Martin Odegaard continues to demonstrate why he is regarded as the heartbeat of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side, striking a decisive blow in Naples to hand the Gunners a 1-0 victory over Napoli in their opening Champions League fixture of the season.
The Norwegian captain, just 27, has begun this campaign in arguably the finest form of his career, a stark contrast to a previous season disrupted by knee and shoulder problems that limited him to 36 appearances across all competitions, with only a single goal and seven assists to show for it. Despite those setbacks, Arsenal still came agonisingly close to a historic double, claiming their first Premier League title in 24 years before falling to Paris St-Germain on penalties in the Champions League final.
Now fully fit, Odegaard has picked up where that campaign left off with renewed sharpness and confidence. He announced his early-season intentions with a moment of individual brilliance in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City, nutmegging goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before slotting the ball into an empty net during a 3-0 win in Cardiff. He followed that up with a goal in a 3-0 rout of Coventry City and then netted the winner in a 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea at the Emirates, latching onto a clever dummy from Kai Havertz before finishing past Emiliano Martinez.
His latest contribution came against a stubborn Napoli side set up defensively under veteran coach Max Allegri. Arsenal dominated proceedings throughout, racking up 26 shots on goal — their highest total in a single Champions League fixture since such records began in 2003-04, and also the most shots Napoli have faced in that period. Yet despite their overwhelming control, the breakthrough eluded them until Odegaard produced a moment of quality, curling home a stunning left-footed effort 15 minutes from time to seal the points.
Arteta praised his captain's growing influence and willingness to take responsibility in decisive moments.