Martin Odegaard continued his excellent start to the season as the Arsenal captain came to his side’s rescue against Napoli in Naples.
The Gunners struggled with poor finishing and appeared to be on course for a disappointing draw in their opening match of the Champions League after last season’s final loss.
Yet, Odegaard had Arsenal’s 1,500 away supporters cheering after an excellent strike from outside the area his fourth goal in five matches, including the Community Shield.
Mikel Arteta’s team, aiming to advance further in the tournament than last year, squandered three excellent opportunities to capitalize on last season’s Serie A second-place finish before Odegaard found the net.
Mikel Merino had a fantastic opportunity to score in his first club start since January, but the Spain midfielder directed his header right at goalkeeper Alex Meret in the middle of the first half.
Bukayo Saka appeared ready to score first but sent his shot over the bar, while Piero Hincapie fired over from within the six-yard box.
The Gunners faced a few scares, particularly when David Raya fumbled a shot from outside the area by Kevin de Bruyne, who won the Champions League with Manchester City in 2023.
Nevertheless, Ben White was the fastest to respond and cleared the ball before the home team could capitalize.
