Arsenal vs Bodo/Glimt prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-10-05 19:00.
Thanks to their postponed UEFA Europa League (UEL) fixture against PSV, Arsenal find themselves playing catch-up in Group A. That game in hand will come round soon enough, but the visit of Bodø/Glimt is the first hurdle current Premier League (PL) leaders Arsenal must overcome, and with five wins in six prior games against Norwegian opposition (D1), one might fully expect them to do so.
The Gunners have been firing on all cylinders when Norwegian sides have previously visited North London, clocking up a whopping 13-2 aggregate victory across three home encounters (W3). Ultimately, there’s a weight of expectation on Arsenal’s shoulders in the UEL having progressed through to the knockout stages on their previous four conquests, but Mikel Arteta’s side proved they can handle the pressure when warming up for this clash, after a blistering 3-1 North London Derby victory over Spurs on Saturday kept them top of the PL.
Perennial underdogs Bodø/Glimt are once again out to defy all odds after their run to the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals last year. The Norwegian champions have made a fine start to doing so, with four points after two UEL group games seeing them top the group after the conclusion of that duo of games, undoubtedly aided by fast starts that saw them strike first in both contests.
A 4-1 Eliteserien victory away at Lillestrøm at the weekend served as perfect preparation, although a 15-point gap to Molde in top spot with only 18 points left to play for means Bodø/Glimt can almost certainly say their title push is over. Perhaps having only the UEL to focus on will help them here, but with no win in their last seven European away games (D3, L4), Bodø/Glimt may find themselves knocked off the top in the UEL too.
Players to watch: Gabriel Jesus is yet to get off the mark in the UEL, but considering his four UEFA Champions League goals for Manchester City came at home last season, he may fancy his chances of opening his account here. Meanwhile, Bodø/Glimt may look to Runar Espejord for a game winning intervention considering his last two away goals proved crucial to victory.
Hot stat: Bodø/Glimt have conceded exactly once in six of their last nine away games.