All issues thought of, this season has began properly for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s facet have seemed as resolute defensively as ever, however will they be even stronger sooner or later? Most significantly, they’re one level behind Liverpool on the high of the Premier League.
Nonetheless, it has not been an ideal begin, and one of many most important causes for that is the rising variety of accidents to key first-team gamers comparable to Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian needed to be despatched off for a bounce earlier than half-time within the third league sport towards West Ham United earlier than the worldwide break, and the MCL harm will maintain him sidelined till the center of subsequent month on the earliest.
However not the whole lot is doom and gloom. Because of his crew, Arteta has a number of choices to switch his proficient No.8. That features some barely unconventional choices involving in-form worldwide gamers.
Why is Odegaard so ignored?
Some followers are understandably frightened after a latest replace revealed that Odegaard shall be sidelined for not less than one other month.
In any case, regardless of having a disappointing season final 12 months, he was named the membership’s participant of the 12 months the earlier two seasons and is undoubtedly one of the proficient gamers on the crew.
For instance, when the Drammen-born maestro is at his greatest, he’s somebody who can accumulate the ball from deep areas of the pitch, slip previous one or two gamers after which provide an amazing move for somebody to complete.
What’s extra, though he wasn’t on show final 12 months, the previous Actual Madrid treasure has a lethal shot and is a twin risk, as evidenced by his 41 targets and 40 assists in simply 205 appearances for the membership.
Lastly, though the pattern dimension was not that enormous, the 26-year-old worldwide participant was beginning to get again to his greatest in the previous couple of video games.
He helped change the sport towards Newcastle United after which towards Olympiakos he may have offered just a few assists given the variety of possibilities he created.
The left-footed dynamo was in good kind towards the Hammers earlier than being despatched off.
Odegaard vs Olympiakos match | |
|---|---|
minutes | 95 minutes |
anticipated variety of targets | 0.72 |
Anticipated help | 0.93 |
help | 1 |
key move | 4 |
contact | 86 |
lengthy ball (correct) | 10(7) |
Variety of pictures on the right track | 1 |
dribbling (profitable) | 1(1) |
clearance | 1 |
deal with | 1 |
All stats by Sofascore | |
Briefly, whereas it is laborious to not see Odegaard’s absence as a serious setback for Arsenal, Arteta has a number of choices to switch him, together with worldwide gamers.
Arsenal gamers who may substitute Odegaard
When most followers consider doable options to Odegaard’s harm, the primary title that involves thoughts might be Ebereshi Eze.
In any case, the Englishman performed in Crystal Palace’s midfield final season and has been in good kind each at dwelling and overseas in latest weeks.
Nonetheless, whereas changing the Norwegian with the 27-year-old may work properly, that leaves Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as the one choices on the left, with neither of them impressing at the beginning of this season.
Due to this fact, another choice obtainable to Arteta is to begin Mikel Merino instead of the membership captain.
Now, this is probably not the most well-liked thought as some see it as a defensive answer, but it surely would not should be that manner, as if final 12 months has proven us something that the previous Actual Sociedad star is an actual aim risk.
For instance, his header towards Newcastle United was his seventh aim within the 2025 Premier League, which surprisingly places him two factors behind Martinelli, the membership’s second-top scorer within the competitors.
As if that wasn’t sufficient, the Spaniard additionally scored two targets and offered three assists in final season’s Champions League, and has continued to impress for La Roja this 12 months.
In eight video games for the European champions, the 6-foot-2 large has scored eight targets and offered one help, in a kind that supervisor Luis de la Fuente claims is “on the identical stage as Pedri and Rodri.”
That stated, it might be price it for Arteta to make use of him in a extra attacking midfield function over the approaching weeks, giving him license to reach late within the penalty space or often act as a second striker to Victor Goqueres.
If the Pamplona-born star can replicate a few of his worldwide kind on the membership, followers might quickly see his inclusion in midfield as an attacking moderately than a defensive choice.
In the end, Merino deserves an opportunity to cowl Odegaard primarily based on his accomplishments and apparent risk, though the supervisor has advised his crew to strive just a few various things over the subsequent month or so.
