Arsenal beat Hull to go into break as Premier League leaders

Arsenal beat Hull City 1-0 to go into the international break at the top of the Premier League, with the match statistics showing the scale of their control and the narrowness of the final score.

Arsenal had 21 shots to Hull City's 7, with 10 attempts on target against Hull's 2. Fourteen of Arsenal's shots came from inside the box, compared with 6 for Hull, while the hosts held 67% possession. Martin Odegaard scored the only goal in the 72nd minute.

The finishing remained a question for Arsenal. They created 1 big chance and put 10 shots on target but scored only once. Mikel Arteta said his side were inefficient in front of goal and had to keep generating chances until they broke Hull down. He described Odegaard's finish as "not the most beautiful one, but the most effective one."

Arteta praised Hull's organisation and pressing. "They are really well-organised, aggressive pressing on the block," he said. He also said he had not yet reviewed a Kai Havertz penalty decision that was ruled out after a review because of an offside position, and wanted to understand the call before commenting further.

Odegaard had 2 shots, 1 on target, and played the full 95 minutes. Noni Madueke had 4 shots, including 2 on target, and also played 95 minutes. Christos Tzolis managed 4 shots with 2 on target before being replaced in the 69th minute, while Declan Rice had 3 shots, 2 on target, before leaving in the 63rd.

Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino came on in the 63rd minute, with Eberechi Eze following in the 69th as Arsenal pushed for a second goal. Hull made changes in the 60th and 61st minutes, including Joe Gelhardt and Brooke Norton-Cuffy, but Arsenal continued to probe. Hull's efforts to disrupt the rhythm also brought several bookings, including cautions for Lewie Coyle in the 34th minute and Lucas Gourna-Douath in the 48th, followed by further yellow cards in the 54th, 61st, 75th and 87th minutes.

Arsenal have 9 wins from 10 league matches and 27 points, with 15 goals scored and 5 conceded. Hull have 11 points from 10 games, with 2 wins, 5 draws and 3 defeats, and have scored and conceded 11 goals. Arsenal's five-match league run stands at W-W-W-W-W; Hull's is L-D-D-L-D.

The win keeps Arsenal top heading into the international break. Their possession and shot advantage was clear, but Odegaard's goal was enough to settle a match in which Hull's defensive approach kept the scoreline close.