Arsenal kicked off their Champions League campaign with an away victory. In the first round of the tournament, Mikel Arteta's side defeated Italian outfit Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
The match was a tightly contested affair. Under the guidance of Massimiliano Allegri, Napoli predictably opted for a solid defensive strategy, creating hardly any threatening moments despite having seasoned players like Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund in their ranks. Arsenal kept hold of the ball but struggled to get past Napoli's keeper Alex Meret. In the first half, Bukayo Saka and Victor Dyekerech missed outstanding opportunities to score.
After the break, the Gunners continued to probe and unsettle their opponents' defence. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 80th minute. Following an excellent move down the right flank involving Declan Rice, Ben White, and substitute Christos Tsolis, the ball found its way to Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain unleashed a superb shot from the edge of the box that the keeper could only touch before it hit the post and found the back of the net.
In stoppage time, Kai Havertz, who came on for Dyekerech, almost doubled Arsenal's lead after a follow-up, only for his goal to be disallowed for offside. The match finished with a well-deserved 1-0 victory for the London club, giving Arsenal a strong start to their European campaign.
