Arsenal Secures Gritty 1-0 Win Over Napoli in Champions League
Arsenal kept their perfect start to the 2026-27 season alive with a gritty, deserved 1-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League – but Mikel Arteta walked away thinking it should have been far more comfortable.
In the end, it took their captain to settle it. Martin Odegaard, the calmest man in the stadium, finally pierced Napoli’s resistance in the 75th minute, steering home the winner after wave upon wave of Arsenal pressure in Italy.
Odegaard breaks a stubborn Napoli
From the first whistle, Arsenal looked like a side intent on making a statement in Europe. They controlled the ball, dictated the tempo and repeatedly carved Napoli open. The hosts clung on, bodies flying in front of shots, last-ditch tackles piling up as the minutes ticked by.
The chances kept coming. The finish did not. For long stretches, that was the story.
Arsenal’s forwards found space between the lines, their full-backs pushed high, and Napoli’s defence retreated deeper and deeper. Yet the scoreboard refused to budge. It took Odegaard, drifting into the right pocket of space and striking with trademark precision, to finally tilt the contest.
The goal reflected the pattern of the night: Arsenal patient, probing, then punishing.
The result means Arteta’s side have now won all five of their opening games this season, a flawless run that is beginning to look less like a hot streak and more like the profile of serious European contenders.
Arteta delighted – and furious
Arteta’s reaction at full-time told its own story. Satisfaction, certainly. But also irritation.
"We fully deserved the three points," he told TNT Sports. "The performance probably doesn’t reflect the result, the team was superb. We showed quality in a lot of moments to break them down and it was a shame because we missed so many great chances."
He did not hide his belief that Arsenal should have put Napoli away long before Odegaard’s strike.
"On any other day the result would be different. We should have done it in a different way because of the amount of chances we created but we got the win in the end," he added.
That edge carried into the closing stages. As Arsenal tried to see the game out, a sloppy attacking move broke down and Napoli sprang forward on the counter. What followed lit the touchpaper on the touchline.
Havertz, Madueke and Tzolis all failed to track back with the urgency the situation demanded, leaving Arsenal exposed. Arteta’s response was immediate and visceral.
According to TNT Sports co-commentator Lucy Ward, the Spaniard was "absolutely raging" as the trio jogged back towards their own goal rather than sprinting to recover their positions. From the technical area, he cut an animated, furious figure, demanding the same intensity off the ball as on it.
It was a flash of anger that underlined his standards. Five wins from five, a statement victory in Europe, and still the message is clear: this Arsenal side is winning, but it has to be ruthless.
