Ødegaard's late strike keeps Arsenal perfect as Hull runs out of time

Arsenal fans have learned to sweat through the tough matches. Twenty-two years without a league title teaches you patience, and they needed every ounce of it on Saturday against Hull.

The visitors came to play. Sergej Jakirovic's side weren't here to roll over, and for most of the afternoon they made Arsenal work for it. Hull hadn't beaten these guys since 2008—their first-ever trip to this ground—and they weren't about to hand them anything easy. With twenty minutes left, you could feel it: an upset was brewing.

Arsenal had their chances, sure. There was a dodgy moment just before halftime when Kai Havertz got tugged in the box. No pen. Controversial? Yeah, especially after Arteta's lot got away with basically the same thing against Liverpool last week. That decision could've dominated the headlines. Could've.

But Martin Ødegaard had other plans. The captain struck in the second half for his fifth of the season, and that was that. Hull's resistance crumbled. One goal was all it took to seal it.

The win matters more than it might look. Arsenal's now sitting on 27 points from their first 10 games—matching their own club record from the title-winning season. They go into the international break with daylight between them and Manchester City, who they'll face again after the break.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are lurking too, but Arsenal's run of form is starting to look serious. The machine's clicking. Hull threw everything at them and came up short, and that's the kind of grind that wins leagues.