Arsenal continued their perfect start to the Champions League group stage with a 2-0 win over Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
The Gunners were looking to build off an excellent 2-0 win away at Athletic Club in September and made a quick start against the Greek champions, with Gabriel Martinelli opening the scoring on 12 minutes.
That proved to be the decisive moment of the match, with Arsenal purring at times but struggling to regularly cut Olympiacos open after the goal, waiting until second-half stoppage time for Bukayo Saka’s clincher.
At the other end, David Raya made a host of vital saves to preserve the clean sheet and three points.
| Stat | Arsenal | Olympiacos |
| Shots | 16 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 3 |
| Big chances | 4 | 2 |
| Possession | 61% | 39% |
Arsenal face a tough test at home to Atletico Madrid in 20 days, but first, let’s break down this latest victory.
How did Arsenal beat Olympiacos?
Martin Odegaard pulls the strings
While it was Martinelli and Saka who grabbed the goals, it was Martin Odegaard who crafted the opportunities.
The Norwegian’s superb 12th-minute through-ball set Viktor Gyokeres on goal, with the striker showing incredible strength to hold off two defenders and get a shot at goal. Martinelli popped in the rebound, but everybody in the stadium stood to applaud Odegaard’s contribution.
That was, of course, just one of what turned out to be a highlight reel of exquisite passes from the Arsenal captain, who ended the night with four chances created, 54 passes completed at an 83% success rate, nine passes into the final third and seven of 10 long passes completed.
Odegaard was mesmerising, pulling Olympiacos out of shape throughout with his passing and movement — not to mention how alert he was to anything that dropped near him in midfield, making eight recoveries.
“[Martin] Odegaard’s range of passing and his awareness of where people are, particularly in wide areas, is remarkable,” Ally McCoist said of Odegaard during a magical first-half performance.
His inch-perfect pass to provide the assist for Saka’s late strike was simply the cherry on top and the direct goal involvement the skipper deserved.
It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Odegaard, who has often found himself stuck on the bench, while also struggling with a shoulder injury.
But this was a vintage Odegaard performance and one that Arsenal needed as Olympiacos caused them not a few problems.
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David Raya saves the day
Arsenal managed just one more shot on target following their goal until the final 10 minutes, despite Odegaard’s technical brilliance. Even then, it was the ex-Real Madrid man who was twice denied by a mixture of great goalkeeping and desperate defending, then going on set up Saka.
In fact, Olympiacos got to grips with the Gunners and, at times, had them on the back foot.
In the end, David Raya was called upon to make numerous very important saves from close-range efforts. First, he denied Ayoub El Kaabi, before tipping wide an effort from Daniel Podence worth 0.38 xGOT.
The Spaniard pulled off another stunning reflex stop to keep out El Kaabi midway through the second half before Chiquinho fired home the rebound. VAR disallowed the goal for offside, but Raya’s quick thinking to stop El Kaabi’s header exemplified the form he’s in right now.
Finally, it was the very tips of Raya’s gloves that diverted a goal-bound Chiquinho effort out for a corner, while he caught another El Kaabi header, all in the last five minutes.
Of course, Raya is more than just a shot stopper, and the 30-year-old more than played his part in Arsenal’s build-up play, completing 28 of his 41 passes and showing ice-cold composure under pressure.
“David Raya might be the second-best passer on the pitch tonight behind Odegaard,” said McCoist.
Arsenal don’t win this game without Raya, who set the stage for Saka to make it safe.
| Stat | David Raya |
| Saves | 3 |
| Goals prevented | 0.7 |
| High claims | 1 |
| Passes completed | 28/41 |
Are the brakes still on for Arteta’s Arsenal?
Six points and zero goals conceded from two games is an excellent way to start a Champions League campaign by anybody’s standards, and should stand Arsenal in good stead for the rest of their continental campaign.
But there will be an understandably large contingent of supporters leaving the Emirates Stadium feeling quite frustrated once again on Wednesday night.
The Gunners were breathtaking in the opening 20 minutes of this match, tearing Olympiacos open at will and picking the Greek giants off whenever they tried to venture into the attacking third.
But then, once again, Arsenal took their foot off the gas. Moved down the gears instead of up them. Applied the brakes when they should have gone for the kill.
It’s a theme that’s proved all too common for this Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta. They’re so close to glory, but it often feels like they lack the conviction to take the opportunities they craft for themselves.
On Wednesday, Arsenal utterly failed to put Olympiacos away. In fact, it was the visitors who looked more likely to equalise than the hosts put it beyond doubt as the game went on — with even Saka’s goal to make it 2-0 an unfortunate moment for Konstantinos Tzolakis, who couldn’t stop the ball squirming under his body.
That moment will do little to convince anybody that this Arsenal side have suddenly developed a ruthless streak. It was a source of relief rather than overwhelming joy.
Arsenal are going well, make no mistake. But nagging doubts about their elite credentials remain.