Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allergi has conceded ‘there was nothing his side could do’ up against ‘one of the strongest teams in Europe’ in Arsenal.
The Gunners got their Champions League campaign off a winning start with Martin Odegaard’s second-half goal sealing victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side were in control throughout the contest but passed up a number of opportunities to take the lead – registering 26 shots in total – before their captain stepped up.
It was another defeat for Napoli who have lost three in a row in all competitions, beaten by Como and Inter in Serie A leading into last night’s game.
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Speaking after the game Allegri praised the strength of Arteta’s Arsenal side, seeing little wrong in his side’s performance where they simply came up second best. The Italian also highlighted the opposition’s slick one-twos that caused problems for his side all night.
‘We played a good match against one of the strongest teams in Europe. The first half was very even, then they upped the tempo in the second,’ Allegri said.
‘We defended well; if we had defended like that against Como and Inter, we probably wouldn’t have lost. We need to look at the positives. Then, if you mess up the final pass, you risk conceding a goal, as happened.’
He continued: ‘We knew it would be a tough one. We’re coming off three consecutive defeats, but we can’t get discouraged because I can’t fault the lads for anything today. When we defend like that, it’s difficult to score.’
Asked if there was anything else his side could have done, he added: ‘No, not tonight. Unfortunately, we fell for a one-two that we didn’t follow through on. They’re very good at that.’
Italy legend Alessandro del Piero meanwhile believed the physical levels of the two teams was a huge factor on the night.
‘Napoli were the ones who were tired in the 80th minute, not Arsenal, because Arsenal kept the ball more, given their style of play,’ Del Piero told Sky Sports Italia. ‘Players like Odegaard thrive in a game like that, having had an amazing year behind them.
From a psychological standpoint, something comes into play there. Saka or the Arsenal wingers could attack with fresh legs, while Napoli’s had to chase for three minutes and then be asked to turn the play around. It’s not just tiredness, but the style of play, positioning, confidence, and the quality of more established players on the one hand.’