Eddy Nketiah, Rob Holding and Fabio Vieira helped Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Norwegian champions Bodo/Grimt.
Nketiah, who has yet to start in the Premier League this season, has scored his second goal in two European appearances.
After that, a holding defender who had been on the pitch for just two minutes in this season’s league matches, with a two-second header, Vieira tapped in the second-half third to give Mikel Arteta’s man in Group A two wins. I was.
Grimt defeated Roma 6-1 in the group stage and knocked out Celtic en route to the European Conference League quarter-finals last season.
💪 Big team performance
😍 Come to Arsenal!
🔴 3-0 🟡 (FT) pic.twitter.com/OCjGTgOU2G
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 6, 2022
But the night in north London didn’t get off to the best start as the bus got stuck on a sharp turn in the narrow streets around the stadium, forcing the players to get off and walk the rest of the way. .
However, once the match started, it was Arsenal who were on their way to a comfortable victory.
Vieira should have given the lead in the 9th minute after Granito Xhaka, one of the three starters in Saturday’s start against Tottenham, fed the overlapping Kieran Tierney down the left.
A cutback from Tierney put Vieira 12 yards away, but the Portuguese midfielder’s shot grazed the crossbar.
Nketiah had already extended their early effort slightly before opening the scoring in the 23rd minute.
Gabriel Martinelli held the ball well in a crowded midfield, eventually smuggling it to Tierney.
The full-back started the first drive, which rattled the far post and fell to Nketiah, sweeping into the unprotected net.
Arsenal doubled their lead four minutes later with a far-post header from Vieira’s inswinging cross.
Xhaka came close to three goals, but his curling free-kick was turned over by Glimt keeper Nikita Haikin.
The industrious Vieira had a shot before half-time and Xhaka was forced into a fine save from Haikin seconds after the restart.
Arsenal’s new backup goalkeeper Matt Turner was on the sidelines in the first half, but was careful enough to make a spectacular reflex save early in the second half to prevent a snap shot by Amar Pellegrino.
Premier League leaders Arsenal got off to a good start to Sunday’s game against Liverpool as Nketiah converted a chance in the closing minutes and substitute Gabriel Jesus scored for Vieira in the 84th minute.
