Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hailed Martin Ødegaard's 'decisive' contribution after the captain scored the late winner in a 1-0 Champions League victory at Napoli. Ødegaard's goal, his fourth in five games this season, came 15 minutes from time and secured Arsenal's winning start in the league phase. Arteta praised Ødegaard for impacting results, noting his importance as an attacking player. The Gunners dominated with 26 attempts on goal, a club record for an away Champions League match, though they were wasteful in front of goal.

Bukayo Saka missed a chance in the first half, and Mikel Merino's header was off target. Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret was replaced at halftime due to a thigh injury. Ødegaard said he didn't even see the ball go in, explaining that shooting from outside the box made sense against a deep-defending Napoli side. He compared his performance to his World Cup form, having provided four assists for Norway in their quarterfinal run in July.

Arteta emphasized the team's brilliance and belief that they should have scored more, but were satisfied to get the result. Information from PA and the Associated Press contributed to the report.