Martin Ødegaard produced a captain‘s performance to remember on Wednesday night, firing Arsenal to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Napoli in their Champions League opener.
Martin Odegaard fires Arsenal past Napoli in Champions League opener
Ødegaard’s Late Strike Gives Arsenal Winning Start in Naples
The Norwegian playmaker struck 15 minutes from time, curling a precise effort from the edge of the box that clipped the inside of the post on its way in.
The goal secured all three points for the Gunners, who had dominated proceedings but struggled to convert their chances.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised his skipper’s contribution, highlighting the importance of the goal.
“Certainly Martin is contributing with goals that are impacting results, which is what we want from our attacking players,” Arteta told TNT Sports.
“Being decisive and certainly he was again today.”
The victory came on a night when Arsenal registered a club-record 26 shots in an away Champions League fixture.
Despite the barrage, the visitors looked set for frustration after Bukayo Saka missed a clear opening and Mikel Merino headed too close to Napoli’s goalkeeper, Alex Meret.
Ødegaard’s strike was his fourth goal in five games this season, a remarkable turnaround for a player who managed just one goal in 36 appearances last term due to injury.
The 25-year-old credited his instinct for the winner, admitting he didn’t even see the ball go in. “At some point, it made sense to shoot from outside the box,” he said, noting Napoli’s deep defending.
The win gives Arsenal a vital winning start in the new league phase format as they aim to improve on last season’s final defeat.
“We played brilliant football and should have scored many more goals, but we got there in the end,” Ødegaard added.
