Arsenal icon says £30m star ‘looks tired’ already after ‘sloppy’ performance

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Iconic former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit is concerned by what he has seen from Martin Odegaard of late.

Martin Odegaard is not in great form right now. The Arsenal club captain was heavily criticised for his performance against Sevilla last time out in the Champions League.

Prior to that, he also struggled against Chelsea.

This will be a major concern for Mikel Arteta, as Odegaard is one of the talismanic figures in this Arsenal team. At his best, the 24-year-old doesn’t only shine in his own right, but he also brings out the best in those around him. With his relentless pressing, and supreme creativity, the Norwegian midfielder is able to elevate the efforts of the entire Arsenal front line.

Recently, though, the £30 million former Real Madrid man has failed to gain a foothold in matches, and the Gunners have struggled to stamp their authority on these games as a result.

So much of the north London club’s play is designed to go through Odegaard, so when he isn’t on his game the team’s build up play quickly starts to look disjointed. 

Calls for Martin Odegaard to be rested

Emmanuel Petit, who played 118 times for Arsenal between 1997 and 2000, winning a Premier League title and an FA Cup in the process, is worried about what may be causing Odegaard’s drop in form.

Speaking on talkSPORT (25/10/2023, 08:40), the 53-year-old Frenchman said, “Odegaard recently looks sloppy on the pitch with no creativity and he looks tired as well physically.”

Petit suggested that the packed fixture schedule could be a contributing factor. He said, “the fact we are playing tough, tough games every three days has an impact and the fact that there’s not a big rotation in the team. That could be a problem as well.”

In order to get the best out of Odegaard on a regular basis over the course of the campaign, Arteta may have to rest the player occasionally. The likes of Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, Leandro Trossard, and Emile Smith Rowe could all take his place in the starting XI if required.

In any case, it is vital that the Spanish coach finds a way to help Odegaard get back to his best quickly.