli was the creator of most things promising for the Gunners this evening. For the goal he did well to twist and turn his defender before cutting inside and cracking a shot off the near post, which hit goalkeeper Riznyk on its way back and bobbled over the line.

Kai Havertz was inches from making it 2-0 five minutes before the break. Martinelli's cross from the left was headed back across goal by Jesus, but Mykola Matviyenko's boot took it away from Havetrz's head in the nick of time before he could head it over the line.

Jesus then saw a low shot saved by the boot of Riznyk and, from that, came Shakhtar's best - and only - chance of the half.

Georgiy Sudakov had the run of the field and pulled the ball back for Eguinaldu, whose shot was both high and wide.

The second half was a cagey affair. Arsenal struggling for rhythm, especially after the departures of White and Calafiori had disrupted their balance.

The Gunners were gifted a penalty on 76 minutes when VAR intervened to suggest Valeriy Bondar had handled a cross - which he clearly had.

But they could not put the Ukrainians away. Trossard's kick down the middle was kept out by the trailing leg of Riznyk.

Shakhtar were encouraged, Sudakov shooting over as they pushed for an unlikely leveller - and a save from David Raya in stoppage time spared their blushes.

Who knows how many points it will take to finish in the top eight of this 32-team league - and an automatic pass to the last-16? The boffins and supercomputers at Opta predict 16, probably as few as 15 even.

But despite this poor showing, Arsenal are now seven up with five to play, and well on their way to surmounting the first hurdle - and the 10 needed to almost certainly avoid the ignominy of elimination at this stage by finishing in the bottom 12.

Teams:

Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, White (Merino 46), Patrey, Gabriel, Jesus (Sterling 68), Martinelli, Trossard (Jorginho 88), Havertz, Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly 70), Rice

Shakhtar: Riznyk, Bondar, Eguinaldo (Traore 84), Kryskiv, Sudakov, Zubkov (Pedrinho 63), Henrique, Sikan (Kevin 63), Bondarenko, Matviyenko, Konoplia

Referee: Benoit Bastien (France)

Picture: Charlie Stong