Martin Odegaard stays a part of Mikel Arteta’s plans despite the injury problems which have restricted him to a bit-part role this season.
The club captain has been a driving force behind the development the Gunners have made under Arteta’s management.
Odegaard’s seniority and importance was underlined when he was handed the captaincy in the summertime of 2022 but his influence has been on the wane following the ankle injury he sustained playing for Norway last season.
The 27-year-old has struggled to take care of his fitness ever since undergoing surgery and has been restricted to creating just 29 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season and only 4 since February.
Odegaard’s latest attempt at a comeback lasted lower than two games after he was substituted during Tuesday’s win over Sporting Lisbon and was unavailable for selection against Bournemouth yesterday.
With two years left on his current contract, Arsenal are more likely to make a call imminently on whether to increase or entertain offers for a player who cost them £30million when he joined from Real Madrid, after an initial six-month loan, back in 2021.
The signing of Eberechi Eze in the summertime appeared to herald a possible changing of the guard in Arsenal’s key playmaking role, while children Ethan Nwaneri, currently on loan at Marseille, and Max Dowman are more likely to all vie for that position in the approaching years.
In keeping with the Each day Mail, nevertheless, Odegaard still retains the religion of Arteta and despite his inactivity on the pitch has still been playing a hugely influential role behind the scenes.
A source is reported as saying: ‘The team has missed him a lot for what he brings,’ he said. ‘There’s some things which are probably unnoticed to the general public… it’s profound inside the team and the identity of this team.
‘So, we’d like him at his best. We’d like him always with us because we’re a a lot better team when Martin is in and across the team.’
Each Arteta and Odegaard may have a job on their hands, meanwhile, to lift spirits after a defeat against the Cherries that has blown the title race wide open.
‘It’s a giant punch within the face, and intensely disappointing,’ said Arteta. “That’s what I said to the boys.
‘There aren’t any grey areas. Today there have been some very staple items that we did extremely badly. If you try this, they’re going to capitalise, and it becomes very chaotic and really difficult to manage.
‘We’ve got to have a look at ourselves. We’ve got to suffer. It’s painful. It’s a terrible feeling. But tomorrow is a unique day. And if anyone would have said to me in August, we’re on this position straight away in April, I’m sure we might all have taken it.’
Arsenal have finished runners-up for the past three seasons, and their latest defeat not only hands the championship momentum to City, but again raises serious questions on their title-winning mentality.
The 2 rivals meet on the Etihad Stadium next Sunday, and may Pep Guardiola’s side triumph in that match, see off Chelsea on Sunday, and in addition beat Burnley on April 22 they might be level on points with the Gunners with five games remaining.
But Arteta, who was without Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori through injury on Saturday, said: ‘We will’t control that. What we will control is our performances during the last nine months.
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‘Anything that is claimed when you will have a defeat at home, you will have to just accept that. There aren’t any excuses. It’s about how we’re going to arise, initially, individually, after which as a team to alter that immediately on Wednesday (against Sporting within the second leg).
‘So, we’d like all the pieces. We’d like everybody fit and available. Those that weren’t involved today are really big, essential players, and we’d like them immediately with us because then we’re going to be much stronger.
‘After which the opposite ones, they should arise. Me, being the primary one, and embrace this challenge and go for it.’
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