Arsenal Win at Napoli in Champions League Opener, Odegaard's Decisive Strike Earns High Praise from Manager
In the first match of the Champions League group stage, Arsenal defeated Napoli 1-0 away with a decisive goal from Martin Odegaard. Manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the Norwegian midfielder, calling him "the match-winner." The Gunners' goal this season is to make up for the disappointment of losing in last season's Champions League final, but they were once in a tough battle due to wasting chances. However, Odegaard continued his hot start to the season, unleashing a fierce shot from the edge of the box about 15 minutes before the end, which hit the post and went in, securing the opening win for the team. This was his fourth goal in five matches including the Community Shield, highlighting his significantly improved form. Arteta said in an interview: "Undoubtedly, Martin's goal changed the course of the game, which is exactly what we expect from our attacking core, and he delivered again today."
Looking back, Odegaard had won the Premier League title in May, but that season he was hampered by injuries, scoring only one goal in 36 appearances across all competitions. In Wednesday's match, he seemed to return to his peak form during the World Cup—as Norway's captain, he led the team to the World Cup quarter-finals in July, providing four assists. Speaking of the winning moment, Odegaard revealed: "I didn't even see the ball go in," and added that because Napoli's defense was packed, "at that stage, it was reasonable to shoot from outside the box."
Arsenal urgently needed this goal that night, as they had 26 shots in total, setting a club record for away shots in the Champions League. In the attack, Bukayo Saka missed a great chance in the first half, and Mikel Merino had a close-range header but lacked accuracy, which was saved by Napoli's starting goalkeeper Alex Meret, who was later substituted at half-time due to a thigh injury. Odegaard concluded: "We played beautiful football and should have scored more goals, but in the end we achieved our goal."