Arsenal began their UEFA Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Napoli in Naples on Wednesday, with captain Martin Ødegaard scoring the decisive goal in the 75th minute.
The Gunners dominated much of the contest but were wasteful in front of goal before Ødegaard finally broke the deadlock with an excellent finish from outside the box at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The victory marks a strong start for Mikel Arteta’s side in the Champions League after Arsenal’s agonising defeat in last season’s final.
Arsenal had several opportunities to take the lead before the interval. Mikel Merino headed straight at Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, while Bukayo Saka fired over after finding himself in a promising position.
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Piero Hincapie also missed a golden opportunity from close range, blazing over the bar when it appeared easier to score.
Napoli threatened at times, with David Raya forced into action after spilling a long-range effort from Kevin De Bruyne. Ben White reacted quickest to clear the danger.
Arsenal eventually found the breakthrough following an impressive 29-pass move, with Ødegaard producing a composed finish to give the visitors the lead.
The goal was the Arsenal captain’s fourth in five games, underlining his excellent start to the season.
Arsenal finished the match with 26 attempts, their highest total in a Champions League game since the beginning of last season.
Ødegaard was subsequently named player of the match, receiving a BBC Sport rating of 8.41, while Arsenal’s defensive unit helped secure another clean sheet.
The result gives Arsenal three valuable points as they begin their latest Champions League campaign with an impressive away victory against last season’s Serie A runners-up.
