Eddie Nketiah starts the party as Arsenal cruise past Glimt

Gunners maintain strong start in Europa League

Eddie Nketiah was delighted after putting Arsenal on course for a comfortable 3-0 Europa League win over Norwegian champions Bodo Glimt.

Rob Holding and Fabio Vieira added the other goals, but it was particularly special for Nketiah, who is yet to start in the Premier League this season, as the Gunners made it two wins from two in Group A.

"A good win, the atmosphere was electric," he said. "Everyone has to play their role, so we have to keep fighting."

Glimt had stunned Roma 6-1 in the group stage, and knocked out Celtic, on their way to the Europa Conference League quarter-finals last season.

But their evening in London did not get off to the best of starts when their bus got stuck on a tight bend in the narrow streets surrounding the stadium, forcing the players to get off and walk the rest of the way.

But once the match started it was Arsenal who were strolling to a comfortable victory.

Vieira should have given them the lead in the ninth minute after Granit Xhaka, one of three starters who also began Saturday’s win over Tottenham, fed the overlapping Kieran Tierney down the left.

Tierney’s cut-back found Vieira 12 yards out but the Portuguese midfielder’s shot grazed the crossbar.

Nketiah had already curled an early effort narrowly wide before he opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.

Gabriel Martinelli did well to hold on to the ball in a congested midfield before eventually smuggling it out wide to Tierney.

The full-back launched a first-time drive which clattered the far post and fell to Nketiah to sweep into an unguarded net.

Holding doubled Arsenal’s lead four minutes later with a far-post header from Vieira’s inswinging cross.

Xhaka almost made it three but his curling free-kick was tipped over by Glimt keeper Nikita Haikin.

The industrious Vieira curled a shot wide before half-time and Xhaka forced a fine save from Haikin seconds after the restart.

Arsenal’s new back-up goalkeeper Matt Turner had been a spectator for the first half but he was alert enough to make a fine reflex save early in the second to keep out Amahl Pellegrino’s snap-shot.

Nketiah blazed a late chance over before substitute Gabriel Jesus fed Vieira for the 84th-minute goal his performance deserved to set up Premier League leaders Arsenal nicely for Sunday’s visit of Liverpool.

Updated: October 06, 2022, 9:26 PM