‘Not good enough’: Press slam £30m Arsenal star who ‘struggled’ v Sevilla

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The media have criticised Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard for his performance against Sevilla. 

Martin Odegaard was far from his best when Arsenal took on Sevilla in a Champions League clash on Tuesday evening.

This outing maintained the Norwegian midfielder’s poor run of recent form, after he struggled against Chelsea last time out, too. 

According to WhoScored statistics, Odegaard managed just 30 touches against the Spanish club, the fewest of any Arsenal starter. He only completed 19 passes, none of which were key passes, and failed to execute any dribbles.

These figures are a far cry from what the £30 million former Real Madrid man is capable of at his best. The 24-year-old’s usual standards are very high, and he is a talismanic figure for the north London club.

Mikel Arteta understandably has a great deal of faith in Odegaard. However, the player’s current form must be a cause for concern for the Spanish coach.

The media come down hard on Martin Odegaard

After the match against Sevilla, sections of the press gave their verdict on Odegaard’s showing. 

Goal gave the player a 5/10 rating and said, “missed a great chance in the second half and had another tame shot. Not good enough on the ball.”

Football.London also gave Odegaard a 5/10 score and called it “another quiet night for the Norwegian who struggled to really get into the game. When he did his shooting lacked conviction and it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him taken off with 20 minutes to go.”

Again giving him the same score, The Standard said Odegaard “could not get into the game, with Arsenal building much of their play down the left flank.”

The 55-cap Norway star started the season in excellent form. He had racked up four goals across all competitions before the end of September and looked to have picked up where he left off last season. 

Arsenal do have alternative options who can play in Odegaard’s place should his struggles continue. The likes of Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, and Emile Smith Rowe could all step up if required.

For now though, Arteta ought to show patience in Odegaard and give the Arsenal skipper a chance to play his way back into form. In the context of the Gunners’ overall campaign, it is vital that they are able to coax the best out of Odegaard on a regular basis.