Arteta can axe Odegaard for Arsenal flop “who’s made for UCL nights”

Effectively, not less than we’ll all have these magical two nights towards Actual Madrid, eh? For Arsenal, it simply wasn’t meant to be this season.

Whereas some could argue that the Gunners have taken two steps again, finally shedding the league title to Liverpool, presently 17 factors behind the place they had been at this stage in 2023/24, progress has been made.

If something, this marketing campaign has proven why Mikel Arteta is such a particular coach. With a number of key gamers out injured for big elements of the time period, he took Arsenal to the semi-finals of the Champions League. That deserves shouting about.

Some particular person magic from Declan Rice could have been relied upon within the semi-finals however they really dominated the perfect crew within the competitors’s historical past; Actual Madrid.

PSG, nonetheless? They had been a bridge too far. It wasn’t as if Arsenal performed poorly although. They are going to be left to bemoan Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics because the titanic Italian put in two Ballon d’Or-worthy performances throughout the tie.

There have been these saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard final week within the first leg after which there have been these exceptional stops to disclaim Martin Odegaard early on in Paris on Wednesday and a sprawling save to maintain out Bukayo Saka’s curling effort within the second half.

As Odegaard stated after the sport, it was a conflict determined in each bins. The straightforward reality was that PSG had been higher in these areas.

That stated, Arsenal want to start out seeing extra from their captain if they’re to revive their fortunes subsequent season.

What is going on unsuitable for Martin Odegaard

Ever since Odegaard was a 15-year-old coming by means of in Norway at Stromsgodset, handed a senior debut at a ridiculously younger age, it is clear how a lot expertise he possesses.

Issues did not work out at Madrid for the artistic playmaker however in north London he has discovered a house for himself. Up till now, he has thrived.

In 2022/23, Odegaard scored as many as 15 targets, all of which got here within the Premier League. No midfielder scored extra targets than he within the league that yr. In 2023/24, he wasn’t fairly as prolific however he nonetheless scored eight within the league and 11 in all competitions.

This time period, regardless of offering 11 assists, the Norway worldwide has solely discovered the web on 5 events. Given Arsenal’s common lack of firepower and crucially, an absence of a match centre-forward, that has confirmed decisive.

So, what’s gone unsuitable? Effectively, ever since he sustained an ankle damage within the embryonic levels of this season, he isn’t regarded fairly proper. It took the midfielder a couple of months to get well and arguably, he is nonetheless feeling the impacts of that now.

He is by no means been a vicious ball striker, however he is missing a lot energy, not simply in his taking pictures however his general play. He appears light-weight, scared to tackle a participant, apprehensive to problem for the ball. His passing vary can be off. In comparison with final season, Odegaard is having 0.40 fewer pictures per 90 minutes, making 0.56 fewer key passes per 90 and producing 1.56 fewer shot-creating actions per 90.

The primary two metrics aren’t disastrous drop-offs, nevertheless it does point out that the skipper is enjoying at a poorer degree than he’s used to.

So, what is the answer? Effectively, they’ve a ready-made one in Ethan Nwaneri. They may additionally exit into the switch market to exchange him however that appears unlikely.

Maybe there’s another choice mendacity in wait.

Arsenal’s unlikely Odegaard substitute

The summer season window of 2022/23 was a memorable one for Arsenal. Arteta needed to encompass himself with winners and acquainted faces, notably bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester Metropolis.

Jesus’ immediate impression was staggering, scoring 5 occasions in his first eight Premier League outings. Sadly, since then, it hasn’t fairly occurred for him in an Arsenal shirt, notably dominated out for a prolonged time period with an ACL damage in January.

It is not likely occurred for the 2 different main signings for that window, both. Zinchenko may reportedly go away in the summertime whereas Fabio Vieira is presently out on mortgage at Porto.

Vieira has flattered to deceive throughout his time on the Emirates. A midfielder lower from an analogous fabric as Odegaard, lean but artistic, we actually have not seen the perfect of him in purple and white.

He did register six assists in his debut marketing campaign following that £34m transfer however scored simply twice, together with a shocking effort towards Brentford. Final time period wasn’t significantly better both, scoring as soon as and laying on 4 assists. He solely performed in 11 league video games.

So, it was hardly a shock that with Nwaneri coming by means of the ranks, he was despatched out on mortgage.

Vieira headed again to his boyhood membership Porto the place, to provide him his credit score, now we have seen an enchancment. Whereas the Portuguese midfielder’s numbers nonetheless aren’t mindblowing, the 24-year-old has discovered the web on 5 events and supplied the identical variety of assists in 37 outings.

Throughout a run of fixtures again in March, Vieira managed to attain three targets and supply one help throughout 4 outings, lending credence to Arsenal content material creator Harvey Diamonds’ declare that he’d “hit some unimaginable kind.”

Whereas it is unlikely that the younger playmaker finds a route again into the Arsenal crew, he is bought loads of eye-catching qualities that might make him a powerful substitute for Odegaard.

Satirically celebrated as a participant “who’s made for Champions League nights” by information analyst Ben Mattinson, Vieira brings a sure degree of passing that, reality be instructed, few on the continent possess. Why do you suppose Arsenal signed him within the first place?

In comparison with gamers within the 14 leagues most just like the Portuguese top-flight, he ranks within the prime 6% of midfielders for assists per 90 minutes throughout the final yr, the perfect 12% for key passes and the highest 3% for passes into the penalty space.

Whereas he’s but to point out a lot within the Premier League, he is nonetheless younger sufficient to enhance and he possesses the qualities to unlock doorways. That is one thing Arsenal have actually lacked at occasions throughout 2024/25.

Maybe a Vieira revival might be on the playing cards?