Bodø/Glimt vs Arsenal

Last week’s Europa League match at the Emirates ended 3-0 in Arsenal’s favour as they maintained their 100% record in the group. A fast start which saw the Gunners come out of the blocks very quickly was the key to their success and after 30 mins the match looked secure with a 2-0 scoreline. Eddie Nketiah & Rob Holding got the goals and then the win was wrapped up by Fabio Vieira in the 84th minute. Mikel Arteta’s side were heavily rotated for that fixture and in total he made 8 changes. That was partly because Arsenal were looking ahead to the big Liverpool match which they won this Sunday 3-2, but it also shows the excellent level of quality squad depth that the North Londoners currently have right now. The likes of Tierney and Tomiyasu were both fielded last week, and Arsenal especially had a lot of success on the right hand side of the field with Marquinhos who terrorised Brice Wembangomo all night. It was a situation where Glimt could have ideally done with a natural left footer in that position rather than the inverted full back which he currently is. Arsenal won the xG battle 3.57 to 0.73 and the margin of victory could, and probably should have been bigger.

The positive for Bodø/Glimt was that they had a much improved second half and were especially strong from 45-70 mins. They probably gave Arsenal too much respect in the first half, but I don’t think anyone would have begrudged them a goal after the break. Creative playmaker Hugo Vetlesen got into some good positions, whilst right winger Joel Mvuka also looked lively. Ultimately, the Norwegian champions were simply outplayed on the night, but they always knew that it was going to be a difficult match. Kjetil Knutsen’s side bounced back at the weekend by beating Sandefjord 4-1 in the Eliteserien. They are second in the league and should be able to obtain a European place this season. Glimt will not be winning the Eliteserien this year because Molde are well clear at the top of the standings. In Europe, the team from the Arctic Circle have a formidable record here at Aspmyra Stadion. They have won 14 consecutive home games in Europe at this venue, beating the likes of Roma (twice), Celtic, AZ Alkmaar and Dinamo Zagreb. This will undoubtedly be a very tough challenge to maintain that run, but on their own artificial turf Glimt simply must be given respect.

Arsenal are the 1.40 favourites to win this match, but they will be coming down off a massive high after beating Liverpool. That was a statement win for the Gunners and there is no doubt that quite rightly their main focus and priority will be on the Premier League right now. They have won both Europa League group games so far and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them a bit under par here, perhaps with minds on the next match away to Leeds on Sunday. I am expecting plenty of rotation which should keep legs fresh and a very exciting game. Taking over 2.5 goals at 1.47 looks like a good bet. Apart from the Zagreb game when the stakes were really high, all of Glimt’s home fixtures in Europe this season have contained at least three goals. There’s enough offensive firepower on the pitch at both ends for this bet to cover.

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18+ please gamble responsibly.

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