Ademola Lookman Reflects on Atalanta’s Champions League Draw Against Arsenal
Bergamo, Italy — Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has shared his thoughts following his team’s goalless draw against Arsenal in their UEFA Champions League opener at the Gewiss Stadium on Thursday night. The hard-fought match saw both sides unable to break the deadlock, despite Atalanta missing a key opportunity to secure the win.
The Italian Serie A club had a chance to go ahead early in the second half when referee Clément Turpin awarded them a penalty after Thomas Partey fouled Ederson in the box. Mateo Retegui stepped up to take the spot kick, but Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya produced a stunning save, denying both the penalty and Retegui’s follow-up attempt.
Speaking after the match, Lookman expressed pride in his team’s performance against one of Europe’s elite sides. “We had a good game and we were very close to the victory tonight,” Lookman told the club’s YouTube channel. “It was a tough match, but we are strong in every department. So, good signs.”
He went on to praise Arsenal, acknowledging the quality of the Premier League side. “Arsenal is a tough team, probably one of the top teams in the Champions League. With our performance tonight, we showed the capacity and ability to come up against such a big team and compete, which is good. We showed that tonight, so we move forward,” he added.
Lookman, who played a pivotal role in Atalanta’s qualification for this season’s Champions League by scoring a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, has now made two appearances in the competition. However, he is yet to open his scoring account in Europe’s premier club tournament.
Lookman’s next chance to find the back of the net in the Champions League will come on October 2, when Atalanta face Shakhtar Donetsk.
