Odegaard gives Arsenal a fourth straight Premier League win

Arsenal beat Hull 1-0 in the Premier League thanks to a goal from Martin Odegaard, securing a fourth successive win in the competition. The result sends the Gunners into the international break at the top of the table. A controversial refereeing decision threatened to dominate a largely uneventful match before Arsenal’s captain settled it from close range.

In the first half, referee Farai Hallam was sent to the pitchside monitor after Nobel Mendy pulled Kai Havertz’s shirt. The incident raised hopes of a penalty at the Emirates, but Havertz’s offside position ultimately led to the move being ruled out, according to the match account. The VAR decision threatened to become the main talking point as Arsenal struggled to create chances.

Odegaard’s close-range finish gave the match a different focus: the win. It extends Arsenal’s run of league victories and keeps them at the summit as the international break approaches. The side have won nine of their first 10 league matches, although they are the lowest scorers among the top four. Their only league match with at least three goals came on the season’s first day, against Coventry; Arsenal have scored no more than twice in each league game since.

That limited output comes amid absences and changes in attack. Bukayo Saka is out with a quadriceps injury. Viktor Gyokeres is second choice this season, while Mikel Arteta is still working out how to get the best from Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke is trying to fill the gap left by Saka.

The incident involving Havertz also brought to mind other video-assistant decisions. The previous weekend, Liverpool were denied a penalty after Jurrien Timber pulled back Alexander Isak’s shirt. Last December, a penalty awarded to Dango Ouattara for Brentford against Leeds was overturned after an offside decision. This time, Arsenal left with the points: the VAR debate did not take away the key outcome for the Gunners, another league victory.