Arsenal beat Hull 1-0 to extend Premier League lead

Arsenal beat Hull City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with Martin Ødegaard scoring the second-half winner to keep his side at the top of the Premier League. The victory was reported to leave Arsenal six points clear of second place.

Hull defended in numbers and held Arsenal scoreless through a frustrating first half. The home side had two penalty appeals waved away. In the more closely reviewed incident, referee Farai Hallam went to the pitchside monitor to examine a shirt pull by Nobel Mendy on Kai Havertz, then awarded Hull a free kick for offside.

The interpretation of that decision drew attention after the match. One account of the incident said Havertz had been pulled before committing an offside offence; another explained that officials could consider whether he was likely to become involved in a second phase of play. The sources do not establish an authoritative ruling on whether the decision was correct.

Arsenal found the breakthrough in the second half. Noni Madueke’s shot was spilled by Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, and Ødegaard arrived to score from close range. Madueke, playing amid Bukayo Saka’s injury absence, had a direct role in the goal.