Bukayo Saka netted the decisive goal as Arsenal edged out Bodo/Glimt to record their 11th win of the 2022/23 campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit one point clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and Thursday night’s victory was their 11th in just 12 outings this term across all competitions.
This 1-0 win leaves them in full control of their Europa League group even though their rivals will have played a game more by the end of this midweek.
Arsenal won their first two games in Group A and Arteta went for a strong team against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Seven internationals were included in the starting XI. Saka, William Saliba, Ben White were among the players who started the game in Europe.
Bodo had won their last 14 home matches in European competition and Jose Mourinho’s Roma were famously humbled 6-1 at the 8,300-capacity Aspmyra Stadium last year.
But, inside the Arctic Circle and with swirling rain, Arsenal put on a professional display to maintain their winning start to Group A.
Saka was arguably the most surprising inclusion in the XI but it was the England winger who broke the deadlock before the interval.
It was one of the luckiest goals of his career, his initial effort hitting defender Marius Hoibraten, rebounding off Saka’s chest and into the back of the next.
The hosts had already lost captain Ulrik Saltnes through injury before Saka’s opener and then saw Amahl Pellegrino miss a fine chance to level.
The forward burst through on Matt Turner’s goal, latching onto a ball over the top but could only skew his shot high and wide.
Pellegrino had another chance early in the second half, this time forcing a low save out of Turner with Ola Solbakken firing just over moments later.
With the hosts now on top, Runar Espejord was the next Bodo player to pass up a fine opportunity, Arteta reacting with a double change as Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench.
Those alterations allowed Arsenal to wrestle back control of the contest, the rest of the game seen out with minimal fuss as the Gunners add another three points to their Europa League haul ahead of next Thursday’s clash with PSV Eindhoven.
Before then, the Gunners will travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
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