Ødegaard Drops Hammer on Napoli: Arsenal Are 'Another Level' and It's Getting Scary

Stop sleeping on Arsenal. Seriously. The noise from Naples on Wednesday wasn't just the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona rocking — it was the sound of a team hitting its stride at full volume. Martin Ødegaard stepped up, fired home from the edge of the box in the 75th minute, and sent the Gunners to a 1-0 Champions League-opening win over Napoli. But it wasn't just the goal. It was the message.

'On another level'

“I think we feel different. I think we feel a lot stronger this year,” Ødegaard told CBS Sports. “We play with a different confidence and I feel like we're on another level this season.”

That's not just captain talk. That's a statement from a guy who's been through the grind. After an injury-plagued campaign last year, Ødegaard is fit, flying, and already racking up his fourth goal in five appearances this season. He was unplayable against Napoli — calm, ruthless, and absolutely everywhere. Player of the match? You better believe it.

Perfect start, zero mercy

Arsenal have won all five games this season. Five from five. All 10 of their goals have come from open play — no penalties, no shortcuts, just pure, suffocating football. And this win wasn't against some mid-table pushover. This was Napoli, on their own turf, in a cauldron of noise. The Gunners walked in, played their game, and walked out with three points.

Last season, Arsenal reached the Champions League final but came up short in the Premier League before finally getting over the line for the title. Ødegaard says that hunger hasn't disappeared — it's multiplied.

“Winning gives you a different kind of confidence,” he said. “The team is just growing and growing. We want to do it again. We want more.”

Arteta sees it too

Mikel Arteta was beaming after the match — not just about the result, but about the personality his squad showed in a hostile environment. “We showed such personality and quality today,” he said. Credit where it's due: this Arsenal side looks sharper, stronger, and far more dangerous than the one that stumbled in big moments before.

So yeah, keep doubting them if you want. But Ødegaard and co. are playing like a team on a mission — and right now, they're on another level entirely.