Arsenal’s journey to Madrid started with a 1–0 victory over Napoli on Wednesday, as captain Martin Ødegaard bailed a profligate Gunners out at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Arsenal’s progress has been linear in this competition ever since they returned to Europe’s top table in 2023. Having claimed Premier League glory last season, Mikel Arteta’s side are desperate to topple the continent, and this performance, while wasteful, was one of great assurance.
