JUST like their flight to Naples, Arsenal’s Champions League campaign got off to a delayed start.
But when it finally achieved lift-off with just 15 minutes left of this game, it was worth the wait.
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Nothing was going to keep out Martin Odegaard’s stunning strike from outside the box, which was his fourth goal of the season.
The winning goal stood out because it was so at odds with what had taken place before it.
Up until that point, the Gunners had been utterly woeful in front of goal.
And it was just as well there is a running track around this great stadium, or else those in the front rows would have been ducking for cover.
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It was fitting that Arsenal took so long to get going, given how this tricky trip to Napoli started.
Air traffic control issues in the UK meant the squad’s flight did not land on Tuesday until 10pm, three hours later than planned.
And maybe that had an impact in the early stages, when Mikel Arteta’s side did much of the grunt work but lacked the final ball.
A win is a win, though, and Arteta will be especially pleased as this is the first of four away games before this month’s international break.
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The Gunners want to go deep in the Champions League – as well as the Prem – after losing in the final last season.
They have the depth to do so and Arteta showed that by making four changes for this opening clash.
But Mikel Arteta resisted the urge to make sweeping changes, even with the embarrassment of riches he now has at his disposal.
Hincapie replaced Riccardo Calafiori in defence and Mikel Merino came into the midfield for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In attack, Christos Tzolis and Kai Havertz made way so Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres could make their first starts of the season.
They came up against some familiar faces, including former Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne.
The 35-year-old has so often been a thorn in Arsenal’s side, and went into this clash with eight goals and four assists in his last 17 starts against the Gunners.
But now the Belgian is part of a midfield at Napoli that started this game with an average age of 30.
There were signs, though, that there is still life in the old dog yet.
De Bruyne was the most likely of any Napoli player to make something happen, causing problems from the pockets of space behind former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund.
One shot from outside the box really rolled back the years, but David Raya was able to keep the stinging effort out.
Napoli looked lively on the break, but the excellent Ezri Konsa kept them at bay and Arsenal controlled much of the first half.
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Saka and Eze were lively on the wings, both having shots blocked inside the opening 10 minutes.
Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret was being kept busy, too, and made a smart stop to keep out Mikel Merino’s diving header.
Eze and Saka were at the heart of the move, with the latter’s cross nodded into Merino’s path by the former.
Eze’s brightness on the left was complimented by some good build-up play on the other flank, even if the final ball was lacking.
As he has all season, right-back Ben White was getting joy on the overlap and he also tested Meret with a tame effort.
It summed up much of Arsenal’s finishing in the opening 45 minutes, which was either too weak or ballooned over the bar.
Declan Rice launched one effort onto the running track that surrounds this great stadium, and Arteta cut a frustrated figure during a half where his side had 13 shots on goal.
The best chance was wasted by Saka, though, who wildly fired over the bar when just inside the box.
The offside flag went up, but VAR may have ruled in Arsenal’s favour and it would have been no more than the visitors deserved.
Napoli were forced into a change at the break as Meret came off to be replaced by backup goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
But a new man between the sticks did little to change the Gunners’ fortunes.
The second half began like the first end, except this time Hincapie was the guilty party.
White’s header left the goal gaping for him from a matter of yards, yet somehow he spooned an effort over.
Arteta turned to his stacked bench with 25 minutes to go, throwing on Bruno Guimaraes and Tzolis.
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The Greek winger did not fare much better, however, and he was the latest to pump one high into the Naples sky.
In the end, it was left for Odegaard to step up as captain as he arrowed one into the bottom corner off the post to win the game.