Arsenal secured another crucial win in the title race after beating Newcastle United 1-0.
Mikel Arteta stuck with the same attacking setup that showed promise against Manchester City, with Eberechi Eze on the left, Martin Odegaard in the number 10 role and Kai Havertz leading the line.
That combination looked fluid at times and helped Arsenal control large parts of the game. However, not everyone was convinced by one of the key players in that system – Odegaard.
Yannick Bolasie has now made a bold claim about the midfielder.
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Yannick Bolasie says Martin Odegaard is ‘lucky’ to be starting at Arsenal
Odegaard’s performances have been under scrutiny all season.
While the Norway international has shown flashes of his usual quality, some believe he has not been as influential as expected.
Bolasie is one of those who has been critical of the Arsenal captain.
The former Crystal Palace man has suggested that Odegaard has been overcomplicating things on the pitch and not playing to his strengths.
He also made the surprising claim that the Norwegian is fortunate to still be starting games at the Emirates.
Bolasie said on X: “Odegaard is lucky that Nwaneri is out on loan right now, as the last few times I’ve watched him, he looks like he’s overcomplicating it all.
“His IQ is too high to play like that.”
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There is no denying that Odegaard has not had his best season, but there are clear reasons behind that.
Injuries have disrupted his rhythm and made it difficult for him to maintain consistency. He has missed 24 games in all competitions so far this term.
Despite that, he showed his quality against Manchester City in his first game back, where he was one of Arsenal’s better performers.
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Against Newcastle, Odegaard may not have been outstanding, but he was far from poor. He still contributed to the team’s overall play and helped maintain control in attacking areas.
To suggest that he is lucky to be starting or that someone like Ethan Nwaneri would replace him right now feels excessive.
Roy Keane recently questioned Odegaard as well, only to be shut down by Ian Wright and Gary Neville. Bolasie’s comments fall into a similar category.
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