Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has struggled for form in recent weeks, with his display against Aston Villa criticised.
It’s been somewhat of a nightmare season for Odegaard, who spent over six weeks out of action with an ankle injury back in September.
The captain hasn’t been himself since, with Odegaard criticised by Arsenal fans for below-par performances throughout the winter.
During Arsenal’s draw against Aston Villa, things didn’t improve for the Norweigan, who stood out for what he failed to offer his team over 90 minutes.
Martin Odegaard struggled against Aston Villa
Odegaard hasn’t scored from open play in over nine months, with the wait extended against Villa.
When assessing the midfielder’s impact against Unai Emery’s side, it’s fair to say that Odegaard would’ve been lucky to find the net given how insignificant his presence was.
| Martin Odegaard vs Aston Villa |
| 90 minutes played |
| 61 touches |
| 90% passes completed |
| 2/11 crosses completed |
| 0/3 dribbles completed |
| 0/7 duels won |
| 19x possession lost |
| 1x dribbled past |
The captain lost possession a staggering 19 times in central midfield, as well as being unable to make an impact behind the ball, failing to pull off 82% of his attempted crosses.
It was a frustrating game for Arsenal, just as it was for the skipper, who struggled to apply himself at his usual standard.
With one goal and three assists in the Premier League this season, Odegaard is at risk of having a campaign to forget if things do not dramatically improve.
Arsenal fans are losing faith in Odegaard
The player won’t only want to bolster his performances for his 2024/25 tally, but for Arsenal and fans as well.
Supporters are growing frustrated with the attacking midfielder, who generated a lot of unwanted attention against Villa.
“Odegaard doesn’t even need to shower today he’s done absolutely nothing,” an unimpressed supporter said, with others taking a more direct approach.
Some fans took to X to express their dissatisfaction with the Norweigan being Arsenal captain.
- “Odegaard disgrace of a captain does nothing when the going gets tough.”
- “Odegaard has given us 45 mins of good football since Saka has been injured. This guy is an embarrassment of a captain.”
- “Odegaard stinker. Captain needs to stand up in them moments.”
Other fans were more sympathetic to the skipper, as some called for transfers and others raised the point of the horrendous ankle injury the 26-year-old sustained earlier in the season.
“Not doing enough but also clearly not fit. He can’t sprint on his ankle & has issues with it every week. Makes him completely unable to mid-run in behind himself.”
Some supporters are becoming tired of Odegaard’s less impactful performances, calling for the captain to step up amid Arsenal’s struggles.
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