Arsenal find the missing piece and may finally be ready to win the Champions League | OneFootball

Maybe this is the difference for Arsenal. It isn’t necessarily a new attacker, to rise to Paris Saint-Germain’s level, but their current attackers showing their true level.

Above all – in so many ways – Martin Odegaard. The playmaker has, in the last few weeks, been unrecognisable from last season. And this match-winning goal away to Napoli was the sort of moment so often missing from last season.

The beautifully angled 75th-minute shot, driven in off the post in the strongest of straight lines, only served to fully symbolise the change in direction. A game that had been fairly turgid, and reminiscent of some of Arsenal’s more debated matches last season, was instead turned into something else.

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Martin Odegaard scored the only goal to cement his increasing importance to Arsenal (Reuters)

It was another win of champions, as well as a near-perfect start to the Champions League campaign to continue this perfect to the season. A 100 per cent record, and the captain looking like he’s fully on it.

That is worthy of a far bigger discussion in itself, especially with so many of the debates that specifically swirled around Odegaard last season.

For now, though, it sharpens a discussion about Arsenal. That they might finally be there. That they’re ready to become European champions, having already become English champions.

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Arsenal may finally be ready to become Champions League winners (Reuters)

If the obvious line to Mikel Arteta is that it isn’t how you start but how you finish, given last season – and maybe given some of the wastefulness in this game – he knows that near-miss in Budapest was really about the whole journey; about building a squad that is a whole; that is complete.

Hence the pursuit of Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez, to have elite forwards comparable to PSG. They were still intended to be embellishments, though.

Odegaard is the core, the player who knits everything together, and who the rest of the team is supposed to revolve around.

And, around him, Arteta does feel his team are there or thereabouts. Yes, up there in terms of net quality with PSG, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. They believe that, just like finally winning the Premier League, it is about those fine details; the little moments.

And, crucially, about keeping players like Odegaard fresh.

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Odegaard has reached new levels and Arsenal must now keep him fresh (PA)

The sense within Arsenal and other major clubs last year is that PSG – and arguably Bayern Munich – are frequently going to have an advantage because they generally go into major games with all of their best players available and none suffering fatigue.

Many will have seen the stat from this week, where seven of PSG’s Ballon D’Or nominees played less than 50 per cent of their league minutes. Arsenal obviously can’t do that, and can instead only try to seek to replicate the same effect.

They have to keep a competitive consistency without always keeping the same team.

That may be easier said than done, since those who know Arteta say that one of his most pronounced idiosyncrasies is insisting on trying to win every single game.

It’s why Declan Rice has been used in virtually every game and why, on the other side, Martin Zubimendi now finds himself on the sidelines so much more.

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Mikel Arteta is evolving as Arsenal boss (Reuters)

He was barely out of the team until April last season. Fatigue was entirely understandable, and has facilitated Myles Lewis-Skelly’s new prominence.

And yet the absence of both from the starting line-up may have suggested an evolution, to go with how Arteta finally eased up on training over last season’s run-in.

In similar games last season, his staff would have expected to go all-in for a game like this, especially since it was the first in the Champions League and a glamour match at that. He instead rested almost half of his first-choice outfield.

The only surprise from that was Bukayo Saka starting, when it had been anticipated Noni Madueke would come in.

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Bukayo Saka surprisingly started the game, although missed a golden opportunity (Getty)

Saka only intermittently elevated the game, and should have scored at the end the first half, spooning a golden chance over the bar. The pity there will be how the scoring momentum from the first two games of the season has now been disrupted twice.

When Madueke did come on, he missed a big chance – a gilt-edged one on one. It maybe emphasised that remaining lack of real ruthlessness, that Viktor Gyokeres was supposed to supply but simply hasn’t. Hence Arsenal need to keep Odegaard and Kai Havertz fresh.

Rice, who always just wants to play, did so here in part because Bruno Guimaraes’ ankle injury persists.

It still felt a touch needless that he was pushing himself until the end at right-back. Jurrien Timber, at least, is expected to return this weekend.

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Declan Rice never let up, right to the end (Reuters)

Arsenal’s defensive structure still stayed more solid though. Ezri Konsa has slotted in so well, inevitably looking much more assured than he did for England. There was another big challenge in this game, as he stood up to Napoli’s attackers.

This wasn’t a Napoli on good form, though, the absence of Scott McTominay further emphasising their lack of penetration. A certain reality to the game was further emphasised with how many empty seats there were. This wasn’t the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at its most volcanic, to use the description always repeated, due to the shadow of Vesuvius. It was relatively dormant.

It’s said locally that’s because of what the Champions League opening round has become, a feeling deepened when the team is off form. The Napoli support don’t feel that good about themselves right now, after three losses in a row – something that never happened during Antonio Conte’s tenure. Is the pressure already growing on Max Allegri?

Arsenal’s 100 per cent record continues, though. Odegaard’s scoring rate continues. He’s certainly feeling very good about himself right now. That has been missing, and can serve to complete this team.