OLYMPIAC SPIRIT BROKEN

Martinelli and Saka on the mark to bookend nervy display at Emirates

- BY JOHN CROSS

THEY should have been out of sight long before Bukayo Saka's late clincher.

Instead, it was too much like hard work at the Emirates before they finally saw off Olympiacos to make it back-to-back wins.

Gabriel Martinelli got the early opener but they missed so many chances in what should have been a procession against pretty average opposition. And they had to wait until Saka’s late cameo and his injury-time goal to seal victory and settle any remaining nerves.

Mikel Arteta’s men should have had it won early enough to allow his players to put their feet up ahead of Saturday's London derby with West Ham.

Viktor Gyokeres, Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard were all guilty of missing gilt-edged chances to put the game to bed.

Because there are so many games in the league phase, the early fixtures lack any sort of jeopardy and therefore miss the intensity and excitement of a big European night.

There were plus sides in that Odegaard played his best game of the season so far and pulled the strings in midfield.