3 standout players from Arsenal's 3-0 Champions League win away to Club Brugge

Goals and the football were flowing for Arsenal against Club Brugge, as Noni Madueke bagged a brace and Gabriel Martinelli made history to inspire a 3-0 victory. Their performances maintained the Gunners' 100 percent record in Europe's premier club competition this season, but they also formed a two-edged sword for manager Mikel Arteta.

The latter has been on the defensive lately after his team's attacking play was distinctly pedestrian in back-to-back domestic away games against Chelsea and Aston Villa. Arsenal needed a spark in the final third and it came from two players who aren't regular members of the starting XI.

Madueke is Bukayo Saka's immediate deputy, while Martinelli never seems to endear himself to Arteta the way Leandro Trossard has done. The backups delivering the goods in Belgium underscores the strength in depth of Arteta's squad this season, but it might also be a sign that maybe the manager still doesn't know his best team, particularly up top.

What Arteta does know is how strong things are in the engine room, where Martin Zubimendi pulled the strings brilliantly from midfield. His two assists, both for Madueke, showcased the superior technical element Zubimendi has brought to the middle of the park since replacing Thomas Partey.

Here's how each of Arsenal's three standouts fared at Jan Breydelstadion.

1. Gabriel Martinelli

Making Champions League history for a club like Arsenal is no small feat, but Martinelli's quality in front of goal can't be denied. His goal wasn't exactly the contribution of a team player, but perhaps Martinelli wanted to send a blunt message to his manager, via some obvious individual quality.

Cutting in from the left, drifting along the edge of the box and hoofing a lifted shot into the top corner was an emphatic reminder from Martinelli about his value. A reminder was needed because it appears increasingly like Arteta doesn't trust the Brazilian to handle the hurly, burly and graft of the Premier League.

Fortunately, the Arsenal gaffer sees a better use for Martinelli's pace and keen eye for goal amid the slower tempo of Champions League duty. It's hard to fault the strategy based on Martinelli's prolific form in this tournament, but the 24-year-old is surely destined for a bigger role across all fronts as this season progresses.

Arsenal's champagne problem is Martinelli's not the only wide forward who's meriting more minutes.

2. Noni Madueke

It's getting increasingly harder to believe there was a time when certain Arsenal fans were ready to go full protest mode about the arrival of Madueke. The former Chelsea winger continues to more than justify his transfer by impressing with a direct brand of attack-first football.

He was all straight-line pace, quick thinking and decisive end product against Brugge. Madueke's most direct contribution was the blunt-force shot he hammered in for the Gunners' opening goal.

More than the power behind the shot, Madueke showed off some subtlety to his game. After receiving a nice, angled pass from Zubimendi, Madueke lulled his marker by staying static, before combining nifty footwork and sudden acceleration to burst free and create the shooting chance.

That patient and skilful work was every bit as impressive as what followed. Put together, the goal showed what Madueke has been all about. Namely, economical movements allied to effective results.

He's brought something new to the Arsenal forward line, just like Zubimendi has freshened up the midfield.

3. Martin Zubimendi

He's never going to be the physical presence Partety was, but Zubimendi is already more of a natural conductor. He orchestrated Arsenal's passing expertly on foreign soil, demonstrating true range in his distribution.

A lot of Zubimendi work, as it often does, consisted of short, neat and safe passes. Yet, he also mixed in some more long-range stuff, most notably for Madueke's second goal.

Zubimendi's cross to find the right winger unmarked to head in was a thing of beauty.

This was the kind of incisve, defence-splitting delivery the Gunners should expect from their deep-lying playmaker. The fact Zubimendi raided so far forward to place his cross spoke volumes not only of Arsenal's territorial dominance, but also of the ex-Real Sociedad man's growing confidence.

Zubimendi seizing the initiative more often is the necessary next step toward him becoming the fulcrum of the possession game for Arteta's team. Hopefully, that will mean Arsenal being more intricate and enterprising from open play.

Evolving this way is how these Gunners actually take the final step and claim domestic or European honors this season. Preferably both.