3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s away win against Bodø/Glimt

Could they do it on a cold night in Bodø? Apparently so.

Arsenal got a gritty result in Norway to extend their lead at the top of Group A. It wasn’t pretty, but three points are three points and vital ones at that as Arsenal look to win the group to skip the round of 32.

3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s away win against Bodø/Glimt

Here are three positives and negatives from the win in the Arctic Circle.

Positive #1: Matt Turner

This was the American’s best performance in an Arsenal shirt by some distance.

Turner’s positioning, in particular, was very good and he was by no means scared to leave his box to make a play, doing so on multiple occasions. Much of the discourse surrounding Turner so far has concerned his work in possession, but on Thursday he was much-improved in this regard – completing 11 long passes.

Much of the criticism he has received is that he is not Aaron Ramsdale, but such comparisons are unfair. He’s not on Ramsdale’s level, but he is a very solid keeper, especially as a number two.

Negative #1: The pitch

The conditions were a clear disadvantage for Arsenal in this match, with the game being played on artificial turf rather than grass. It was very tough for the players to get their bearings with many misplaced passes and weird plays along the ground.

Being so far north, Bodø are forced to use this surface. They had an advantage due to their familiarity with it, but it was no different from playing away at Burnley and their longer grass.

The surface facilitated a fast-paced encounter and, despite Arsenal’s struggles, the contest was pretty exciting for a low-scoring, low-xG match.

Continued on the next slide…