Arsenal beat Hull City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with Martin Odegaard scoring the only goal in the 72nd minute to move the defending Premier League champions six points clear at the top of the table, according to Sky Sports.
The Norwegian midfielder pounced on a rebound after Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis had kept out a shot from Noni Madueke, finally ending a long spell of resistance from the visitors.
Why it matters
The result, combined with Manchester City's defeat to Nottingham Forest, gives Arsenal a comfortable cushion in the title race. Sky Sports reports that the Gunners now sit six points ahead of City in second place.
It was also Arsenal's 34th 1-0 victory under manager Mikel Arteta, and their seventh clean sheet in ten Premier League matches this season. According to Sky Sports, the north London side have now gone 444 minutes without conceding a league goal.
A stubborn Hull hold out for over an hour
Hull arrived at the Emirates with a defensive plan and executed it for much of the afternoon. Sky Sports reports that the visitors were difficult to break down and limited Arsenal's clear chances, particularly in the first half.
Arsenal's best early opportunity fell to Kai Havertz, who was unable to convert a one-on-one situation. Hull, meanwhile, carried a threat of their own, with Elliot Stroud forcing a full-stretch save from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Christos Tzolis also had openings for the visitors but could not take them.
The first half ended in controversy. Sky Sports reports that Arsenal were denied a penalty after a VAR review, when Havertz was judged to have been offside as his shirt was pulled by Hull defender Nobel Mendy. Under Premier League rules, however, the foul should have taken precedence, because Havertz was not attempting to play the ball or challenging for it as he made his run. On that reading, the penalty should have been awarded.
Arteta said afterwards that he had received no explanation for the decision. "I was confused because when the referee went to the monitor, it was because it was a clear penalty but they made a different decision based on the offside," he said, according to Sky Sports. "We haven't got any clarity yet about the situation."
Second-half pressure tells as Odegaard strikes
Arsenal raised the tempo after the interval and the breakthrough arrived when Madueke's effort was parried by Tzolakis and Odegaard reacted first to convert the loose ball. Sky Sports notes it was Odegaard's first goal since a run of four in five games between August and September.
The hosts could have doubled their advantage late on. Madueke was unable to finish another one-on-one chance, and the loose ball had to be cleared off Hull's goal-line.
Arteta acknowledged his side had not been at their sharpest in attack. "We had some big moments that we should have scored and we didn't hit the target, get the final pass, we are one-on-one with the 'keeper and don't take the chance," he said, per Sky Sports. "So many situations where you don't do that, you need to rely on generating so much volume and at some point, hoping that you're going to get them down and that's the way we won the game."
He also praised Madueke's contribution, noting that the winger had trained in Portugal during the first international break rather than taking a holiday, and said the player was now full of confidence and impacting games with goals and assists.
Defensive solidity underpins the win
While the attacking display was not vintage, Sky Sports reports that Arsenal were close to faultless at the back. The centre-back pairing of Gabriel and Ezri Konsa drew particular praise, with Konsa making a last-ditch block on Mohamed Ali-Cho when Hull broke quickly, and winning all seven of his duels while completing all but two of his 53 passes.
William Saliba's impending return will increase competition for places in central defence, but on current form Konsa appears likely to keep his spot.
Hull manager Jakirovic praised his team's bravery, saying they had defended with courage and limited the space available to Arsenal, though he admitted his side needed better decisions and quicker transitions on the ball. Sky Sports reports that Hull were without Mohamed Belloumi, whose creativity has been central to their season — the Algeria international has either scored or assisted five of the club's 11 Premier League goals.
Arsenal's next task is to carry their momentum into the coming fixtures, with the title race now firmly in their favour. Hull, meanwhile, will look to regroup and find attacking solutions without Belloumi as they continue their campaign.
