Arsenal defeats Napoli 1-0 in Champions League group stage opener

Arsenal opened its 2026-27 Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 9. Martin Odegaard provided the decisive moment, forcing a save from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic that led to the game's only goal. Despite Arsenal recording 25 total attempts on goal and controlling possession, manager Mikel Arteta noted that Napoli remained a difficult opponent throughout the match. The Gunners carry momentum into the tournament following a successful run in the previous season and a perfect start to their domestic campaign. Arteta praised his team’s patience and defensive work rate, which helped maintain a clean sheet in the hostile environment. Arsenal continues to emphasize defensive discipline as a core component of its strategy.

• 9:35 PMYahoo Sports — Arteta: ‘Arsenal deserved more than 1-0 victory, but Napoli made it difficult’