Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid: Viktor Gyokers grabs brace to stun Simeone's side 

Four goals in 13 minutes stunned Ateltico Madrid to leave Diego Simeone shellshocked 

Mikel Arteta’s rampant Arsenal blitzed Atletico Madrid with four goals in 13 minutes after the interval.

Gabriel’s header started the rout on 57 minutes, before Gabi Martinelli doubled the lead, prior to a brace from Viktor Gyokeres helped the impressive Gunners blow away Diego Simeone’s shellshocked side to post their third win on the bounce in the Champions League this season.

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Arsenal made two changes to the team that started the 1-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday evening, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli replacing Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard, both of who dropped to the bench.

No Max Dowman with the Arsenal substitutes, as he played for the U19s earlier in the day, as the Young Guns lost 4-3 to Atleti in the UEFA Youth League at Boreham Wood.

Alexander Sorloth partnered Julian Alvarez in attack, with bosses’ son Giuliano Simeone selected on the right ahead of Alex Baena.

In the only other change from the weekend win over Osasuna, Antoine Griezmann is on the bench.

Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea welcomed old friends from Atletico. He was at the club from 2013, becaming sporting director in 2017, and signed 14 of their current first-team squad.

Arsenal started brightly when Eberechie Eze’s shot from outside the box took a deflection to loop over keeper Jan Oblak, and onto the post before Declan Rice fired the rebound over when well-placed.

Ten minutes later Lewis-Skelly fired across Oblak’s goal after a spell of pressure from the home side, but Bukayo Saka at the far post was stationed a little too far from the ball to make contact.

On 18 minutes Eze played a through ball to Saka whose effort was blocked by an onrushing Oblak, alert to the danger.

Despite the Gunners dominating, there was nearly a calamitous error from keeper David Raya that saw Julián Alvarez’s left footed shot from an acute angle fly narrowly past Raya’s far post. The unexpected chance coming after the dallying Arsenal keeper failed to clear the ball near the corner flag - with Atleti taking a quick throw to capitalise with Raya in no man’s land attempting to scramble back.

On 34 minutes Arsenal had the ball in the net following a sweeping move started when Zubimendi won the ball back deep in his own half - but Martinelli was deemed to be offside before slotting Saka’s cross home.

In an absorbing, if goalless opening 45 minutes, Martin Zubimendi picked up a yellow card which ruled him out of the Gunners next Champions League game at Slavia Prague early next month.

Simeone’s side started the second half promisingly, when on 48 minutes, Julian Alvarez curled the ball over Raya and onto the woodwork, as Atletico nearly broke the deadlock. Arsenal were fortunate the former Manchester City attacker did not put Simeone’s side 1-0 ahead. They were to capitalise on such luck shortly afterwards.

Arsenal eased through the gears on 52 minutes when Oblak blocked Gyokeres effort.

Three minutes later Llorente clattered into Martinelli, with referee Daniele Massa awarding a free-kick.

From the dead ball, Set Piece FC struck, when Gabriel nodded home Rice’s inviting free-kick into the box, to put the Gunners 1-0 ahead, as the stadium erupted.

Moments after the restart Arsenal were sliced apart as Alvarez’s diagonal slide-rule pass picked out Simeone between Gabriel and Lewis-Skelly. The Argentine allowed the ball to run across him allowing Gabriel to block the effort. It was instructive to note the Brazil centre-back’s celebrations in blocking the effort were more intense than his goal celebrations.

However, Arsenal were in no mood to be denied, and made it 2-0 shortly afterwards when Martinelli doubled the lead on 64 minutes. 180 seconds after that, Gyokeres made it 3-0, as Arsenal left Simeone and his team looking absolutely shellshocked after the rampant Gunners score three goals in 10 minutes.

There was still time for Gyokeres grabbed his second of a now fruitful match to make the final scoreline a stunning 4-0 to Arsenal.