Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal: Saka scores lone goal as Gunners claim victory in Norway

Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal as Arsenal edged past Bodo/Glimt to record their 11th win of the 2022/23 campaign.

Mikel Arteta's side are a point clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and Thursday night's win was their 11th in just 12 outings this season in all competitions.

The 1-0 win leaves them in full control of their Europa League group even though their rivals will have played one more game by the end of this midweek.

Arsenal won their opening two games in Group A and Arteta opted for a strong side against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.

Seven internationals have been 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 went down 6-1 at the 8,300 capacity Aspmyra Stadium last year.

But, inside the Arctic Circle and in the pouring rain, Arsenal put on a professional display to maintain their winning start in Group A.

Saka was arguably the most surprising inclusion in the XI, but it was the England winger who broke the deadlock before the break.

It was one of the luckiest goals of his career, his first effort hitting defender Marius Hoibraten, bouncing off Saka's chest and into the back of the next.

The hosts had already lost captain Ulrik Saltnes to injury before Saka's opener and then saw Amahl Pellegrino miss a great chance to equalize.

The striker burst into 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 Turner into a low save with Ola Solbakken firing a bit later.

With the hosts now on top, Runar Espejord was Bodo's next player to let a great opportunity slip away, with Arteta reacting with a double change as Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench.

These changes allowed Arsenal to regain control of the competition, with the rest of the game played out with minimal fuss as the Gunners add three more points to their Europa League run ahead of next Thursday's clash with PSV Eindhoven.

Before that, the Gunners travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.

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