Arsenal Maintains Perfect Start with Narrow Win in Naples

Arsenal kept their perfect start to the 2026-27 season alive with a gritty, narrow win in Naples – a 1-0 scoreline that barely scratched the surface of their dominance.

Martin Odegaard delivered the decisive moment in the 75th minute, finally snapping a tense deadlock after Arsenal had spent most of the night dictating the game on Italian soil. One swing of the captain’s left foot turned control into points, silencing a restless home crowd and rewarding a performance that had threatened to overwhelm Napoli long before the goal arrived.

Arsenal carved Napoli open time and again. They moved the ball with authority, pinned the hosts back, and repeatedly found gaps in a defence that spent long stretches clinging on. The chances came in waves. The finish did not.

That wastefulness nagged at Mikel Arteta, even as the final whistle confirmed a fifth win from five to open the campaign and another statement that Arsenal intend to be serious players in this season’s Champions League.

“We fully deserved the three points,” Arteta told TNT Sports. “The performance probably doesn’t reflect the result, the team was superb. We showed quality in a lot of moments to break them down and it was a shame because we missed so many great chances.”

The pressure finally told when Odegaard stepped up. With Napoli tiring and space beginning to appear between their lines, the Norwegian found the decisive pocket, applied the finish, and briefly released the tension that had been building on the Arsenal bench.

Arteta’s satisfaction, though, came laced with irritation. He knew this should have been settled long before the 75th minute.

“On any other day the result would be different,” he said. “We should have done it in a different way because of the amount of chances we created but we got the win in the end.”

That edge was visible in the closing stages. As Napoli launched a rare late counter-attack, the Arsenal manager exploded on the touchline. Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis failed to sprint back into position, and Arteta’s mood flipped from controlled intensity to open fury.

According to TNT Sports co-commentator Lucy Ward, he was “absolutely raging” as the trio laboured back towards their own half instead of snapping into recovery runs. It was a brief passage of play that cut through the glow of victory and underlined the standards he expects, even with a lead to protect and a perfect record intact.

Five games, five wins, and a 1-0 away victory at a traditionally hostile venue would satisfy most managers. Arteta walked away with three points and a clear message: this Arsenal side might be winning, but he wants them ruthless, not just relentless.