Mikel Arteta makes 'hurt' Gabriel Martinelli admission after changing the game for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has admitted that it "hurt" to leave Gabriel Martinelli on the bench - but he was delighted to see his super-sub deliver in Bilbao.

The Brazilian winger has been under increasing scrutiny and had seemingly fallen down the pecking order after the club's £255million spending spree in the summer.

But he proved his worth by scoring 36 seconds after coming on before assisting Leandro Trossard to wrap up a crucial win over Athletic Club in their Champions League opener. Martinelli's masterclass has flipped the script and vindicated the club’s decision to keep him despite interest this summer.

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“Well, I think they know. I was very clear,” he said when asked about the emotional element of leaving players out. “They know how I feel about them, so they know that when I have to leave a player on the bench or out of the squad, it hurts me.

“And starting from there, the only thing I can do is my job. I have to make decisions, and I have to make decisions based on increasing the probability of winning football matches, and they know that that's the only reason why I'm going to make certain decisions.”

It was no surprise to Arteta that one of his longest-serving members of this group produce such a goal. It is hardly his first time either, with a famous example against Chelsea at the top of his Arsenal highlight reel.

Despite signing wingers Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze this summer, it has been the existing stars Martinelli and Trossard that won this game.

“Well, I was sure that Gabby was going to react like that,” he said. “You raise the level to Gabby and he was going to do that.

“He has such a mentality. He's a player that is constantly willing to learn and he broke himself, very demanding of himself and that's the moment that hopefully is going to give him the confidence again to go, because he's an outstanding player.”

Eberechi Eze had a tricky evening and looked isolated - and the impact from Martinelli proves the worth of the summer investment. It was never just about replacing talent, it was always about adding quality to truly transform this side and their capacity to grab vital victories.