Arsenal brushed aside a resilient Bodo/Glimt side to top their Europa League group, with Fabio Vieira shining at the Emirates.
Arsenal took charge of their UEFA Europa League group with a comfortable victory over Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt at the Emirates. Goals from Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding and Fabio Vieira sealed the points for the Gunners, who will now switch their attention toward their weekend clash against Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta made plenty of changes to the lineup but retained Gabriel Magalhaes, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli in the eleven. However, Vieira shone when given a chance as the Portuguese playmaker made his mark with a goal and an assist.
Arsenal were dominant on the ball right from the start and may have had a goal or two earlier. Midway through the second half, Kieran Tierney smashed a loose ball beyond the Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper, hitting the crossbar. The rebound fell gracefully for Nketiah, who got his shot on target.
Four minutes later, Vieira’s fabulous ball found Holding inside the box, and the English defender headed home the second goal. Arsenal may have found the net again, but their efforts proved too tame. With no half-time changes, Bodo/Glimt became stronger, keeping more control of the ball.
Arsenal across all club competitions this season:
WWWWWLWWWW
◉ Goals: 25
◉ Conceded: 9
◉ Clean sheets: 4Top of the Premier League and favourites to win the Europa League. #UEL
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 6, 2022
Despite their obvious possession, Bodo/Glimt could not capitalise on a few opportunities. They could only muster a few tame shots at Matt Turner, with the Arsenal goalkeeper having to stretch himself once or twice in the entire half. Late in the game, the American stopper had to make a close-range save, which Holding cleared off the line, thus protecting a valuable clean sheet.
Before that, substitute Gabriel Jesus dazzled his way inside the six-yard box and laid down the ball for Vieira to score his goal. Reiss Nelson also had a few opportunities but saw those shots get blocked before they could make their way through. In the end, Arsenal secured a comfortable win to top their group.
Matt Turner: 6/10
Turner had barely anything to do in the first half but got called into action a few times after the break. The American made one good stop before being needed late in the game. His distribution needs plenty of work; otherwise, he was alert to any potential danger inside the box.
Takehiro Tomiyasu: 6/10
Tomiyasu put in a composed performance from right-back. The Japanese international was alert to dangers caused by the Bodo/Glimt wingers but dealt with them neatly. He switched positions onto the left side once Tierney went off.
Rob Holding: 7/10
A good return to the lineup for Holding, who got himself on the scoresheet. The English defender was sometimes somewhat aggressive but did not make any unwarranted errors to put pressure on his goal. He also took the goal well, although VAR had some debate about a foul while making the leap.
A comfortable 3-0 win by Arsenal tonight ⚽️⚽️⚽️#3Sports pic.twitter.com/yujKGHUGnT
— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) October 6, 2022
Gabriel Magalhaes: 7/10
Due to heavy changes at the back, Gabriel was in the side but did his job well and played for 90 minutes. He was alert to potential danger and proved a physical presence for the Bodo/Glimt attackers.
Kieran Tierney: 7.5/10
Tierney remains a defensive rock at the back but also made some important contributions to the attacking third. His shot hit the post, and the rebound resulted in the first Arsenal goal. Arteta hooked him off in the second period, indicating he may be involved against Liverpool.
Albert Sambi Lokonga: 6.5/10
Lokonga quietly did his job in midfield by comfortably screening the defence. The Belgian international was good on the ball and provided the right variety of distribution to process the play forward. Games like these are important for the midfielder to get a foothold in the team, and he proved his worth here.
Granit Xhaka: 6/10
At times, Xhaka looked slightly off the ball and was not at his best defensively. However, he was composed in the attacking third and could have had a goal or two. Arteta hooked him off in the second half to allow him some rest ahead of the weekend.
Marquinhos: 5/10
Marquinhos was an energetic presence on the right side of the Arsenal attack. However, his final ball lacked composure, and the Bodo/Glimt defenders could read his game easily. He will get further opportunities in this competition, but the Brazilian needs to improve his game.
Fabio Vieira – 8/10
Another top-notch performance was from Vieira, who got himself on the scoresheet again. The Portuguese playmaker, the player to watch in our preview, provided the assist for Holding and scored himself in the second half to kill the game off. He could steadily be getting onto Arteta’s plans in the Premier League with such displays.
Fábio Vieira vs. FK Bodø/Glimt:
90 minutes played
37 touches
16 passes (100% success)
3 key passes
2 big chances created
1 assist
4 shots
2 shots on target
1 goalBrilliant display. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/zFamvEih6M
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) October 6, 2022
Gabriel Martinelli: 5.5/10
Martinelli was not using his 100% energy for this clash, as Arteta would have likely instructed him to preserve. Yet, the Brazilian was an outlet on the left-hand side and often got into good positions. He was taken off early in the second half to allow a pause ahead of the weekend’s clash with Liverpool.
Eddie Nketiah: 7.5/10
It is clear Nketiah is the starting striker in the Europa League, and he once again proved his worth. He scored his goal well in the first half, although he should have done better with other chances, particularly in the second period.
Eddie Nketiah keeps on answering the call for Arsenal 📞#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/C2rEvFMJEL
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 6, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Martin Odegaard: 6/10
A bright cameo for the Arsenal captain, who will have been disappointed by Nketiah’s failure to take the chance he created.
Gabriel Jesus: 7/10
A terrific cameo from the Brazilian, as he dazzled his way through the Bodo/Glimt defenders to create the goal for Vieira. Jesus was a menace after coming on, causing all sorts of problems for the opposition backline.
Bukayo Saka: 5/10
Saka provided more composure on the flank than Marquinhos did. This appearance was designed to keep his legs warm ahead of the weekend.
Ben White: 5/10
Ben White replaced Tierney and allowed Tomiyasu to shift to the left-hand side. It was a brief cameo designed to allow Arsenal some solidity at the back.
