Gary Neville has torn into Arsenal once again following another tough result in the Premier League, this time against Brentford.
Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw with Brentford as part of a team with plenty of changes made by Mikel Arteta.
Thomas Partey gave the Gunners the lead with an effort in the second half, but it was cancelled out by Yoane Wissa.
It was another disappointing result in the Premier League for the north London side, one that means Arsenal slip further away from the top of the table.
Following the tie, Gary Neville had some harsh words for Mikel Arteta’s side, with a few big claims made at the same time.
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Gary Neville says Martin Odegaard has suffered a “big drop-off” amid Arsenal claim
After another disappointing draw, Gary Neville has torn into Arsenal after claiming that the side has regressed this season, while also taking aim at Martin Odegaard.
Speaking on NBC after Arsenal’s draw with Brentford, the former Manchester United man said: “If they win the Champions League, then all will be forgiven, but otherwise their league performances have been a big let down.
“I think that if Manchester City weren’t going to win the league, which they’ve done in the last four seasons, Arsenal had to be the team that were there waiting.
“They’re not, they’re not even on the shoulder of Liverpool to put pressure on them in these last few weeks – Liverpool are going to win it at a canter.
“I think that’s a big disappointment, and where Arsenal have been in the last couple of seasons, you felt as though they were a team growing in Premier League title races and getting better.
“So what’s happened this season, I think they’ve gone backwards, they’ve gone backwards. I think from the start of the season in terms of their recruitment, they never covered themselves for their likely injury to Havertz, who was their only centre-forward; he didn’t really fancy [Gabriel] Jesus as a centre-forward.
“Odegaard is another big drop-off for them, I think they’ve lost Edu off the pitch, obviously their CEO as well, obviously now he’s going to Tottenham.”
It’s a bold claim from the former Manchester United defender, one which may be disputed heavily by the club.
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Arsenal have been unlucky this Premier League season
While there are claims that Arsenal may have gone backwards, the club may well point to their lack of luck in some areas.
Injuries have been the biggest problem for Mikel Arteta, with plenty of key absences often focused on one area of the pitch.
Despite that, the Gunners have still managed to pick up plenty of points to keep themselves in the Champions League places for next season.
While there is no doubt that missing out on the Premier League title is a disappointment, the side is still around the top and isn’t rushing into any sweeping changes.
Poor luck with referee decisions and perhaps with some bounces of the ball have cost them, but there are areas to improve on.
Goal scoring is a particular area, which leads onto Martin Odegaard and the drop off he has faced this campaign.
Martin Odegaard statistics 23/24 and 24/25 compared
Many questions have been asked of Odegaard this season, with the Arsenal club captain struggling to hit the heights at times.
A two-month injury earlier this season hasn’t helped the Norwegian international, though the clear impact has been a drop in output.
| Season | 24/25 | 23/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 36 | 47 |
| Goals | 5 | 11 |
| Assists | 8 | 12 |
Some big games are coming up, though, ones in which the playmaker can step up to the plate and make an impact.
If he can find that scoring and assisting form again, then Arsenal have a real chance of achieving something special.
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