Arsenal star Odegaard makes ‘bounce back’ vow for Manchester City clash

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Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard has shared his excitement about facing Manchester City on Sunday.

The mood at Arsenal today may well be fairly glum, given the club suffered their first defeat of the season so far in a Champions League clash with Lens on Tuesday evening. However, Martin Odegaard is already looking ahead to this weekend’s titanic Premier League face off.

Speaking after the Gunners’ 2-1 loss at the hands of the French outfit, Odegaard was asked how he is feeling about the Manchester City fixture in the wake of this loss. As quoted by Metro, the 24-year-old Norwegian midfielder said, “it was not the best game for us. We have to keep going, learn from it and make sure we bounce back in the next game.”

“It’s a big game coming up. Everyone is excited for the game and it will be a good game to play. We have to look forward, make sure we are ready to be sharp on Sunday. It would be a nice boost [to go above City].”

“It’s a massive game but it’s early in the season so we are just focusing day-by-day, making sure we are improving all the time.”

Arsenal need Odegaard to step up on Sunday

The north London club will leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s reigning Premier League champions in the table with a win at the Emirates Stadium. Such a victory would also given the Gunners a huge psychological boost.

Arsenal have an awful recent record against Manchester City in the Premier League, and also were just beaten to the title by them last season. The north London club could really do with a win over City, if only to instil the belief that they can in fact manage it. It would also mean a lot to Mikel Arteta to get one over on his old mentor.

Arsenal will certainly need Odegaard to be at his best if they are to get a positive result on Sunday. The £30 million midfielder has been in scintillating form so far this season, and has already racked up four goals and one assist. However, he struggled against Lens.

There will be even more pressure on Odegaard to shine against City if Bukayo Saka is indeed ruled out with injury. The 22-year-old was taken off with an issue in the first half on Tuesday night.