Napoli – Arsenal 0-1: A Comprehensive Win in Our CL Opener

We got off the mark in the Champions League by beating Napoli away. A fixture you never consider a walk in the park, regardless of how strong or weak the Italian league is. The atmosphere alone always makes this a really, really difficult place to play. I remember in the 2014–15 season, we comprehensively beat them at home, only to face a completely different animal in the return fixture. They ended up winning that game.

Mikel made a few changes after the Chelsea game, with Eze, Merino, Gyökeres and Hincapié all coming into the starting XI. I was curious to see whether Timber would make the squad - apparently he travelled with the team - but he didn’t.

We started really confidently, dominating possession and making it clear to Napoli that trying to press us high wasn’t going to work in this game. The Italians got the message and resorted to trying to hit us on the counter whenever they could.

What struck me was the calmness with which the players operated on the pitch. There was no nervousness or real urgency to score as early as possible. It was as if they already knew the full-time score and the game was just a formality.

Was it this or something else? Either way, we did miss some clear-cut chances. You can’t really call Merino’s header a bad miss, but Saka definitely should have scored when he strolled past the defence with only the keeper to beat. That was probably the worst miss of the first half, although Hincapié made it look a little better with his miss at the start of the second half.

As the game went on, we kept increasing the tempo, and Bruno coming on for Merino only helped to intensify things. At one point, our passing down the right reminded me of the connection Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas had during the 2007–08 season. No wonder we eventually scored after another spell of quick passing, with Ødegaard putting the ball into the net. The goalkeeper got a little bit on it but couldn’t keep it out.

We didn't stop there and could have doubled the lead, but Madueke's composure wasn't at its best, which led to him missing a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Had he scored, the scenario and outcome of this game would have been a carbon copy of our Champions League opener away at Athletic Bilbao last season.

If you look at the expected goals (xG - Napoli 0.22, Arsenal 4.05), one might get worried about our failure to take our chances. But I think it’s too early to panic, as this is definitely not a tendency. Unlike last season, we’re much better at creating those chances.

Of course, I can’t not mention the form Ødegaard is in. It’s amazing, and with every game it becomes more evident that this is the version of him we badly missed last season.

But I hope no one gets carried away thinking this is how he’s going to play all season. There will be highs and lows - the campaign is long, after all - so hopefully Mikel finds a great way to manage his workload and keep him fit, while doing the same for the rest of the squad.

That's it for today. Talk to you after Sunderland away.