Ødegaard stuns Napoli as Arsenal make winning start in Champions League
Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Napoli in their Champions League opener thanks to a late goal from Martin Ødegaard. Despite travel delays and a lackluster performance, manager Mikel Arteta praised the team's resilience and Ødegaard's growing influence.
Why it matters
Arsenal is looking to build on their previous Champions League success, and early wins in the group stage are critical for tournament progression.
Martin Ødegaard (right) wheels away alongside Bruno Guimarães after scoring the winner. Martin Ødegaard (right) wheels away alongside Bruno Guimarães after scoring the winner. Champions League Ødegaard ‘edge’ delights Arteta as Arsenal secure narrow win at Napoli Ed Aarons at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Wed 9 Sep 2026 17.02 EDT Last modified on Thu 10 Sep 2026 04.15 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google After their record-breaking feats last year in the Champions League , Arsenal are at it again. But having been delayed along with hundreds of travelling supporters by travel chaos on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta’s side had to bide their time against Napoli until Martin Ødegaard continued his rich vein of goalscoring with the crucial strike 15 minutes from full time.
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