What we learned from Wednesday's Champions League matches

Football writer Ninad Barbadikar reports on how Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester City fared in their second round of matches in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

Howe's men make club history on a brilliant night in Brussels

Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Newcastle

Newcastle United achieved their biggest ever Champions League win by comfortably beating Belgian side Union St. Gilloise 4-0 away from home.

Anthony Gordon scored two penalties, one in each half, between goals from Nick Woltemade and Harvey Barnes.

It's their record victory in the competition proper, matching the scoreline of a qualifying success against FK Zeljeznicar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, back in 2002.

This was a perfect response from Newcastle following their agonising late defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe's side took the initiative in Brussels and scored in the 17th minute when Woltemade deflected Sandro Tonali's shot past USG goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen. The Germany international became the first Newcastle player to score on his debuts in both the Champions League and the Premier League.

With Union on the backfoot, the game opened up enough for Woltemade to drop off and help link play to find that second goal.

Sebastien Pocognoli's side were unwilling to commit their wing-backs higher up the pitch to protect against Newcastle’s danger from wide areas but this also meant that the likes of Gordon and Anthony Elanga were able to stay relatively higher up the pitch and capitalise when Newcastle did break through the Union defensive lines.

Joelinton nearly doubled Newcastle’s lead on the half-hour mark from an Elanga cross, but the Brazilian’s header flew just wide.

They wouldn’t have to wait long for the second though, with Elanga at the centre of it again, this time winning Newcastle's first penalty after being fouled inside the box by Union defender Fedde Leysen.

Gordon converted the spot-kick in the 43rd minute and became the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi in the 2002/03 season to score in back-to-back Champions League appearances, following his strike against Barcelona last month.

Union attempted to turn the match around by using their wing-backs to stretch the Newcastle defence; Howe responded to this change by adding another body to his team's midfield, and adapt to a 4-5-1 shape from 4-4-2 in the first half with Elanga and Gordon more than willing to track their runners.

The Magpies killed the game off with their third goal in the 64th minute when Gordon's cross hit Leysen on the arm and a penalty was awarded following a VAR review. Gordon netted it and became just the third-ever Englishman to score two penalties in a Champions League game, after Wayne Rooney in 2011 and Harry Kane in 2024.

The cake was iced 10 minutes from time when Barnes finished off a superb counter-attacking sequence started by Gordon deep in Newcastle’s half. Barnes linked up with substitute William Osula, before tucking his finish past Scherpen.

It was an emphatic and efficient evening for Newcastle, who scored with four of their six shots on target. In one night, they netted as many goals as they have scored in six Premier League matches so far this season. 

The result will surely increase Newcastle's confidence as they prepare to host Nottingham Forest in the league on Sunday.

 "It's a big mental boost for us," admitted Howe, in quotes published on UEFA.com. "It was a magnificent game and my team showed that we can score again. I was also very pleased to keep the clean sheet."

See: Newcastle report and line-up

Martinelli scores again as Arsenal maintain maximum start

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiakos

Arsenal secured three points in a comfortable victory at Emirates Stadium, thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Mikel Arteta’s side are now unbeaten in six matches in all competitions, and have moved up to fifth in the Champions League table after winning both of their league-phase games so far.

Arsenal’s last five league-phase matches at the Emirates have all resulted in victories and clean sheets.

Martinelli returned to the starting XI after the win at Newcastle and delivered on Arteta’s faith, opening the scoring after 12 minutes thanks to an easy rebound from a Viktor Gyokeres shot that struck the upright. The Brazilian has now scored in consecutive Champions League games for the first time.

With Martin Odegaard pulling the strings in midfield at his playmaking best, the Gunners maintained control of proceedings. The Norwegian had a great deal of the ball and Arsenal were all the better for it in possession.

By the end of the match, Odegaard would go on to have the most touches of any player with 86 to his name. He also won back possession eight times, more than anyone and also created four chances, the most of any player in the game.

Odegaard said after the match: "That is what I want to do, especially with those forward players, especially with Viktor [Gyokeres] who is so aggressive and always a threat. That is my job, to create things for them."

Arsenal would still need David Raya to come to their rescue just seven minutes after the opener, when Daniel Podence’s volley produced a full-stretch save from the Spaniard.

Just five minutes before half-time, Gyokeres had a chance to score again after being played through by Leandro Trossard, though this time the Swede's shot flew well over the bar.

In the second half, Arsenal continued to dominate possession and create chances but the visitors exerted their own pressure too, on the break.

Just past the hour mark, the Greek side thought they had the equaliser through Chiquinho who fired home after an Ayoub El Kaabi header was parried superbly by Raya.

The assistant referee, though, already had his flag up, with the home fans breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Arsenal would have to wait until stoppage time to get the elusive second goal. Saka, coming off the bench to replace Trossard, was found brilliantly by Odegaard, to slot home the second.

This marked the first time since August 2004 that the Gunners have had a substitute score in five consecutive games.

Two games against London-based opponents follow in the Premier League, with West Ham United and Fulham on the horizon for Arteta and co.

When asked about Odegaard's performance, among other topics in his post-match press conference, Arteta said.

"Martin's got all the license in the world to go forward, and to play with that freedom and level of threat. Not only with the passes, but the way he was taking and carrying the ball, making runs, and arriving in really dangerous areas.

"It's so great to have him back, he played some very good minutes at Newcastle to help us to win the game, and I think today he was phenomenal."

Despite the win, Arsenal were dealt a blow when defender Gabriel Magalhaes was taken off after a collision with Arsenal goalkeeper Raya.

“I think he's going to be OK,” Arteta said. “He felt something, I think it was a kick, I'm not sure, in the first half, and he was a bit uncomfortable, and towards the second half he was there.

“He could carry on, but we decided not to take any risks because he's played a lot of games, he's coming from a long-term injury as well, and we need to look after him.”

See: Arsenal report and line-up

Dier's late penalty denies Man City a win after Haaland double

Monaco 2-2 Man City

Erling Haaland’s brace wasn’t enough for Manchester City to see off principality side Monaco, who secured a share of the spoils late on in a 2-2 draw.

The Norwegian striker has now scored 17 times in 10 games for club and country this season, and could have easily had a hat-trick in this game too.

After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Haaland opened the scoring with his very first touch, connecting with a clever pass from Josko Gvardiol to send him 1v1 in the Monaco penalty area.

That positive start was neutralised shortly after by a screamer from outside of the box by Jordan Teze, who left Gianluigi Donnarumma with no chance of saving it, to make it 1-1.

Pep Guardiola’s side shook off the equaliser and just before half-time, regained the lead when Haaland scored his second goal. He had just seven touches during the first half and two of them found the net.

On having such a low number of touches, Haaland said in a post-match interview: "I still think I'm involved in the game, doing movements and giving space to others. It's not just about touching the ball to be in the game, it's about making runs."

Haaland's 52nd goal on his 50th appearance in the competition meant that he has now outscored nine other clubs in their first 50 games, including the likes of Anderlecht, Celtic and Galatasaray.

Monaco v Man City highlights

From a midfield perspective, Rodri’s return allowed the likes of Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders to push on and support Haaland in the box. Reijnders tested Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn on multiple occasions and Foden even went on to hit the post before Haaland’s second goal.

During the game, Gvardiol as well as John Stones drifted inside to create midfield overloads and allow 1v1 opportunities for the likes of Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva. However, Adi Huter’s side were aggressive in their press out of possession and did well to restrict space.

The home team came out looking better at the start of the second period, albeit briefly with Guardiola’s side then taking back control with seemingly unending sequences of possession.

Reijnders came closest to scoring for the visitors in the second half, when his mazy run into the Monaco box resulted in a powerful strike that only hit the post.

He and his team-mates would come to rue that moment when late on in stoppage time, Nico Gonzalez was found to have fouled Eric Dier in the box with a high boot. After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded and it was expertly dispatched by the former Tottenham Hotspur defender, making the final score 2-2.

"It was a good game and we created a lot of chances," said Guardiola, in post-match quotes published on Man City's official website.

"Unfortunately at the end we conceded a penalty where we touched the ball first. But it is what it is. It’s a penalty, it’s given, that’s all. I didn’t see the stats, but I think we were much better than them.

"Sometimes you win, sometimes it’s not possible."

Guardiola will certainly hope it's possible when Man City have another away trip at the weekend, this time against Brentford in their next Premier League encounter.

See: Man City report and line-up

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