The Arsenal problem Mikel Arteta must solve ahead of West Ham as Martin Odegaard boost confirmed

Arsenal should have secured their victory much earlier, rather than relying on Bukayo Saka's late goal to finally defeat Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium and secure back-to-back wins.

Gabriel Martinelli scored an early goal,but the team missed numerous opportunities against a fairly average opposition. It wasn't until Saka's late appearance and his injury-time goal that they were able to confirm their win and ease any lingering tension.

Mikel Arteta's squad should have sealed the game early enough to rest ahead of Saturday's London derby against West Ham. Viktor Gyokeres, Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Martin Odegaard all missed golden opportunities to end the match. The lack of goals likely bored some spectators which just underlines the problem with this new format.

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Due to the high number of matches in the league phase, the initial games lack risk and therefore miss the intensity and thrill of a significant European night, reports the Mirror. On the bright side, Odegaard, despite one of the worst misses, had his best performance of the season so far, controlling the midfield.

Martinelli continued his scoring streak, netting three goals in five games, while Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made several impressive saves. This should have been a morale-boosting opportunity to accumulate goals, rather than ending the match on a tense note until Saka's timely intervention.

Gyokeres was a prolific scorer last season, bagging six in eight Champions League matches for Sporting CP, but seemed somewhat jittery this time around as he rushed and grabbed at opportunities. The £64million forward could certainly benefit from a couple of goals to calm his nerves during what is a crucial week for the Gunners. To his credit, he never ceases to put in the effort for the team.

They go into Saturday's clash with West Ham knowing that a victory would propel them to the top spot, given that current leaders Liverpool are set to face Chelsea later in the day. Following their dramatic win at Newcastle on Sunday, they should have been brimming with energy, but instead appeared lethargic and almost complacent.

Arteta did opt for rest and rotation, as his summer splurge has increased the pressure on him to secure a trophy, but it has also provided him with an abundance of talent to utilise. Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly returned to the full-back positions, while Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Martinelli were all named in the starting line-up at the Emirates.

Martinelli had a golden opportunity to give them an early lead within two minutes, but the Brazilian winger misjudged his header from Lewis-Skelly's tempting cross. However, they didn't have to wait much longer. Gyokeres proved to be a force to be reckoned with in these games, powering through the defence. His shot was deflected onto the post by Olympiacos goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis, but Martinelli was there to slot home the rebound.

Arsenal should have taken off from there. However, a fantastic save from goalkeeper David Raya was required to keep out Olympiacos' ex-Wolves winger Daniel Podence.

The spotlight then turned to Martinelli and Gyokeres. Both were equally guilty of selfish play, opting for personal glory instead of passing to their teammate.

Trossard squandered two excellent opportunities in the second half, followed by Odegaard missing a golden opportunity from close range as Arteta started making substitutions.

However, class is irreplaceable, as demonstrated by Odegaard - who was on top form - threading a beautiful pass to Saka, who slotted it through the keeper's legs.