Match report: Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal
Europa League: “Arsenal survived their trip to Norway’s far north, but only after skating on thin ice,” writers Nick Ames from Bodo. “They would have been limited to a point had Bodo/Glimt crowned a dominant second-half display with the goal it merited, but instead they left one of the continent’s most formidable venues with all three.”
From Nick Ames, our man in Bodo …
Dictionary definition of "doing enough" from Arsenal. Very easy to see why Bodø/Glimt have such a fine record here, they're a very slick side and should have drawn. What a lovely atmosphere this was for football, too – passionate and melodious.
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) October 13, 2022
Full time: Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over in the Arctic Circle, where Arsenal have won a fairly dreary contest courtesy of Bukayo Saka’s first-half effort. Bodo/Glimt squandered a couple of good chances but were unable to prevent Arsenal from grinding out the win and getting the job done. They stretch their lead at the top of Group A to five points over PSV Eindhoven, who have a game in hand. They play Zurich later tonight.
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90+3 min: Wembangomo earns a late, late corner off Marquinhos. Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikita Halkin comes up to loiter in the Arsenal penalty area. Nothing comes of the set piece. And that’s game over …
90+2 min: In an effort to waste time, Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner dawdles over a goal-kick, earning jeers from the home crowd behind his goal and a yellow card from the referee.
89 min: Bodo/Glimt substitution: Joel Mvuka on for Amahl Pellegrino, who has missed two decent chances for the hosts this evening.
87 min: An aerial collision between Marquinhos and Brice Wembangomo leaves both players on the deck feeling sorry for themselves but they’re quickly back on their feet.
85 min: Arsenal concede a corner and Albert Sambi Lokonga makes way for Thomas Partey. An Alfons Sampted cross is intercepted and Arsenal clear their lines.
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83 min: There’s a half-hearted Bodo/Glimt shout for a penalty for handball but nothing comes of it.
79 min: After several minutes of … nothing, Martinelli plays the ball wide to Nketiah on the left. He canters upfield and sends in a cross, which is intercepted. While Arsenal won’t care a jot, this is a diabolically bad game of football. As things stand, they’re set fair to end Bodo/Glimt’s 14-match home winning streak in European competition.
75 min: Vetlesen is bodychecked by Holding and goes to ground, winning his side a free-kick halfway inside the Arsenal half. Nothing comes of it.
73 min: A through ball from Solbakken into space behind the Arsenal defence for Hugo Vetlesen is just out of the No10’s reach. He stretches a leg, is unable to control the ball and another good chance goes to waste for Bodo/Glimte.
70 min: Arsenal double-substitution: Marquinhos and Takehiro Tomiyasu on for Martin Odegaard and Ben White. Arsenal substitution I missed 10 minutes ago: Granit Xhaka on for Bukayo Saka.
68 min: Bodo/Glimt sling a cross from the right towards the far post, where Ben White leaps to head clear for Arsenal.
64 min: Odegaard tries to slip the ball in behind the Bodo/GLimt defence to Nketiah but Marius Holbraten makes a crucial interception. The home side breaks upfield with Hugo Vetlesen on the ball but his through ball to Solbakken is too weighty. Matt Turner to the rescue for Arsenal again. The American goalkeeper hasn’t had to make too many saves but is being kept busy.
62 min: Matt Turner is quick out of his penalty area to head a Pellegrino ball from deep clear under pressure from Runar Espejord. Bodo/Glimt are looking dangerous … without looking particularly dangerous.
60 min: Arsenal substitution: Gabriel Martinelli on for Reiss Nelson.
58 min: Oh dear. With the goal at his mercy, Runar Espejord blazes the ball over the bar from about eight yards out as he connects with a cross from the right. That’s a shocking miss.
56 min: Oof! Bodo/Glimt go close. Solbakken finds himself with the ball at his feet on the right side of the Arsenal penalty area. He cuts inside, finds a yard in which to fashion a shot and sends a curled left-footed effort narrowly wide.
54 min: Tierney plays a ball over the top from deep, trying to pick out Nelson. He wins a corner for Arsenal but nothing comes from it. His delivery is deep to the far post but there’s nobody knocking around in that general vicinity to send it back across the face of goal.
51 min: Bodo/Glimt win the ball in midfield, break upfield and Pellegrino shoots straight at Matt Turner when he had two options, including Solbakken, inside to his right. If he’d squared the ball, there was a tap-in for the taking.
49 min: Ola Solbakken links up with Albert Gronbaer down the inside right but the substitute’s cross into the Arsenal penalty area is blocked.
48 min: Reiss Nelson tries to curl a shot from distance inside the far post but his shot is wayward. Wide as a ditch.
47 min: Runar Espejord embarks on a promising run towards the Arsenal penalty area, makes it to the edge but then treads on the ball accidentally and loses it. A vaguely promising attack for Bodo/Glimt breaks down.
Second half: Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal
46 min: Arsenal get the ball rolling in the second half, with no more changes in personnel on either side. A reminder: Bodo/Glimt took a gamble on their captain Ulrik Saltnes but lost him to injury early doors.
Half-time: Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal
Peep! Our two teams troop off for their half-time refreshments after a first half that won’t live too long in the memory of anyone who saw it. Arsenal lead courtesy of a Bukayo Saka shot that was saved but ended up being deflected in off himself. Their Norwegian hosts look far from out of this game and have missed a couple of half-decent chances.
45 min: Saka tries to send a cross into the home side’s penalty area from the right but it’s intercepted.
44 min: Saka advances down the inside right but is unable to pick out Eddie Nketiah with his cross.
42 min: Arsenal goalkeeeper Matt Turner is quick out of his goal and penalty area to clear a long ball over the top before Runar Espejord can get to it first.
41 min: Arsenal corner. Lode clears at the near post and it’s another set-piece. Bodo\Glimt break upfield but Rob Holding is on hand to put a stop to their gallop.
39 min: Arsenal lead but are far from in total control of this game. Runar Espejord sticks a leg out to try to poke a dink over the top of the Arsenal defence past Matt Turner but the goalkeeper is first to the ball.
35 min: Kieran Tierney hoists a cross from the left into the Bodo/Glimt penalty area. It’s a mite too close to the goal and bounces harmlessly wide.
33 min: Arsenal win a corner, the ball going out of play off Alfons Sampsted. Reiss Nelson plays the ball short to Martin Odegaard, he moves it on and eventually the ball ends up out of harm’s way at the feet of Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Halkin.
31 min: Bukayo Saka drags Bodo/Glimt left-back Brice Wembangomo to ground and is booked.
29 min: A chance for Bodo/Glimt. AMahl Pellegrino is played in behind by a long ball from deep and finds himself in behind the Arsenal defence. With only Matt Turner to beat, he tries to curl the ball inside the far post but clips his effort well wide.
27 min: Saka tries to drill the ball across the face of the Bodo/Glimt goal but it’s intercepted and put out for a corner by right-back Alfonso Sampsted. The ball is sent into the mixer from the corner flag but after a spot of penalty box pinball, Marius Holbraten hacks it clear.
GOAL! Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal (Saka 24)
Bukayo Saka gives Arsenal the lead. He cuts inside from the right touchline, plays a give and go with Lokonga and shoots from a tight angle. Bodo keeper Nikita Halkin saves but the ball rebounds off Saka’s chest and sneaks in.
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21 min: Albert Gronbaek tries to play Runar Espjord in behind the Arsenal defence and his team-mate beats the offside trap. There’s a bit too much welly on the pass and Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner is quick off his line and out of his area to clear.
20 min: Ola Solbakken chests down a pass from midfield on the touchline and sends the ball into the Arsenal penalty area. It’s cleared.
17 min: Arsenal are dominating possession but creating little or nothing in the way of goalscoring opportunities. Nothing is happening.
12 min: Bodo/Glimt have been forced into an early change. Their skipper, Ulrik Saltnes, who started the match carrying an injury, is unable to continue. He’s replaced by Albert Gronbaek.
9 min: Bukayo Saka is fouled by Brice Wembangomo and Arsenal win a free-kick a few yards inside the Bodo-Glimt half. Nothing comes of it.
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8 min: Already looking impressive, Pellegrino combines with Ulrik Saltnes to get the ball into the Arsenal penalty area from the left for Bodo/Glimt. The visitors clear.
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6 min: That was a decent attack from Bodo/Glimt. It took a crucial touch from Rob Holding to prevent Ola Solbakken from firing home.
4 min: Amahl Pellegrino gets in behind the Arsenal defence and drills the ball across the face of their goal. Like with Arsenal’s first attack of note, there’s nobody there to convert his excellent cross.
2 min: Arsenal string a few passes together, getting a feel for the pitch, before getting the ball forward to Bukayo Saka down the inside right. He hooks the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, Nikita Halkin and it bounces across the six-yard box. There’s nobody on hand to prod it home.
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Bodo/Glimt v Arsenal is go ...
1 min: Bodo/Glimt kick off, their players wearing yellow shirts, shorts and socks as they attempt to win their 15th consecutive home game in Europe. Their English visitors wear black shirts, shorts and socks.
Not long now: The teams are out, lined up either side of referee Irfan Peljto and his team of match officials. They stand for the Europa League anthems in front of a capacity 8,500 crowd. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.
Another email: “This will feel downright balmy for Matt Turner between the sticks tonight,” writes Michael. “There was speculation earlier this year that he suffered frostbite playing in subzero temperatures on national team duty”
An email: “Wait,” writes Rob. “If it’s a plastic pitch, why are they watering it in your photo?” Fake water? Or don’t plastic pitches these days have some grass in them?
Those teams: Mikel Arteta makes seven changes to the side that lined up against Liverpool on Sunday. Matt Turner, Rob Holding, Kieran Tierney, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah all start.
Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen makes two changes to the side that beat Sandefjord at the weekend. Midfielder Ulrik Saltnes and winger Runar Espejord come into his side.
Bodo/Glimt’s pitch: While temperatures in the Arctic Circle are due to be above zero tonight, Arsenal’s players will have to contend with their hosts’ artificial pitch, a surface they have not had an opportunity to train on.
“What we think about is how we are going to win the game,” said Mikel Arteta in his pre-match press conference. “That’s it. How we win every three days, in different conditions, in different contexts, in different weather, in different competitions, and that’s the only way we are approaching it. Even if it’s windy, or rainy or snowy, that’s not an excuse. Our focus is to win every three days and find a way to do it every time.
“Obviously, everybody is aware that there are a lot of things that are different. The speed is different, the way you can use the grass is different and we will have to adapt to it. We know that, we are here to win the game and tomorrow night for sure we are going to play on an artificial pitch.”
Nick Ames reports from the Arctic Circle: Mikel Arteta says he will fully back his players’ accounts of the altercation that clouded the latter stages of Arsenal’s win against Liverpool on Sunday. The Football Association has been reviewing the heated dispute that broke out during added time, with Gabriel Magalhães and Jordan Henderson at its centre.
Bodo/Glimt v Arsenal line-ups
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Sampsted, Hoibraten, Lode, Wembangomo, Vetlesen, Berg, Saltnes, Espejord, Solbakken, Pellegrino.
Subs: Lund, Sery Larsen, Amundsen, Gronbaek, Morten Konradsen, Moe, Hagen, Sorli, Zugelj, Mugisha, Salvesen.
Arsenal: Turner, White, Holding, Saliba, Tierney, Odegaard, Sambi Lokonga, Vieira, Saka, Nketiah, Nelson.
Subs: Ramsdale, Partey, Gabriel, Martinelli, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Alencar, Hein, Xhaka, Smith, Edwards, Ibrahim.
Tonight’s match officials
Referee: Irfan Peljto
Assistant referees: Davor Beljo and Damir Lazić
Fourth official: Admir Šehović
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Guida
Early team news
With the exception of long-term absentees Sondre Fet and Gaute Hoberg, Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen, who was recently linked with the vacant Brighton manager’s job eventually taken by Roberto De Zerbi, is believed to have a full squad to choose from.
Gabriel Jesus is one of several players who have not travelled with Arsenal as the Brazilian striker is being rested ahead of his side’s game against Leeds on Sunday. Mikel Arteta refused to specify who else was being left at home but Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith-Rowe and Oleksandr Zinchenko all remain sidelined for Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard has travelled back to his homeland but is not expected to start for the Gunners. Some or all of fringe players Rob Holding, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Marquinhos and Eddie Nketiah could start tonight.
Europa League Group A: Bodo/Glimt v Arsenal
Top of the table with two wins from two, Arsenal travel due north of the Arctic Circle to take on Norwegian Eliteserien side Bodo/Glimt in their latest Europa League adventure. It’s Arsenal’s first ever visit to the 8,300-capacity Aspymra Stadion and they travel as Premier League leaders, with their fans in uncharacteristically upbeat mood after an excellent start to the season.
While they are hot favourites tonight after beating their hosts 3-0 in the corresponding fixture at the Emirates last week, they will need to be wary of a side that has won 14 consecutive home games in European competition and beat Roma (twice), CSKA Sofia, Celtic and AZ Alkmaar at the Aspymra Stadion in last season’s Europa Conference League. Kick-off is at 5.45pm BST but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
