Arsenal survived their trip to Norway’s far north, but only after skating on thin ice. They would have been limited to a point had Bodø/Glimt crowned a dominant second-half display with the goal it merited, but instead they left one of the continent’s most formidable venues with all three.
Their creative radar was off for most of the night but Bukayo Saka’s first-half winner, the result of a fortunate ricochet, puts them well in control of Group A and dangles the prospect of early qualification if they beat PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates next week. While their opponents’ hopes of a top-two place hang in the balance, they maintained their reputation as one of the region’s most progressive clubs in a setting that offered a refreshing alternative to Europe’s traditional footballing citadels.
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