Arsenal grind out win over Shakhtar in Champions League

Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassment at Bournemouth as an own goal from Shakhtar Donetsk keeper Dmytro Riznyk gave the Gunners a 1-0 win in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side crashed to a damaging 2-0 defeat against the Cherries in the Premier League last weekend.

That was Arsenal’s first loss in all competitions since the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich in April.

Their response against Shakhtar was unconvincing, but they did enough to claim three points thanks to Riznyk’s first half own goal from Gabriel Martinelli’s strike.

Leandro Trossard missed a late Arsenal penalty that would have put a flattering gloss on the scoreline at the Emirates Stadium.

Worryingly for Arteta, Riccardo Calafiori was forced off in the second half after appearing to injury his knee in the latest injury blow for a team currently missing Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber.

Arteta is already without suspended French defender William Saliba for Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice admitted his side let their “standards slip” after Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth set them on the way to their first Premier League defeat this season.

Arteta had urged his players to use the “pain” of that setback as motivation against Shakhtar, but the response was tepid.

The Gunners have seven points from their opening three Champions League games, yet this was a far cry from the impressive 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in their previous tie.

With one point from three games, Shakhtar remain without a goal in the Champions League this term.