Match ends, Arsenal 1, Norwich City 0.
ArsenalArsenal1NorwichNorwich City0
Arsenal lifted the pressure on manager Mikel Arteta as they secured their first points of the Premier League season with victory over Norwich City at Emirates Stadium.
Arteta was under mounting scrutiny after a miserable start to the campaign with three defeats that left the Gunners at the foot of the table, so a win that was workmanlike rather than spectacular will be gratefully received.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was back on target to set Arsenal on their way after 66 minutes, with a finish from almost on the goal-line after Canaries' keeper Tim Krul turned Nicolas Pepe's shot on to the post and the same player then struck the woodwork again.
Arsenal had an anxious moment as referee Michael Oliver conducted a VAR check for offside before the Emirates Stadium celebrate with a mixture of elation and relief.
Relief for Arteta and Arsenal
Arteta used his programme notes to call for patience after his side's poor start to the season but he will know as well as anyone that the clock ticks on any manager who struggles to get points on the board, especially at a club with high aspirations.
He wrote: "We are trying to build a medium- to long-term project, which also needs immediate results. That only happens in elite sport and most importantly in football."
And that immediate result was at least achieved to get Arsenal off the mark this season while scoring their first league goal of the campaign, even if it was hardly a convincing victory margin and achieved against a Canaries side who have now taken the Gunners' place at the bottom of the table after a fourth consecutive league loss.
Arsenal, on the balance of play, deserved the win and Arteta will have been encouraged by getting new £50m summer signing Ben White in the side together with key defender Gabriel Magalhaes, seeing new goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale mark his league debut with a clean sheet and the sight of key midfield man Thomas Partey coming on as substitute.
The home fans, despite those poor early season results and performances, were vociferously behind their team from even before the first whistle, the news of Tottenham's defeat at Crystal Palace putting them in good heart having gone into this round of fixtures propping up the table with their north London rivals at the summit.
Emile Smith-Rowe was bright and breezy after coming on as substitute, forcing a fine save from Krul that could have settled matters while Bukayo Saka demonstrated once again that he is a real symbol for Arsenal, now and in the future.
Arteta will be thankful for any small mercies given the paucity of Arsenal's efforts this season and this will provide a much-needed lift when measured both by their performance and the result.
The Gunners had a difficult opening set of fixtures but Arteta knew this was a must-win to stop the pressure mounting even more.
He will also know this is just a start but he will accept it with both hands and move on to the potentially hazardous visit to Burnley to try and consolidate on these three points.
Canaries must find killer touch
Norwich manager Daniel Farke was locked in conversation with referee Oliver after the final whistle, clearly convinced Arsenal's goal should have been disallowed for offside. The goal stood, making it no points and four losses in the league so far this season.
He may have been nursing a sense of injustice and can also point to a fixture list that has opened with meetings against Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester City and now Arsenal but there are still worrying signs as Norwich try to avoid the fate that befell them last time they were in the Premier League, when they returned tamely to the Championship.
Farke's men play in a positive manner and show plenty of nice touches - indeed they almost took the lead when Kenny McLean glanced Max Aarons' cross wide in the first half - but there was an obvious lack of punch and it is going to be a very long season for the tireless striker Teemu Pukki unless Farke can get more support for his main marksman.
It is still very early days, on the other hand. The Canaries still have plenty of time to kick-start their season and get things going in less taxing fixtures. They face Watford at home next and that is the sort of game Farke will have ringed on his calendar as one from which they must pick up three points.
Norwich will feel they have a hard luck story to tell about Aubameyang's decisive goal but they must put this behind them and work on adjusting to Premier League life.
- Reaction to Arsenal v Norwich, plus the rest of Saturday's Premier League action
- Everything you need to know about the Gunners, all in one place
- Everything you need to know about the Canaries, all in one place
Player of the match
Smith RoweEmile Smith Rowe
with an average of 6.97
Arsenal
Avg
Squad number10Player nameSmith RoweAverage rating6.97
- Squad number5Player nameParteyAverage rating
6.63
- Squad number7Player nameSakaAverage rating
6.60
- Squad number3Player nameTierneyAverage rating
6.54
- Squad number18Player nameTomiyasuAverage rating
6.24
- Squad number8Player nameØdegaardAverage rating
6.11
- Squad number17Player nameCédric SoaresAverage rating
6.08
Squad number14Player nameAubameyangAverage rating5.96
- Squad number32Player nameRamsdaleAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number4Player nameWhiteAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number23Player nameSambi LokongaAverage rating
5.91
- Squad number6Player nameGabriel MagalhãesAverage rating
5.91
- Squad number19Player namePépéAverage rating
5.79
Squad number15Player nameMaitland-NilesAverage rating5.72
Norwich City
Avg
- Squad number21Player nameWilliamsAverage rating
6.57
- Squad number22Player namePukkiAverage rating
6.46
- Squad number44Player nameOmobamideleAverage rating
6.42
- Squad number5Player nameHanleyAverage rating
6.35
- Squad number18Player nameTzolisAverage rating
6.31
- Squad number1Player nameKrulAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number23Player nameMcLeanAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number20Player nameLees-MelouAverage rating
6.20
- Squad number10Player nameDowellAverage rating
6.17
- Squad number2Player nameAaronsAverage rating
6.16
- Squad number7Player nameRuppAverage rating
6.09
- Squad number14Player nameCantwellAverage rating
5.48
- Squad number17Player nameRashicaAverage rating
5.43
- Squad number35Player nameIdahAverage rating
5.23
Line-ups
Arsenal
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 32Ramsdale
- 18TomiyasuSubstituted forSmith Roweat 62'minutes
- 4WhiteBooked at 88mins
- 6Gabriel
- 3Tierney
- 23Sambi LokongaSubstituted forParteyat 62'minutes
- 15Maitland-NilesSubstituted forCédric Soaresat 82'minutes
- 19Pépé
- 8Ødegaard
- 7Saka
- 14Aubameyang
Substitutes
- 1Leno
- 5Partey
- 9Lacazette
- 10Smith Rowe
- 17Cédric Soares
- 20Tavares
- 21Chambers
- 22Marí
- 35Martinelli
Norwich
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Krul
- 2AaronsBooked at 42mins
- 44Omobamidele
- 5HanleyBooked at 48mins
- 21Williams
- 20Lees-Melou
- 7RuppSubstituted forIdahat 80'minutes
- 23McLean
- 10DowellSubstituted forCantwellat 62'minutes
- 22Pukki
- 18TzolisSubstituted forRashicaat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Gibson
- 8Gilmour
- 14Cantwell
- 15Kabak
- 16Normann
- 17Rashica
- 19Sørensen
- 28Gunn
- 35Idah
- Referee:
- Michael Oliver
- Attendance:
- 59,337
Match Stats
Home TeamArsenalAway TeamNorwich
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home30
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 1, Norwich City 0.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nicolas Pépé.
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Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Brandon Williams (Norwich City).
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Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Brandon Williams (Norwich City).
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Attempt blocked. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Grant Hanley with a headed pass.
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Foul by Ben White (Arsenal).
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Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bukayo Saka.
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Attempt missed. Nicolas Pépé (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe following a fast break.
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Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Gabriel Magalhães.
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Attempt blocked. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Idah with a cross.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cédric Soares with a cross.
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Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City).
Booking
Ben White (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
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Foul by Thomas Partey (Arsenal).
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Kenny McLean (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Comments
Join the conversation
Norwich did not do that today and so deserved to lose.
Arteta will be happy to have a full squad to choose from and will hope to be able to select a settled team over a run of games, get some results and build some confidence.
Liverpool, Man City, Leicester and Arsenal
Expected points: Nil
Points gained: Nil
The majority of Norwich fans were just waiting for this day to be over.
Season starts now.
Bravo, win or die
But really a 1-0 victory is nothing to celebrate too much against perennial relegation contenders
Yet totteringham get a couple of top 4 places and lose every final they reach and think they are a top club close to challenging after a couple of wins every season ...