Ødegaard Saves the Day as Arsenal Squander Chances Against Napoli

Arsenal kicked off their road to Madrid with a narrow 1–0 win over Napoli on Wednesday, as skipper Martin Ødegaard rescued a wasteful Gunners side at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Arsenal's trajectory in this competition has been consistently upward since their return to Europe's elite stage in 2023. Having secured Premier League glory last season, Mikel Arteta's men are hungry to conquer the continent, and despite being profligate in front of goal, this was a performance full of composure and control.

The Gunners dominated proceedings from the first whistle, with Napoli's attacking threat diminishing as the game progressed. Massimiliano Allegri's men could only sporadically escape Arsenal's stranglehold and venture into dangerous areas, while David Raya enjoyed another uneventful evening in goal.

Though it took the visitors 75 minutes to find the breakthrough, their relentless pressing made a decisive moment feel unavoidable. It was the in-form captain, Ødegaard, who delivered the killer blow, smashing a shot off the inside of the post from just inside the Napoli penalty area.

While Napoli fashioned one golden opportunity late on, any result other than an Arsenal win would have been a travesty. Mikel Arteta is well aware of how crucial a strong league phase showing is, and with a demanding fixture list ahead, securing all three points here was non-negotiable.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Arsenal must have thought they'd finally shaken off their old nemesis. A wave of relief swept through North London when Kevin De Bruyne chose a fresh challenge in 2025, leaving grey Manchester behind for the sun-soaked Campania region.

The Belgian endured a largely injury-disrupted debut season under Antonio Conte in Naples, and heading into Wednesday's fixture, had featured just three times from the bench to open Napoli's 2026–27 campaign.

Gazzetta dello Sport had written about Allegri's mission to "restore his champion to his best" ahead of Arsenal's arrival, and the shrewd Italian tactician may well have seen the Gunners as the perfect catalyst to spark De Bruyne's second year at the Maradona.

The 35-year-old has netted more goals against the Premier League champions (eight) than against any other side in his career. Arsenal fans endured years of suffering when De Bruyne wore sky blue, but did they have genuine cause to fear this version of the Belgian?

There were fleeting glimpses of the De Bruyne of old in the early stages. A thunderous long-range effort tested Raya, and he nearly got Eberechi Eze cautioned after turning sharply on the half-turn. But the veteran playmaker's influence quickly evaporated.

The second half made for difficult viewing. With his sharpness visibly fading, De Bruyne could no longer burst past recovering defenders or even complete the most routine of passes. A wayward ball out to the right just after the hour that sailed hopelessly over Matteo Politano summed up the Belgian's waning impact.

Instead, a different playmaker took centre stage.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Napoli (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—7.4: Raya was called upon intermittently, and the Spaniard was well-positioned to deal with Napoli's crosses and efforts from distance.

RB: Ben White—7.7: White handled the lively Alisson Santos effectively, with the Brazilian getting past the English full-back only once or twice. Consistently dangerous when pushing forward on the overlap.

CB: Ezri Konsa—7.6: The summer signing has integrated smoothly into Arsenal's backline. Konsa was rarely troubled throughout.

CB: Gabriel—7.8: He had a solid duel with former Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund, who has noticeably developed his hold-up play since moving to Italy. Even so, Gabriel came out on top against Napoli's centre forward.

LB: Piero Hincapié—7.3: Arsenal carved out plenty of openings in Naples, and Hincapié was among those who squandered a clear-cut chance. The Gunners do miss a degree of attacking balance and creativity when Riccardo Calafiori is absent.

CM: Declan Rice—7.4: Rice appeared heavy-legged at times in defensive transition and didn't make a huge impression in and around the penalty area. A solid if unspectacular outing from the midfielder.

CM: Mikel Merino—7.2: It's been a while since we've seen Merino deployed in a deeper midfield position, and he spent much of the match attempting to arrive late into the box. The Spaniard, typically so composed, headed a gilt-edged opportunity straight at Alex Meret in the first half.

RW: Bukayo Saka—7.4: This wasn't Saka's finest evening. The threat was ever-present, but the winger was frustratingly careless when it mattered most in the final third.

AM: Martin Ødegaard—9.0: He probed patiently for over 70 minutes before deciding to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Ødegaard fired Arsenal into a well-deserved lead with 15 minutes remaining and was the driving force behind the Gunners' display in Naples.

LW: Eberechi Eze—6.8: With Arsenal again dominant down the right, Eze saw limited involvement. The Englishman was too hasty when chances did fall his way.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—7.1: On a night when Arsenal created so much, Gyökeres curiously failed to get a sniff of goal. For a striker of his supposed calibre, his movement and instincts inside the box continue to raise questions.

SUB: Bruno Guimarães (66' for Merino)—6.6: Helped Arsenal find openings through the middle of the pitch.

SUB: Christos Tzolis (66' for Eze)—7.3: Another assist for Tzolis, this time coming off the bench. The man simply delivers.

SUB: Kai Havertz (73' for Gyökeres)—6.3: Didn't make a huge impact, but played Noni Madueke in on the break in what should have resulted in a second goal.

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (82' for White)—N/A

SUB: Noni Madueke (82' for Saka)—6.7: Missed a one-on-one opportunity after coming on as a substitute.

Subs not used: Illan Meslier (GK), Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Marli Salmon, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Max Dowman.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal's Patient Victory