Although the Europa League is frequently criticized as a distraction for teams like Arsenal, it serves a useful purpose on occasions like this. Each game provides Mikel Arteta‘s team with a new chance to forge the connections and bonds on the field that the Arsenal manager so desperately wants.
!Arsenal – Bado/Glimt Played on 06/10/2022
Bodo/Glimt, a Norwegian team, presented an occasionally awkward opponent for Arsenal in
north London, but in the end, it was two stalwart, dependable players — as well as an
intriguing new face — who made the difference.
Eddie Nketiah, a recent academy graduate who once again demonstrated his ability to score
goals, scored the game’s opening goal. Center-back Rob Holding then headed in the second
goal, while new acquisition Fabio Vieira eventually finished the scoring with a late third goal.
Although Nketiah and Holding are not the Arsenal team’s stars, Arteta will be the first to
admit that they are important members of the group. These players continue to advance
thanks to the Europa League, which also offers opportunities to others who require playing
time between Premier League games.
The outcome was also crucial. This season, the Europa League appears to be a contest that
Arsenal can win, and it aids in winning the group.
The ultimate goal for Arsenal has never been Thursday night football, but these nights are
always more fun when playing against a passionate opponent, and Glimt is one of the more
passionate ones. The Norwegian team is in its heyday, and its devoted supporters had the
away section completely full well before kickoff.
!Arsenal vs Bodo/Glimt
Consider this as an indication of the significance of this connection to Glimt: the whole population of Bodo, or about 50,000 people, could fit inside the Emirates Stadium with still 10,000 seats left over.
The Norwegians weren’t merely content to be present. The highly regarded Kjetil Knutsen is the serious manager of this serious team. Arsenal had to be alert in the early going here after they destroyed Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in the Europa Conference League last year.
Arteta would have anticipated that his team would be superior to the guests notwithstanding Glimt’s talent. So it turned out in the opening frame, as Nketiah set the tone with an exceptionally explosive attack.
The Englishman is ranked below Gabriel Jesus in the lineup, but he has always had a menacing presence. His goal, which was punched in after Kieran Tierney’s ferocious shot had hit the post, served as a reminder of his propensity for scoring goals.
He has “simply tremendous work rate, attitude, and application,” according to Arteta, “but he’s got this natural talent to score and he does it every time.”
