Arsenal stayed top of Group A in the Europa League after Bukayo Saka's goal made the difference on a cold night inside the Arctic Circle in Norway.
Mikel Arteta was able to rotate a number of players for the clash against Bodo/Glimt with Gabriel Jesus not even featuring in the squad with the club insisting he is just being rested, football.london understands. The Gunners have lost just one game in all competitions so far this season and took a huge step towards securing qualification from their group with the 1-0 win last night.
Arsenal need just one more point from their three remaining games to secure their place in the Europa League knockout rounds after winning back-to-back game against the Norwegian outfit, along with a victory away from home against FC Zurich. Matt Turner put in another impressive display for Arteta's side as he deputised for Aaron Ramsdale once again.
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Here's how the national media reacted to the Gunners continuing their rich vein of form with another win in Europe thanks to Saka's first-half goal.
Arsenal maintained their perfect Europa League record with a gritty 1-0 win over FK Bodo/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadium. The Gunners headed into Thursday night's match at the summit of Group A after dispatching the Norwegian outfit 3-0 in last week's fixture at the Emirates Stadium - and they quickly picked up where they left off in the latest meeting between the two sides.
Bukayo Saka nudged Arsenal into a 24th minute lead after the ball fortunately ricocheted into his face at point-blank range, but the visitors deserved to lead at the interval. Glimt did grow into the match after the break and spurned golden opportunities after getting in behind the visitors, but Mikel Arteta's side managed to stand firm and grind out a result that will keep their momentum rolling.
Although a handful of established first-team names were excused from Europa League duty, Arteta decided to unleash Saka in Norway. It was a gamble that paid off - just. Fresh off of netting a match-winning brace in the North London derby, Saka broke the deadlock in Norway, albeit with a huge touch of fortune, in the 24th minute. But the England star had come close to breaking Glimt's resistance in the opening minutes of the match with a delicate dink from an acute angle.
Saka did ensure that Glimt full-back Brice Wembangomo had a torrid night before he was withdrawn on the hour mark, but his influence was nowhere near as significant as it has been in recent weeks. Even though he was quiet by his usual standards, Saka has still managed to chalk up four goals and four assists in his last seven games. And after coming through this game unscathed, you wouldn't bet against there being more to come, either.
As rain began to fall like mist over this striking, unforgiving corner of Norway, the noise above the Arctic Circle went up another notch. They bounced on all four sides of this stadium.
They twirled their scarves from apartments rising over the artificial pitch. They watched from atop a spiral staircase, a lonely glint of yellow with only an umbrella to stave off the biting cold.
There are more inviting places to play football. More pleasant ways to spend a Thursday night. Just ask Roma and Jose Mourinho, who came here last year and were knocked for six. Or any of Bodo/Glimt’s past 14 European visitors, all of whom left with nothing. So Arsenal deserve credit for ending that run. It wasn’t convincing or particularly impressive. The second half, in particular, was a slog.
But, frankly, who cares? Mikel Arteta’s side are now on the cusp of qualification, courtesy of a goal off Bukayo Saka’s lips, which failed to silence this place but kept up Arsenal’s fine start to the season and their 100 per cent start in the Europa League.
Arsenal skated on thin ice but survived their expedition to Norway’s far north. They did not exactly produce a spectacle in the land of aurora borealis and, in truth, Bodø/Glimt should have made them pay for a passive second half.
Their creative radar was off for the majority of a chilly night but Bukayo Saka’s fortunate first-half goal proved sufficient to end one of the most eyecatching records on the continent. A slick, smart home side had won their last 14 European games here and it was no small achievement for the run to finally be punctured.
The hosts burnished their reputation as one of the most progressive clubs, pound for pound, in this competition and it was easy to see why the likes of Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb and, on two occasions, Roma have been humbled here in the last year. Had Runar Espejord, their centre-forward, not skied a glorious chance from eight yards just before the hour they would have scented a further scalp.
That was not their only opportunity during a wave of intense attacking and their loud, passionate but melodious support were justified in cheering them off at full time. They had rarely let up all evening. Bodø had seen few occasions like this and it felt as if, quite apart from facing Kjetil Knutsen’s team, Arsenal were up against the civic pride of an entire community.
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