Madueke's rebound sets up Odegaard winner as Arsenal edge Hull 1-0

Arsenal ground out a 1-0 win over Hull City at the Emirates on Saturday, with Martin Odegaard converting a rebound in the 72nd minute after Noni Madueke's initial shot was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis.

Madueke almost added a second late on, breaking through the Hull defence only for Tzolakis to make a tackle that cannoned off Nobel Mendy before Brooke Norton-Cuffy hacked the ball clear off the line.

The winger was visibly frustrated by the miss, according to Sky Sports Football, sprawling on the turf with his head in his hands and continuing to show his dissatisfaction after the final whistle despite his side taking the points.

Mikel Arteta used his post-match remarks to highlight Madueke's personal transformation over the recent international break, pointing to a change in habits rather than holiday downtime as the catalyst for his improved form.

Arteta explained, as reported by Yahoo Sports, that Madueke had not been playing before the first international break, and rather than going on holiday he travelled to Portugal to train privately and improve his fitness, returning to the squad sharper and quickly finding his rhythm.

The Arsenal manager added that Madueke now looks confident, willing to take players on, and is directly influencing matches through goals and assists, a trend the club is pleased to see continue.

Hull proved a stubborn visitor for long periods, and Arteta acknowledged his side needed patience to break them down, telling Sky Sports that Arsenal had created several good chances without finding the target or the final pass, and that persistence in generating volume eventually told.

The contest was also shaped by a contentious VAR intervention in the first half, when referee Farai Hallam initially awarded Arsenal a penalty after Kai Havertz was brought down by Mendy, only to overturn the decision and award Hull a free-kick after spotting Havertz in an offside position.

Arteta said he had been confused by the reversal, having initially believed the referee's trip to the monitor confirmed a clear penalty before a different ruling was issued over offside, adding that 'we don't have any clarity yet about the decision.'

The win stretched Arsenal's home record in all competitions to ten consecutive victories, including eight clean sheets, according to figures cited by Yahoo Sports via Opta. That represents the club's longest winning run at the Emirates under Arteta since a 12-match streak between April and November 2022.

It also marked a fifth straight league victory since Arsenal's defeat to Brighton in September, which remains their only domestic loss of the campaign.

Arteta pointed to the team's resilience as a defining trait of the run, noting that Arsenal have repeatedly found a way to respond even after conceding early in some matches, and praised the squad's consistency in approach, saying 'we have done really well from the international break up to this point.'

Arsenal's next league fixture comes after the international break, away at Newcastle on 21 November, as they look to extend their unbeaten domestic run at the top of the table.