Martin Odegaard’s impressive start to the season continued as the Arsenal captain produced the decisive moment to secure victory over Napoli in Naples.
The Gunners had been wasteful in front of goal and appeared destined for a frustrating draw in their first Champions League match since their agonising defeat in last season’s final.
But Odegaard finally broke the deadlock with an excellent finish from outside the box, sending Arsenal’s 1,500 travelling supporters into celebration. It was his fourth goal in five games, including the Community Shield.
Martin Odegaard gives Arsenal a crucial win
Piero Hincapie dropped to his knees and punched the ground in relief after the final whistle as Arsenal secured an important victory in Italy.
Mikel Arteta’s side had already missed three excellent opportunities to punish last season’s Serie A runners-up before Odegaard found the breakthrough.
Mikel Merino had the first major chance when he was presented with an opportunity to mark his first club start since January. However, the Spain midfielder headed directly at Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret midway through the opening half.
Bukayo Saka then appeared set to open the scoring but lifted his effort over the crossbar before Hincapie also missed from close range when he fired over from inside the six-yard box.
Arsenal dominates Napoli with 26 attempts
Despite their missed opportunities, Arsenal eventually found the goal they needed. There were 29 passes in the build-up to Odegaard’s winner, making it their second-most passes for a Champions League goal since records began in 2003-04.
Only Lucas Perez’s second goal against Basel in December 2016 involved more passes, with 33 in the build-up.
Arsenal also recorded 26 attempts during the match, their highest total in a single Champions League game since the beginning of last season.
The victory means Arteta’s side have made a winning start to this Champions League campaign after winning all eight group-stage matches on their way to last season’s final.
Arsenal survive scares to beat Napoli
The Gunners were not completely untroubled, with the hosts creating a couple of worrying moments. One of the most notable came when David Raya spilled a shot from outside the box by Kevin de Bruyne, the Manchester City midfielder who won the Champions League in 2023.
Ben White reacted quickest to the danger and cleared the loose ball before Napoli could take advantage.
Arsenal ultimately held on to claim a fine victory in Italy, with Odegaard’s decisive strike making the difference after Arteta’s side had struggled to convert several earlier chances.