Arsenal: Turner, White, Saliba, Holding, Tierney, Sambi, Odegaard, Nelson, Saka, Vieira, Nketiah
Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Partey, Gabriel, Martinelli, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Marquinhos, Xhaka, Edwards, Smith, Ibrahim
—
A solitary goal from Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Bodo/Glimt this evening.
Mikel Arteta made changes, but started a strong side with the likes of Ben White, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka supplementing the likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.
The home side caused some early danger, getting down their left and putting in a low cross which had the Gunners defence stretching. Bodo’s possession had Arsenal looking a little unsettled, and the first attempt on goal from Arteta’s men came in the 10th minute when Sambi fired wide after some patient build-up.
It was cagey stuff, with Bodo sitting with lots of men behind the ball and a sloppiness to Arsenal’s passing which made life more difficult. But in the 24th minute, Saka provided the spark to put us ahead. The number 7 played a give and go with Sambi, ran onto the ball in the box and his shot on goal deflected off a defender then back off himself into the net. 0-1.
Saka and Nketiah both had attempts on goal but miscued their shots, before Bodo had a great chance to equalise. Pellegrino went through on goal, behind both centre-halves, and with just Turner to beat he curled his shot wide of the far post. A let off.
Saka was booked for a foul on halfway as we reached the half-hour mark, and nothing much of note happened for the rest of a low-quality first period.
There were no changes from either manager at the break, and not much changed in the game itself either. Pellegrino again had a sight of a goal, his low shot was saved comfortably enough by Turner. Nelson took a terrible shot, Tierney took a slightly less terrible one, while at the other end there was a reminder the game was finely balanced when Solbakken was allowed to shoot not far over the bar.
There was another great chance for Bodo to equalise, when Espejord shot over from 8 yards, and it prompted Arteta into making changes with Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli replacing Nelson and Saka in the 59th minute.
11 long minutes went by and the manager made two more changes, Marquinhos and Takehiro Tomiyasu coming on for White and Odegaard. Bodo again looked more likely to score, with inches the difference between a point blank chance and the ball running away from Vetlesen with just Turner to beat.
Bodo made a sub, or two? I can’t remember. It didn’t feel like it mattered. In fact, what does anything matter when you think about it? We’re all just dust in the wind, floating around on a tiny rock in a vast universe we can’t even begin to comprehend.
Thomas Partey came on for Sambi in the 85th minute, and promptly got booked. Turner had to deal with a dangerous corner in injury time, but in the end Arsenal held out for 3 points.
We got what we wanted and absolutely no more than that.
On to the next!
Puts to bed the whole “Yeah, but can they do it on a Thursday night in a municipality in Nordland county” argument.
Love this 😀
🙂
Boring
I hear there’s a scoop position going at the Daily Mirror Sports Page.
You’d be perfect.
Worst performance of the season, but we still got the win. Signs of good thing to come
Tough away place to go. 3 points is all that matters. Well done to the boys! Glad we got a lot of rotation for this one plus Jesus got to stay home and keep warm.
Playing on turf has a big impact on the game. The spin, bounce and speed of the ball changes so much.
Jesus can play on water
Yeah but he was home in his manger.
I love your comment . Well done
His crib
I’ll take that. COYG!!
Underwhelming. But a win is a win and all that. Still, I would like to feel whelmed again at the weekend please.
Key thing is to win the group and save everyone 2 games
And avoid risking having to play Barcelona or Juventus so early in the preliminary knockout round.
Hold no fear for me.., but yeah maybe later in proceedings
Our first ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ this season.
Horrible Arsenal performance, but we got the job done.
Bodo deserved at least a point from that game: they were the better side in the second half. We created almost nothing during the entire game and were lucky with our goal.
The lack of quality in the reserves is painful. Some very average performances. Nelson shocking.
It least it’s a win.
stomach worms are acting up again Mr. F.G.
He’s a hangry man, no doubt it.
read the first half of this post and thought to myself “first time i remember agreeing with FG for ages”. then read the second half and though “oh phew no he’s still a grump nothing has changed
Ha ha, but everything he wrote is true. I want Nelson to succeed as much as the next guy but he was not good tonight. Honestly can’t remember one thing he did well or one moment that was noteworthy. I hope it’s just rust, a lack of minutes, and the fact that he’s still just 22 (how is that possible – feels like he’s been around along time). The team just didn’t click tonight – a Liverpool hangover maybe – but I know they’ll be ready come the weekend.
What’s happened the Reiss? Boy has got no confidence
*to
Aren’t we the only team in Europe winning with their second team?
That greasy bacon rind giving your stomach a bit of gyp, eh Fats?
Job done
Leeds next.
I wager, we will still be leading come Monday morning.
one game at a time😉
🎵🎵One game at a time, sweet Jesus…..🎵🎵
Thought Turner did well
Action Turner also did well.
Well it wasn’t pretty but 3 points is 3 points
Our next best players didn’t put in a good application for starting PL games. Sambi was alarmingly poor and Vieira only marginally better. Eddie and Nelson were like schoolkids against grown men.
But a win is a win on a turf few teams win.
Not turf though. Maybe this is more of a factor than we realise. First European team to win there in 14 attempts.
Sambi was very neat and tidy on the ball.
He always is but that is not the point. His of the ball movement and awereness is still lacking, be it when we’re high press or are pressed against by the oposition. That was very obvious tonight on more then one ocasion. I am somehow still not convinced his best position is playing defensive mid and he can not be anywhere near good enough replacement for Partey against tougher PL oposition. But he has got talent and controls the ball quite wel maybe MA can find the way to utilise him better…
Reiss Nelson hasn’t started a game for 2 years. I think this may be his last ever.
Great win with an average performance. Very good game for Turner. Bring on Leeds!!
Europa league at its best.
Job done. Couldn’t argue with a draw though. Streams awful.
Bodo had a 14 match home unbeaten run.The Gunners sorted that out😁⚽️
Almost as dire as watching Spurs. Of course, not THAT bad… But 3 points. Top of the group. Onwards and upwards.
Begs the question, why are you watching Spurs?!?!
To see if they’ll be Spursy and get battered of course.
Come on!
Oh, I only watch Spurs when they play against us. 180 minutes a season of having to look at Hojbjerg, Dier, Bentancur, Romero, Kane etc is more than enough.
I agree, but I’ll also confess to tuning in on more than a few occasions to games purely for the guilty pleasure of watching them getting basted…very satisfying, I have to say
Job done. Rest up and go again.
In Narvik at the moment on a cruising holiday, Bodo is just down the coast maybe 150km. It’s foul weather tonight, I wouldn’t want to be playing football in it 🤣
Dear Lord that’s far north. Interesting events/history there from WW2. Worth a quick read. Hope things improve for you weather wise!
Yeah, maybe not a pretty win, but shows growing character and maturity of this young team. For me, the lads were understandably uncomfortable on a plastic surface they obviously are not used to, at the end of the day, a professional performance and a clean sheet, I’m good, we know they can play expansive football if the surface was favourable, so all good 😁
That was dire stuff.
Can’t wait for us to be back in the champs league next season
MASSIVE props to the traveling supporters.
That ground is near the freaking Arctic Circle!
It’s quite a way north of it Homer.
The goal fits the performance. The team hardly moved out of first gear.
With the chances Bodo/Glimt missed, I wonder how they scored 6 against Mourinho’s Roma last season.
They did because they were Clint Eastwood on target practice with Roma.😜
Bodö/Glimt are a side that are difficult at their place. We take the win.
I thought their supporters put in a good shift. Good atmosphere. And no injuries.
Job done.
What a funny little Subbuteo stadium – complete with retro studio spiral staircase – and an even funnier crowd. I was expecting at least a few hurdy-gurdies and the odd Death Metal growler or A-ha Reunion Tour tee but no – every single one of them in a yellow shirt, yellow scarf, yellow thermals and yellow fishermen’s hats in formation jumping teams. And they booed Odegaard.
Funny lot.
Well done boys. Another win, top of both tables and Jamie O’Hara and Gary Neville’s evenings ruined. Lovely.
Great post!
Liked the fireworks! Rather the peak of the entertainment if we’re honest
Oh. I did forget the crowd singing Slade songs. That was good as well
What a band they were. Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell. Black Country boys, Wolves fans no doubt.
“Merry Christmas Everyone” – to my ears – is pure late Beatles White Album, circa 1968. Next time you hear it – and you will – it’s nearly December again – close your eyes and imagine (no pun intended) a 1968 John Lennon singing the verses, with Paul McCartney and George Harrison coming in for the chorus. It really does sound like The Beatles.
Yeah. It took groundsmen Odin Waakwolf and his twin brother, Oaf, all night to set them up.
I think that pitch made a huge difference, a slower pace and passes going astray. Some of the players seemed more affected by it than others, but we are the first winners there in fifteen games so well done the lads for a professional and difficult win. It’s one of those horrid European games that you just get done and get out. Three points to stay top of the group, and no injuries. Job done.
A better surface than they once had at QPR – and Luton. I remember an away game at Loftus Road in 1984/85 where QPR scored a far post corner after the ball had already bounced at the near post up and over a bemused David O’Leary and Tommy Caton. Charlie Nicholas spent the entire afternoon watching the ball sail over his head – and all the lads were covered in astro turf burns after the game. Don Howe was not impressed. To get up onto the away fans terrace at QPR, you went through the turnstiles and then walked through… Read more »
Seem to remember Oldham leveling a few teams on their pitch back in the day, you could see the way the ball moved across the ground that it would favour the home side
such a boring game
And this is why we come back again and again tobthis brilliant blog. “In fact, what does anything matter when you think about it? We’re all just dust in the wind, floating around on a tiny rock in a vast universe we can’t even begin to comprehend.”
It’s excellent!
Better than that, it’s fuckin’ excellent!
Big fan of the existential dread part of the report. Every 80th minute should have a section attached to it.
“Jesse Marsch made 2 subs which in the grand scheme of life itself will amount to ripples in an ocean of which we, as a society, drowned in after John Terry was born”
Torrid football
Is this how sausage taste like after a few months of caviar?