European Round-Up: Atletico Madrid collapse against Arsenal

In the late games in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid traveled to face Arsenal in the Champions League, while Manchester City visited Villarreal. Earlier in the day, Barcelona thrashed Olympiakos.

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid: Atleti struggle to open up

While Arsenal began this game on top with an early flurry of chances, including an effort off the bar from Eberechi Eze, Atletico Madrid worked their way back into the game thereafter. The Gunners opportunities were requiring more and more work, and Atleti themselves began making inroads in the Arsenal defence, with Julian Alvarez unable to bend the ball into an open goal after David Raya was caught out of position, and a stirring run from the Argentine which ended in a shot over the bar.

In the second half, it appeared Atletico were set to continue their upward trend. Coming forward through Alvarez and Nico Gonzalez with increase purpose, Diego Simeone will have been pleased with the impact of his instructions. Alvarez turned inside shortly after, and curled an excellent effort off the bar from the left side of the box.

🇺🇾🗣️ Josema Gimenez: “We have to be self-critical about what we’re missing when we play away. We must feel as strong as we do at home and learn how to handle certain moments of the match better. There’s still a long way to go to turn this around.” pic.twitter.com/gqlFK25TVh

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) October 21, 2025

Yet the fragility of their defence, combined with that extra ambition, caught Los Rojiblancos out. Gabriel Magalhaes escaped the Atleti marking from a set piece to head in the opener after 57 minutes. With Atletico caught pushing higher, seven minutes later Myles Lewis-Skelly picked the ball up in midfield and danced through two Atleti players, before his driving run and ball in behind Marcos Llorente took two more players out the game. Gabriel Martinelli stepped onto the ball, and finished into the far corner.

At this point, Arsenal were rampant, and every attack was venomous. After another foray down the left resulted in a cross not cleared properly, Viktor Gyokeres held off defenders to scramble the ball into the net within the six-yard box. The 13-minute demolition was complete after another set piece found Gabriel unmarked again at the back post, and Gyokeres pounced first when he knocked it across goal.

The final 20 minutes was pure damage limitation for Atletico, who from player to manager looked sheepish after the match. Arsenal were certainly having the better chances before the opening goal, but hope was growing in the second half. Once again they were undone defending in their own box, and the struggle to open up and attack without being vulnerable in these big games will concern Simeone.

Villarreal 0-2 Manchester City: Guardiola’s side in control

There were early signs of what was to come for Villarreal, when in the opening five minutes, Jeremy Doku forced a good save from Luiz Junior, and Erling Haaland headed over. Manchester City quickly worked out that Alfonso Pedraza could not cope with Savinho’s trickery on the left, and began to sink the Yellow Submarine deeper and deeper towards their own box. By the time the goal came, it felt inevitable. After 17 minutes, Savinho slid the ball to the by-line for Rico Lewis, and Erling Haaland lost his man in the box to net the opener.

Before the break, City made good on their total domination. Savinho stood up Pedraza, and clipped the ball into the six-yard box, finding an unmarked Benardo Silva to head home.

There was little to report in the way of Villarreal chances in the first half, but Marcelino Garcia Toral’s adjustments did help matters. City’s domination felt so total, they neither pushed for more goals nor felt in danger of giving up a result. Yet had Nicolas Pepe converted either of his two chances late on, then the Yellow Submarine might have stood an opportunity for a late assault on a point.

An effort just wide from Pape Gueye was the closest the Yellow Submarine came to breaching Ederson’s goal, but the difference between the two sides was clear, on a frustrating night for Villarreal.