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News
- 2 hours ago
Why Arsenal would be CRAZY to sell club captain Martin Odegaard
Analysis
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been linked with an exit from the club in recent weeks.
Injuries and a lack of end product have plagued the Norwegian playmaker this season. He has missed 15 matches due to various ailments, and when on the pitch, his one goal and six assists in 27 appearances are a far cry from his 11 goals and 11 assists in 48 games in 2023/24.
Fans are right to be frustrated with his lack of end product compared to past years, but it is not entirely his fault.
Current ETV
Martin Ødegaard
M, AM (C)
Arsenal
Martin Ødegaard
M, AM (C)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€69.7M - €85.2M
Arsenal scored 91 Premier League goals in 2023/24. That fell by 22 goals to 69 in 2024/25, and this season, the Gunners are on pace for 76 goals.
But 17 of Arsenal’s 56 goals scored so far this season have come from set pieces, which is just over 30 percent of the total.
Odegaard has arguably been hurt the most by Arsenal’s — and manager Mikel Arteta’s — focus on dictating possession and tempo in the Premier League, and he has not been helped by his manager using him in a different way compared to the other players at his position, Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz.
What changed with Odegaard?
Odegaard was awarded the captaincy again before this season, thanks to a vote by his teammates. He is the most respected player in the dressing room and provides a cool head on the pitch.
He reached double-digit goals in all competitions in both 2022/23 and 2023/24, mostly because Arteta had him either position himself on the edge of the penalty area or crash the box to get on the end of flowing attacks.
Over the past season and a half, Arteta has preferred to use him as a line-breaking passer by pulling him back to the defensive midfield area when Arsenal possess the ball and pass in a horseshoe shape in front of the opposition’s defence.
That strategy led Arsenal to become more reliant on set pieces, especially earlier in the season. Recent wins against Wigan Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur show the Gunners’ potential when they take advantage of any space afforded to them, while draws against Brentford and Nottingham Forest illustrate what happens when Arsenal decide to slow things down after winning the ball instead of counter-attacking.
The fluid approach Arsenal adopted against Spurs would suit Odegaard, who came off the bench and provided an assist after recovering from a knock, if Arteta employs it consistently.
Odegaard has too much talent and dressing room respect to be transfer-listed. Letting him play to his strengths is the easiest way to help him return to his best levels.
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