FK Bodø/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal: 3 talking points as Gunners win in Norway

Arsenal defeated FK Bodø/Glimt 1-0 in their Europa League contest on Thursday evening as Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal proved to be the winner.

As expected, Mikel Arteta rang the changes with William Saliba, Benjamin White, Saka, and Martin Odegaard being the only players who keep their spots from the Liverpool game.

After a rather dour opening 20 minutes, Arsenal broke the deadlock. A neat one-two between Sambi Lokonga and Saka put the winger through, with his shot ricocheting off a defender, back to Saka, and into the net.

In what was a relatively uneventful first half, aside from Saka’s goal, the Gunners would dominate proceedings and go in at half-time 1-0 to the good.

If Arsenal fans wanted an improved performance in the second half, they didn’t get it. Much of the same followed as it was a below-par performance. The game didn’t reach any real heights, and the Gunners managed to escape Norway with a 1-0 win and a critical three points.

FK Bodø/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal: 3 talking points as Gunners win in Norway

The game provided plenty of talking points; here they are.

1. Lokonga impresses

Starting in a midfield that included Martin Odegaard and Fabio Vieira, Lokonga was the best of the three. His movement, ability to break up Glimt’s attacking forays, and his calmness on the ball were exceptional.

This was an adept all-round performance from Lokonga as he kept the Gunners moving forward with his progressive passing and was also physically good.

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