Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard “hasn’t been adequate since getting back from damage”, in response to former Premier League striker Darren Bent.
Odegaard missed 12 matches with an ankle damage earlier this season, with Mikel Arteta pressured to experiment with Leandro Trossard in midfield in his absence.
Arsenal solely received three of seven Premier League matches with out the Norwegian playmaker. Since his return, they’d been on a 15-game unbeaten run within the prime flight till shedding at house to West Ham on Saturday.
Regardless of the unbeaten run – which consisted of 5 attracts and 10 wins – Odegaard has been nowhere close to his finest.
👉 READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk tops the ten most overworked Premier League gamers
He has solely scored three targets and made six assists in 27 appearances throughout all competitions this season and has been unable to show attracts into wins like he has for the final two seasons.
His lack of type has resulted within the Gunners falling 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s males have one hand on the trophy after beating Manchester Metropolis on the Etihad a day after the Hammers earned a shock win towards Arsenal.
Arteta will want his captain to step issues up if Arsenal are to shut the hole on the Reds and Odegaard has been referred to as out by former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent – who’s a Gunners supporter.
MORE ON ARSENAL…
👉 Huge Midweek: Tottenham v Man Metropolis, Mo Salah, Man United, Arteta, Barcelona v Atletico Madrid
👉 Arsenal plot ‘new bid’ with Ollie Watkins as ‘key second addition’ to ‘type most feared’ PL assault
👉 Liverpool Three in Premier League XI of the season; no Arsenal gamers
Bent says Odegaard was “appalling” within the defeat to West Ham and has criticised his performances since coming back from damage in November.
“He was appalling towards West Ham,” Bent advised talkSPORT. “He hasn’t been good since getting back from damage.
“He had slightly flirt the place he seemed like he is perhaps again however two Premier League targets this season, three in whole.
“His performances haven’t been adequate.
“Don’t get me incorrect, he’s a beautiful footballer however there’s an excessive amount of flicks and these little scoop passes, simply shoot!”
Arsenal are again in motion away to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening. Liverpool, in the meantime, host Newcastle United.
Talking forward of the journey to the Metropolis Floor, Arteta refused to rule his team out of the title race.
He mentioned: “It was a really disappointing weekend. The earlier 15 video games we had received 10 and drawn 5 – precisely the identical as Liverpool with precisely the identical purpose distinction.
“So we have now been extraordinarily constant during the last three months contemplating every little thing we have now been via. We now have generated that momentum and it was that weekend the place we have now to go once more however we bought a defeat. On prime of that they [Liverpool] win.
“When you find yourself attempting to beat that momentum and we put a lot into it with the circumstances that we have now, it was a very arduous one to take. The truth is there are such a lot of video games to play and you must get again to it.”
Arteta additionally mentioned “over my lifeless physique” when requested if he’ll surrender on successful the league.
He continued: “If not I’ll go house. Mathematically it’s potential.
“You’re there, you must play each sport, abruptly three days in the past we might shut a niche and you’re like ‘you’re one-and-a-half video games away’. It doesn’t matter, we have now to proceed to go.
“The problem is increased than three days about but when you’ll win the Premier League you must do one thing particular. If you’ll win the Premier League with the circumstances we have now you’ll in all probability must do one thing that no person else has achieved within the historical past of the Premier League.”
👉 READ NOW: Arsenal dealt blow as ‘surprising flip’ sees £48m star ‘shut settlement’ with Euro giants
Leave a Reply