Football: Soccer-Martinelli and Jesus steer Arsenal to 2-1 win at Sevilla

SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) -Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus scored either side of halftime as Arsenal completed a 2-1 Champions League victory at Sevilla on Tuesday, a hard-fought win that takes them to the top of Group B at the midway point of the pool stage.

Martinelli raced clear from his own half to score the opener four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first period as he completed a lightning break, before Jesus added a second goal shortly after halftime.

Sevilla offered little in the first half and were much improved after the break as they pulled a goal back when Nemanja Gudelj headed home, but the equaliser they so desperately sought eluded them despite some near misses.

Arsenal top the group with six points from their three games. Lens are in second place with five points, followed by Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven with two each.

Mikel Arteta’s side never had complete control of the contest despite taking a 2-0 lead, and it will be some relief for him to leave with the three points.

Martinelli had a superb chance to give Arsenal an early lead when he was put through on goal but his shot was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.

It was a warning to the home side that they did not heed, and Martinelli made sure second time around when another chance presented itself just before the break.

He raced clear from Jesus’s clever pass and this time rounded the goalkeeper before scoring.

Sevilla had two chances in the opening half when Lucas Ocampos poked wide from Jesus Navas’s cross and Youssef En Nesyri pulled his shot across goal and off target when well placed.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard fired over the bar early in the second period but the London side did manage a second goal on 53 minutes.

Jesus curled in a shot from a narrow angle to keep up his record of having scored in every Champions League group game so far this season.

The visitors needed that insurance goal too as Sevilla pulled one back five minutes later when Gudelj headed home from a corner.

The home side had several chances to score again but some scrambling defence and a late miss from Ocampos allowed Arsenal to hold on.

(Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Christian Radnedge and Clare Fallon)