With Difficulty.. Arsenal Edges Past Hull City to Retain Top Spot
Arsenal struggled past Hull City with a 1-0 victory thanks to an Ødegaard goal, with Saka absent and a match against Dortmund announced.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
Defending champions Arsenal struggled to edge past visitors Hull City 1-0 and extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League in Matchday 10. Despite enjoying near-total control of the match, Arsenal had to wait until the 72nd minute to convert their dominance into a goal, courtesy of Norwegian captain Martin Ødegaard, who tapped in a rebound from Nuno Tavares’ shot that was parried by Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tsolakidis.
Arsenal’s tally rose to 27 points, keeping them at the summit. Tsolakidis played a key role in thwarting Arsenal throughout the match, but he could not prevent his side’s third defeat in nine matches across all competitions, a run in which they have failed to secure a single victory.
Mikel Arteta’s side played without international winger Bukayo Saka, who will be sidelined “for several weeks” due to injury, as announced by the Spanish manager on Friday.
Following the international break, Arsenal will face two challenging Champions League fixtures against German side Borussia Dortmund on the 24th and Spanish giants Real Madrid on December 9. Between these two matches, the team will host Manchester City in the Premier League before taking on Tottenham in the North London derby.
Tottenham’s three-match winning streak came to an end with a 1-0 defeat to hosts Leeds United in a match marred by refereeing controversy.
