Italy legend hails Arsenal ‘class’ and explains why Martin Odegaard is thriving under Mikel Arteta
Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero praised Arsenal's dominance against Napoli and explained how Mikel Arteta's system allows Martin Odegaard to excel.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
Following Arsenal's dominant 1-0 Champions League victory against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Italian football legend Alessandro Del Piero has lauded the Gunners' performance. Under Mikel Arteta, the team displayed the physical quality and tactical control required to overcome a top-tier Serie A opponent.
Working as a pundit, Del Piero highlighted the stark difference in class between the two sides, noting that Arsenal's relentless possession-based style effectively drained Napoli’s energy as the match progressed.
Napoli were the ones who were tired in the 80th minute, not Arsenal, because Arsenal kept the ball more, given their style of play. Alessandro Del Piero
The Italian icon also focused on the performance of Martin Odegaard, who scored the decisive goal. Del Piero believes that Arteta’s tactical setup creates the perfect environment for the Norwegian midfielder to exert his influence on the game.
Players like Odegaard thrive in a game like that, having had an amazing year behind them. It’s not just tiredness, but the style of play, positioning, confidence, and the quality of more established players on the one hand. Alessandro Del Piero
This result marks a strong start for the Gunners as they look to bounce back from last season's heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to PSG in the final. Arsenal now look to carry this European momentum forward.