Arsenal earned some feedback from Jamie Carragher as the pundit assessed where Mikel Arteta’s side are lacking.
The Gunners sit six points below Premier League leaders Liverpool after 22 games played, with the race for the title heating up.
Arne Slot’s squad are well in control of the race however, all hope is not lost as some still believe Arsenal can win the Premier League title.
One area that Arteta undoubtedly needs to improve is his attack, as the Gunners are struggling to kill games off leading to Arsenal dropping points needlessly.
- READ MORE: Mikel Arteta sends Liverpool transfer warning to Stan Kroenke when assessing Arsenal title chances
Jamie Carragher demands Martin Odegaard to improve in one area
One figure who has outlined what Arsenal need to do to catch Liverpool is Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
The Liverpool icon was talking all things Premier League on a recent episode of Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football alongside Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit.
On the show, Carragher chose to raise that he’s noticed Arteta’s squad aiming to break teams down in wide areas, signalling how much of Arsenal’s play comes from the flanks.
The pundit then took aim at Martin Odegaard, highlighting that the captain’s position is sometimes not as daring as it should be when Arsenal are pushing forward.
“I also think of the profile of player, they only really have Odegaard who can get between the lines and he’s got to do that a lot more,” Carragher said.
“Martin Odegaard, he’s the man you want in these positions, he’s always on the outside of it looking in.”
Carragher then urged the Norweigan to be ‘braver’ in such situations, emphasising how much the 26-year-old’s decisions impact his teammates.
“Odegaard has got to be braver and stay in these positions. There’s nothing in here [central areas], no one to combine with.”
Why Mikel Arteta will not agree with Carragher’s assessment of Odegaard
While Odegaard has received criticism from Arsenal fans for his recent performances, there’s a strong chance that Carragher’s claim would be dismissed by Arteta.
The pundit brought Odegaard into the conversation as he was exploring Arsenal’s routes in attack, highlighting that only Fulham create fewer passages of play in the middle third than the Gunners.
From the statistic, Carragher urged Odegaard to rethink his positioning when Arsenal attack but, the skipper is clearly just adhering to Arteta’s demands.
Arsenal create more in wide areas and less centrally because that’s where the manager deems his players can be most impactful.
So, Arteta would not feel obliged to agree with Carragher’s evaluation of Odegaard, given that the midfielder is merely just following instructions to fit the profile his coach requests.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
