Arteta fumes at Arsenal trio despite Odegaard winner at Napoli

Arsenal preserved their perfect opening to the 2026-27 season by winning 1-0 away to Napoli in the Champions League, with captain Martin Odegaard settling a demanding contest in the 75th minute. The result was the Gunners’ fifth victory from five matches in all competitions and came after they had spent much of the evening pressing for a breakthrough in Italy.

Odegaard’s finish finally rewarded Arsenal for a performance in which they created repeated openings against a resilient Napoli defence. The visitors controlled large periods and produced enough clear chances to have put the match beyond reach before their captain delivered the decisive goal.

Mikel Arteta praised the level of his side’s display but was dissatisfied that the margin remained so narrow. He said Arsenal merited the points and had been excellent in their work to open Napoli up, while lamenting the number of major opportunities that went unfinished. In his view, the volume of chances meant the game should have been settled much earlier, even if the eventual result maintained the team’s winning start.

There was also a sharp reaction from Arteta during Napoli’s late push for an equaliser. The Arsenal manager was angered when Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Tzolis did not recover quickly enough as Napoli broke forward, leaving the technical area visibly frustrated during the counter-attack.

Arsenal nevertheless saw out the closing stages without conceding, adding a clean sheet to a valuable European away win. They will now turn back to Premier League business, travelling to Sunderland’s home ground this weekend with momentum firmly behind them.