Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard scored in the 75th minute against Napoli to secure a 1-0 victory and all three points in the Champions League’s Matchday one.
The game was a cagey affair throughout, but in the end, the Gunners showed their quality and defensive resolve yet again.
Odegaard has hit red-hot goalscoring form, after netting four in the first five games so far this season.
Deserved result
“Fully deserved for the three points,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.
“I don’t know the amount of chances and situations we generated but the performance doesn’t reflect the result.
“It should have been much bigger – in a really tough environment, a really tough opponent. I think the team was superb.
“The way we competed, attitude, courage, the way we imposed ourselves on the game, the quality we showed to break them down, which is very difficult to do.”
“It was a shame because we missed so many big chances,” Arteta continued.
“That’s great that a lot of very different players got in those situations. Any other day the result [score] would be different.”
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Odegaard’s influence and impact
“Odegaard is a player in form,” Sky Sports‘ Nick Wright said in his analysis.
“That much was clear from early in this game. The Arsenal captain oozed class and confidence, demanding the ball then finding the gaps in Napoli’s defence and threading passes forward.
“Everything went through him.
“His goal, brilliantly taken from the edge of the box after a 29-pass build-up, proved crucial. He now has four in five games this season, a stunning turnaround having only managed one in 36 last term.
“Odegaard, uninhibited by injuries, looks a different player.”
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