Europa League: Group A

BODO/GLIMT 0
ARSENAL 1 (Saka 24)

ARSENAL moved within one win of booking their place in the Europa League knockout stage tonight (Thursday) with a fortunate 1-0 victory over Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.

A scrappy slice of Bukayo Saka luck settled matters in northern Norway as the Gunners eked out the result they needed to maintain their 100 per cent start in Group A.

Far from heaping praise on his match-winner, however, Mikel Arteta called for Saka to keep on improving. The Arsenal boss said: “He had moments in the game where he was really good and then moments he can improve and demand more of himself, especially defensively.

“There were moments where we allowed their left full-back to progress the play and break our press too easily. There a lot of things to improve.”

This fixture in the northern fishing city – Arsenal’s first-ever game inside the Arctic Circle – was fraught with danger. While the icy temperatures stayed above zero, Arteta’s much-changed side still had to adapt to playing on an artificial surface.

They also had to do battle with a Bodo team spurred on by a boisterous crowd and brimming with confidence having won their last 14 home games in Europe.

Having made seven changes from the line-up that beat Liverpool at the weekend, Arteta was delighted with the winning mentality that still existed within his team.

He said: “That is the mentality that we are building. Today there were moments where we had to suffer and we lost too many duels in the middle of the park, but the way the boys are trying and their hunger to win is there and you can notice that.

“I’m really happy with the win against a team that has won the last 14 games here at home. We were expecting a really tough night here and we made a lot of changes again but I’m delighted to find a way to win. To do that under any circumstances is a real positive for me and the team.”

It was going to take something special to break the deadlock – or, as it turned out, something very fortunate.

Midway through the first half Saka, buoyed by his brace in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Sunday, played a smart one-two with Albert Sambi Lokonga to work an opening on goal. The England winger’s initial shot was well blocked, but the ball ricocheted back off the Arsenal man’s chin and bounced past the helpless goalkeeper.

Within minutes Amahl Pellegrino was presented with a golden opportunity to draw the hosts level. Suddenly finding himself through on goal, the Norwegian top-flight’s top goalscorer made a hash of his big chance as his attempt to curl the ball around Matt Turner ended up closer to the corner flag than the back of the net.

Pellegrino produced a much better effort early in the second half when he forced Turner into a fine one-handed save, while strike partner Runar Espejord also went close with a shot that sailed inches over the bar.

In the end it was the classic 1-0 to the Arsenal – a result that leaves the north Londoners top of their group ahead of their rearranged match with PSV Eindhoven on Thursday at the Emirates Stadium, when a win will guarantee the Gunners progression into the last 32.

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Sampsted, Lode, Hoibraten (Moe, 89), Wembangomo, Vetlesen, Berg, Saltnes (Gronbaek, 12), Solbakken, Espejord (Salvasen, 76), Pellegrino (Mvuka, 89)
Substitutes not used: Lund, Larsen, Amundsen, Konradsen, Moe, Hagen, Sorli, Zugelj

Arsenal: Turner, White (Tomiyasu, 70), Holding, Saliba, Tierney, Lokonga (Partey, 84), Vieira, Odegaard (Marquinhos, 70), Saka (Xhaka, 59), Nelson (Martinelli, 59), Nketiah
Substitutes not used: Ramsdale, Hein, Cedric, Ibrahim, Gabriel, Smith, Edwards