Martin Odegaard and William Saliba progressed to the last-16 of the World Cup on Tuesday, but Viktor Gyokeres and Piero Hincapie were both eliminated.
Arsenal had four internationals in action in the World Cup knockouts on Tuesday, with Martin Odegaard and Norway kicking things off with a match against high-flying Cote d’Ivoire.
It certainly wasn’t an easy game, but Odegaard notched a first-half assist for Antonio Nusa’s brilliant finish for 1-0, and despite the opposition drawing level, Erling Haaland scored a late winner to send Norway through.
Odegaard now has three assists in his three World Cup appearances, playing a significant role in his country reaching the last-16.
Next up, William Saliba of France took on Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden, meaning it was inevitable that one Arsenal player would be going through, and one going out.
Unfortunately for Gyokeres, this match was much more straightforward, and Saliba came away with a clean sheet in a brilliant 3-0 victory for a France team that look like being one of the favourites to win the entire competition.
That just left Piero Hincapie and Ecuador, who were facing hosts Mexico. Ecuador had a fantastic defensive unit in qualifying, but it wasn’t enough on this occasion, and Mexico won the match 2-0.
To make matters worse, Hincapie picked up a red card, and he’ll serve a suspension in Ecuador’s next competitive game.
For the two players who progressed to the last-16, Brazil await Norway, whilst France will take on Paraguay. The Brazil clash between the two Gabriels, Odegaard, and Manchester City rival Haaland looks like being a tasty encounter.
There will be more Arsenal players in action on Wednesday, with up to four Gunners playing for England against D.R. Congo at 17:00 BST, before Leandro Trossard and Belgium face Senegal at 21:00 BST.
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