Martin Ødegaard's Late Goal Secures Victory for Arsenal Against Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne walked back into the European spotlight and immediately took centre stage. His first start of the season for Napoli, after a stuttering domestic beginning limited to three substitute outings, felt less like a tentative return and more like a familiar takeover of the midfield.

From the opening exchanges, the former Manchester City playmaker dictated the rhythm for the Italian side. He dropped into pockets, zipped passes between the lines, and forced Arsenal’s back line to stay on constant alert. Rust? Nowhere to be seen.

Arsenal, though, brought their own conductor.

Rice and Arteta hail an old foe

Declan Rice has seen this movie before. Years of facing De Bruyne in the Premier League have left scars and respect in equal measure, and the Arsenal midfielder did not hide either after the final whistle.

"Yeah, good, really good," Rice told Prime Video when asked about facing De Bruyne again. "A player that, even tonight, even though we won, he caused a lot of problems still. A player that’s so smart, moves into really good spaces. It was really nice to see him again after playing against him for so long."

On the touchline, there was another reunion steeped in history. Mikel Arteta, who spent almost four years working with De Bruyne as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, greeted his former player warmly at full-time. The admiration remains deep.

Arteta did not hold back when speaking to reporters.

"If there is a player in Napoli that is one of my favourite-ever players, that is Kevin De Bruyne, who I had the luxury to train and to be with him for almost four years. In my opinion, he is one of the best midfielders ever and still a joy to watch him play."

The respect flowed both ways. De Bruyne, now the star attraction in Naples, returned the compliment by praising Arsenal and suggesting they are "maybe the best team in the world." On this evidence, it was not an empty line.

Ødegaard delivers the decisive blow

For long spells, the contest in the middle of the pitch felt like De Bruyne’s stage. He drifted between red shirts, pulled Napoli up the field, and constantly threatened to open Arsenal up with one devastating pass.

Then the game tilted.

Arsenal absorbed the pressure, tightened their shape, and waited for their own creator to strike. When the chance arrived late on, Martin Ødegaard took it with the cold precision that has become his trademark. The captain’s late goal silenced the stadium and handed Arteta’s side the perfect launch to their European campaign.

De Bruyne had shaped the tactical battle. Ødegaard decided it.

Arsenal’s statement, Napoli’s warning

For Arsenal, this was more than three points in Italy. After the heartbreak of last season’s Champions League final defeat to PSG, this win lands as a clear message: they intend to go one better.

They did it by shutting out a Napoli attack orchestrated by one of the game’s great modern midfielders. That matters. The reigning Premier League champions now head back to domestic duty, travelling to Sunderland on Sunday with momentum, resilience, and a clean sheet against De Bruyne in their pocket.

For Napoli, the result stings, but De Bruyne’s performance sends a different signal across Europe. He looked sharp, influential, and every bit the player Arteta still calls one of his favourites. Far from finished. Nowhere near.

Napoli will try to snap a growing losing streak when they host Bologna next. With De Bruyne back pulling the strings, the question is no longer whether he can still dominate at this level, but how quickly Napoli can turn his revival into results.