Arsenal pushed through a slender 1-0 victory over Hull City at the Emirates Stadium after a second-half goal from captain Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners struggled to break down a well-organised Tigers defence for much of the match, but their captain eventually found the breakthrough in the 72nd minute.
The victory extended the Gunners lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points with Manchester City playing in few minutes time.
Hull City made a positive start to the match and refused to sit back against the Premier League leaders. Instead, the visitors pressed Arsenal early and looked dangerous whenever they moved forward.
The Tigers created the first serious opportunity in the second minute when John Egan sent a header narrowly wide from a Regan Slater corner.
The Gunners responded through Noni Madueke, whose early cross found Ezri Konsa, but the defender failed to direct his header on target in the sixth minute.
The visitors continued to threaten, with Elliot Stroud forcing David Raya into a save in the 18th minute. Mohamed-Ali Cho also had an effort blocked as the visitors showed they were not afraid to attack.
The host struggled to find their usual attacking rhythm during the opening 25 minutes. Declan Rice tried his luck from distance, but his effort went just wide.
The home side gradually improved, with Rice and Christos Tzolis both testing the visitors goalkeeper. Tzolis also missed a good opportunity after a promising move involving Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
Another important moment came when Havertz went through on goal following a pass from Odegaard, but the German forward failed to make the most of the opportunity.
The host had a major penalty appeal in the 43rd minute after the visitors defender Nobel Mendy pulled Havertz’s shirt inside the penalty area.
The Referee initially allowed play to continue before being sent to the pitchside monitor for a review to see if there was any possibilities of awarding a penalty.
Although the shirt-pull was recognised, the penalty was overturned because Havertz was judged to be offside in the build-up. The visiting side were awarded a free kick instead.
Arsenal nearly scored before the break when Madueke delivered a cross for Rice, but his header was saved by Tzolakis. Both teams went into half-time with the score still 0-0.
Arsenal returned for the second half with more energy and increased their attacking pressure. Madueke forced another save from Tzolakis in the 57th minute, while Tzolis also tested the Hull goalkeeper three minutes later.
Mikel Arteta made changes in the 63rd minute, bringing on Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino for Havertz and Rice. Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze later replaced Riccardo Calafiori and Tzolis as Arsenal continued searching for the winning goal.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 72nd minute. Noni Madueke produced another dangerous run before firing a shot towards the near post.
Tzolakis managed to push the ball away, but Odegaard reacted quickly to collect the rebound and send it into the net. The captain’s finish gave the home supporters the goal they had been waiting for and put the Gunners 1-0 ahead.
Madueke was the creator of the goal, with his shot forcing the goalkeeper’s rebound. Odegaard showed excellent awareness to finish the chance which made sure the scoreline was 1-0.
Arsenal continued attacking after taking the lead instead of sitting back to protect their advantage.
Gyokeres, Merino and Eze all tested Tzolakis, but the Hull City goalkeeper prevented the score from increasing. Madueke also missed a good opportunity to make it 2-0 after a brilliant attacking move involving Eze, Odegaard and Merino.
The winger tried to take the goalkeeper around instead of shooting early, allowing Hull’s defenders to close him down. Hull pushed forward in the closing stages but could not find a clear opportunity to level the match.
The Gunners remained organised at the back and protected their narrow advantage until the final whistle. Arsenal claimed a narrow 1-0 victory at home against Hull City to claim all three points.
The Gunners dominated possession with 67 per cent compared to the Tiger’s 33 per cent. The host also recorded 21 shots, including 10 on target, while the visitors managed seven attempts with two on target.
The 1-0 victory was another important result for Mikel Arteta and his team as they continued their push for the Premier League title which they currently hold.
Odegaard’s decisive contribution proved the difference on a difficult afternoon, while Madueke played a key role in creating the winning goal. Hull City deserve credit for their performance, particularly their defensive organisation and willingness to attack.
However, Arsenal’s quality eventually made the difference. The Gunners now head into the international break with a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
