Following Martin Odegaard’s loss of the ball in a risky situation during the first half of yesterday night’s game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reportedly became enraged.
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Yesterday’s Champions League match between the Gunners and RC Lens ended in a 2-1 loss for the Gunners. Many of their players gave incredibly poor performances, including Arsenal’s captain Odegaard, who had a difficult day.
Last night, Mikel Arteta was ‘furious’ with Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, selected a very capable lineup last night.
Nearly all of his key players received starts, including captain Martin Odegaard, who took the field as his normal right-sided attacking-midfield position.
Since the beginning of the previous season, the 24-year-old Norwegian has been among the finest players in Europe at that position. Although he has been outstanding for Arsenal, yesterday’s evening was one he will never forget.
Odegaard didn’t appear like himself at all. He struggled with the ball, dropped it a couple times, and simply couldn’t control the game the way he typically does.
Before Arsenal scored in the first half, Odegaard attempted a backheel but missed. Lens rushed forward on the counter as many of his teammates committed to the attack.
On the sidelines, Arteta was visibly enraged at his captain, according to Football London. Following Gabriel Jesus’ score, the Arsenal manager reportedly motioned to Odegaard to be wise with his on-field movements.
Manchester City is up next.
After last night’s setback in France, Arsenal’s situation doesn’t get any better since on Sunday, Manchester City will visit the city.
The Gunners’ record versus the champions is dismal. They have only defeated them in the Premier League once since December 2015, while Arsene Wenger was still the club’s manager. They have only won three of their last 21 matches.
Arteta would love nothing more than a victory over his mentor this weekend if Arsenal is serious about their title aspirations. Arsenal needs to make a statement against the finest club in the nation.
If Odegaard’s team wants to gain anything from the game, he will need to perform at his absolute peak. The Gunners have no chance if he performs the same as he did yesterday.
