Five Takeaways from Arsenal's Champions League in Bruges 

Here's Charlie Ashmore with Five Key Takeaways from Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Club Brugge 

Takeaways from Bruges

Noni delivers

What a performance from Madueke (or as Martin Keown insists on calling him MAduake). 

The only thing missing from his early season performance was goal involvement be it goals or assists. 

In all other respects he was an exciting presence who was often our most dangerous and threatening player. 

Tonight he delivered…and some.  That first goal was an absolute beauty.  The way he left opponents for dead before unleashing an unstoppable brute of a shot. 

The second showed presence of mind to take advantage of distracted defenders and ghost in for an open goal.  Take this form into the League now please Noni!

I’ll give it to Zubamendi

As the fans serenaded him to the tune of Last Christmas, our man in the middle gave a masterclass of how to control a game. 

This was what we bought and what Liverpool were so keen on. Effortless poise in midfield allied to an ability to open things up in his quiet understated way. 

The cross for Madueke was simply perfect. While it is understandable that he plays every game, he does need the occasional rest – we need him fresh for the fray later in the season.

The squad is suffering

We have a fantastic squad with strength in every position and if you told me we would have to start a game with Christian Norgaard and Piero Hinciape as our centre half pairing and end it with Marli Salmon at full back, I would have laughed. 

But the injuries really are taking their toll and the fact we were able to deliver another impressive result is testament to the stop gap options we are having to filed. 

Bruges threatened in parts but nothing they could offer really looked like beating David Raya and the makeshift defence. 

And by the way, how good is our Ecuadorian at the back – an absolute gem.

Job all but done

The first priority in the Champions League is to finish in the top eight and we have pretty much guaranteed that with two games to go.  We retain our 100% record and stand alone in that regard. 

Now, I am not saying Europe is quaking in its boots but there will be nobody in European football who does not now think us capable of winning the Champions League. 

That alone tells you how far we have come on the Mikel Arteta project. 

Just that final step to take.

Keown is a legend but……

Surely it’s not just me but I am sorry to say I find Keown utterly unlistenable to. 

He adds nothing by way of imparting knowledge, he mangles his words, his every utterance seems to turn into a question, he contradicts himself in successive comments and is really one of the worst pundits out there. 

His mispronunciation of Zubamendi was funny once but got increasingly irritating and Private Eye readers who were watching will I am sure have been submitting the following as entries to Colemanballs (if Private Eye still runs them) – “Zubamandi and Merino – that’s three-quarters of the Spain midfield right there”.  Priceless but hopeless.