After the 1-0 defeat of Arsenal against West Ham, it was club captain Martin Odegaard who stood opposite the cameras.
“The performance today was not good enough and yes, really disappointed,” he told reporters shortly after full -time. “We miss players, but we have to concentrate on the available players and we have more than enough quality to do more than what we have done today.”
Odegaard will not exclude itself from that assessment. The shape of the 26-year-old was considered considerably. In the absence of so many important players, supporters look at their anointed leader for more.
When Odegaard returned to the Arsenal that Xi started after an absence of six weeks in November, Arteta was surprised about his ability to hit the ground. “Just physically and mentally to be connected as he was with the team is incredible,” said the Arsenal manager after the first start of Odegaard back to Chelsea.
Unbelievable, yes, and maybe too good to be true.
The impact of Odegaard in the first few weeks was deep and immediately. It can now feel some time ago, but between the return of Odegaard against Chelsea on November 10 and Bukayo Saka's injury against Crystal Palace on December 21, Arsenal was in a free -scoring form and achieved 28 goals in 10 games in all matches in all matches. In the first four games of Odegaard, he produced a goal or assisted at every match.
But he has difficulty maintaining those high standards. Twelve Premier League matches have since yielded only one goal and a single assist. A count of two goals and three assists from 18 Premier League performances is far below the standard that Odegaard has set for himself since he arrived in North Londs in 2021.
“He came back in such a strong way and performed at a very, very high level,” said Arteta in his pre-Nottingham Forest Press Conference.
“And then just to maintain that for a certain period, as we ask the players to do constantly – especially the creative players – is very difficult.”
Arteta suggests that Odegaard's efficiency may have fallen (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty images)
Arteta denied the decline of the Odegaard output is due to every change in role or tactical instruction. “His figures are very similar in terms of what we expect and the expected goals and areas that he touches,” explained the Arsenal manager.
“Perhaps the efficiency has fallen a bit. There were also some penalties there that he scored in the past, that is another factor. But we want to increase the levels of the scoring records of each individual and Martin is one of them. “
A further consideration of the figures suggests that there have been a turn in recent seasons – especially in terms of Odegaard's target threat.
Arsenal always felt that Odegaard's performance of 2022-23, in which he scored 15 goals from 45 performances, would be difficult to maintain. Nevertheless, it is clear that the current campaign is expected. Arsenal uses fewer opportunities for Odegaard to shoot – and he converts less of those opportunities.
The goals of Martin Odegaard Drop-off goals per 90-open play xg per 90TOTAL Shots per 90bigs opportunities per 90shot conversion Percentage2022-230.430.282.660.26252023-240.230.172.240.2317.022024-250.120.150.150.151.151.151.151.720.3711.76
So what's going on?
It is possible that Odegaard's injury has had a hangover effect. The false dawn of his first return has given way to a more difficult period – and with other attacking players who fall like flies, he had to play a huge amount of football. Arsenal has not been able to manage his minutes – their dependence on Odegaard is too great.
Odegaard also robbed those injuries from his two closest employees on the field. Arsenal has been skewed in recent seasons, with so many of their game generated by the right flank hub of Odegaard, Saka and Ben White.
Asked about the return of White to the team on Tuesday, Arteta admitted: “We did not play the right unit this season, Bukayo and Martin, a unit that played so much football together.
“So it's great to have him back, more options, his energy, the way he is near the team, as he generates, he is certainly missed.”
White's return of injury should help Odegaard (Stuart Macfarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty images)
Odegaard will have missed White just as much as everyone else.
After the team's pillars have been in the past two seasons, Odegaard, White and Saka only started four games throughout the season. For a player whose style is based on combination play and intuitive concept, that has been difficult.
Without Saka to support him, the supply line to Odegaard has been reduced. Who creates for the Creator?
In the summer Arsenal Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe allowed to leave the club and replaced them with a more utilitarian midfielder in Mikel Merino. Ethan Nwaneri was seen as the potential understudy for Odegaard, but Saka's injury means that the 17-year-old has been printed on the wing.
That leaves an important creative burden for the captain of Arsenal. The assembly of the team, in combination with these wave of injuries, means that when it comes to goals and creativity from midfield, it has become a single failure point. There is no one else.
The importance of Odegaard was clearly on the sidelines in his eight weeks. Arsenal dropped points in four of their seven league matches during that period. His return to Chelsea marked the start of an unbeaten run of 15 Games-Hun longest saying without losing under Arteta.
The creative numbers of Odegaard remain relatively consistent. Even when Arsenal struggled against West Ham, he was credited to create four open-play opportunities-the highest in the Premier League that weekend, together at Savinho of Manchester City.
But it is difficult to think of a creative midfielder who would look at their best without a recognized center-forward to play for them. Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are the Arsenal players who are most inclined to make runs behind the defense. Without them, Odegaard's ability to make match-winning contributions to games is dramatically reduced.
It has been an intense period in the life of 26-year-old Odegaard. He has tackled a serious injury, an insulating period of rehabilitation – and, perhaps the most important thing of all, founding a family. Combine that with an ever -increasing responsibility at Arsenal, and it is easy to see how he might feel the tension.
But at Arsenal they have no doubt about his ability to cope.
Odegaard has had a busy few months, with injuries, rehabilitation and founding a family (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty images)
“His attitude, how prepared he is, how he takes responsibility and how he wants to manage the team is remarkable,” says Arteta. “That is what I demand the players – that we have to keep doing things happen and Martin certainly tries more than anyone.”
Odegaard and Arsenal are in parallel positions: after a few years of progress they have hit a plateau – or perhaps even taken a backward step. But this is a player with the intelligence, the talent and the desire to go through these issues. Support is also on the road, with Martinelli and then Saka expects to return in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Arsenal must find a way to unlock their attack. Given the lack of alternatives at their disposal, their captain can retain the key. Arsenal now needs him more than ever.
If not Odegaard, who else?
(Top photo: Ian Kington/Ikimages/AFP via Getty images)
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