Odegaard: Arsenal Should Have Scored Many More Against Napoli

Martin Odegaard believes Arsenal should have scored ‘many more goals’ after his stunning second-half strike secured a 1-0 Champions League victory over Napoli on Wednesday.

The Arsenal captain was named Player of the Match after producing the decisive moment in Naples, firing home from outside the box in the 75th minute to give Mikel Arteta’s side a winning start to their Champions League campaign.

‘We played brilliant football and should have scored many more goals, but we got there in the end,’ Odegaard told TNT Sports.

‘We did really well, created so many chances. We just missed the detail in the end, but we kept playing with the right mindset.’

The Norwegian midfielder admitted he did not even see the ball go into the net after unleashing his effort from distance.

‘I didn’t even see it go in. It was a good goal,’ he said. ‘With a low block, at some point it made sense to shoot from outside the box, and it went well and we did it.’

UEFA’s Technical Observer Group praised Odegaard’s influence, describing him as the ‘intelligent brain’ behind Arsenal’s attacking play.

With more than 100 passes, four chances created and the winning goal, Odegaard was judged to have made the difference in a match Arsenal largely controlled.

Arteta was equally pleased with his captain’s growing contribution in front of goal.

‘All of them, and certainly Martin, are contributing with goals that are always impacting results, which is what we want from our attacking players, being decisive,’ Arteta said.

‘And that is what he was again today.’

The goal also continued Odegaard’s impressive start to the season, with the Arsenal captain now having scored four goals in just five appearances across all competitions.