Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: 3 takeaways as gritty Gunners get job done

Arsenal managed to squeak past Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League to remain undefeated after three matchdays.

Well, Arsenal's 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League won't live long in the memory, but Mikel Arteta's side did enough to claim three points in front of the Emirates faithful.

The Gunners opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, with Gabriel Martinelli's curling effort smacking the post and hitting Shakhtar keeper Dmytro Riznyk and crossing the line, resulting in an own goal.

While the Gunners were good value for their lead, they couldn't capitalize on several chances in the second half to put the game away. Leandro Trossard had a penalty saved, forcing tense finish, but Arsenal managed to hold on to claim their second win from three games in the competition.

Here are three takeaways from the gritty win.

1. Thomas Partey reminds us of his Rolls Royce gear

You can count on one hand the number of performances from Partey where he was at his colossal best - this was one of them.

The midfielder used his strength and intelligence to control things in the middle of the park. Playing a little higher up-field, Partey did a nice job of keeping the visitors unsettled in what was a superb first half.

Mikel Merino's introduction saw him shift into the backline, but Partey reminded us that there is still juice in the tank.

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