Martin Odegaard's late goal secured a 1-0 Premier League win for Arsenal against Hull at Emirates Stadium. The captain reacted quickest to a spilled shot in the 72nd minute, breaking a stubborn Hull resistance and preserving Arsenal's perfect home record this season.
Mikel Arteta reverted to the side that won at Liverpool the previous weekend, with Bruno Guimarães preferred in midfield. William Saliba was not in the squad, with the manager confirming the defender would feature for the under-21s instead. The visitors, managed by Sergej Jakirovic, set up in a 5-3-2 formation with Mohamed-Ali Cho and Oli McBurnie leading the line.
Hull started brightly and John Egan headed a corner wide early on. Arsenal struggled to lift the tempo, with Declan Rice volleying off target and Christos Tzolis hammering a chance into the stands. The home side thought they had a penalty before half-time when Kai Havertz was pulled back, but the VAR ruled the forward was offside in the build-up.
Havertz, the club's top scorer this season with three goals in nine appearances, then failed to convert after being played in by a slide-rule pass from Odegaard. Arteta emptied his bench in search of a winner, and substitute Eberechi Eze fired over from long range. The breakthrough finally came when Noni Madueke's driven shot was parried by Konstantinos Tzolakis, and Odegaard pounced on the loose ball to score.
Mikel Arteta highlighted the historical difficulty of the fixture. "They had not beaten Arsenal in 14 attempts since winning on their first visit to this ground in 2008," the Arsenal manager said.
Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic outlined his team's approach. "If you are passive, they will destroy you," he said, explaining his side's disciplined defensive shape.
Their recent form shows four wins and a draw from the last five matches, a run that includes victories over Slavia Praha and Liverpool. The Gunners have conceded just five league goals all season, the best defensive record in the division, and have scored 14. They now turn their attention to their next fixture away to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November.
More detail at BBC Sport Football
