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

Properly, a minimum of we’ll all have these magical two nights in opposition to Actual Madrid, eh? For Arsenal, it simply wasn’t meant to be this season.

Whereas some might argue that the Gunners have taken two steps again, in the end dropping the league title to Liverpool, at present 17 factors behind the place they have 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 components 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 might have been relied upon within the semi-finals however they honestly dominated the perfect workforce within the competitors’s historical past; Actual Madrid.

PSG, nonetheless? They have 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 outstanding 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 mentioned after the sport, it was a conflict determined in each packing containers. The easy truth was that PSG have been higher in these areas.

That mentioned, Arsenal want to begin 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 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 inventive 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 objectives, all of which got here within the Premier League. No midfielder scored extra objectives 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 basic lack of firepower and crucially, a scarcity of a match centre-forward, that has confirmed decisive.

So, what’s gone unsuitable? Properly, ever since he sustained an ankle harm within the embryonic levels of this season, he is not appeared fairly proper. It took the midfielder a number of months to get better 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 total play. He appears to be like light-weight, scared to tackle a participant, fearful to problem for the ball. His passing vary can also be off. In comparison with final season, Odegaard is having 0.40 fewer photographs per 90 minutes, making 0.56 fewer key passes per 90 and producing 1.56 fewer shot-creating actions per 90.

Shot-creating actions are items of play that result in a shot. These embrace moments equivalent to a move, take-on or foul being drawn.

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

So, what is the resolution? Properly, they’ve a ready-made one in Ethan Nwaneri. They might additionally exit into the switch market to switch 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 influence 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 frame with an ACL harm in January.

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

Vieira has flattered to deceive throughout his time on the Emirates. A midfielder minimize from the same material as Odegaard, lean but inventive, we definitely 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 in opposition to Brentford. Final time period wasn’t a lot 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 the ranks, he was despatched out on mortgage.

Vieira headed again to his boyhood membership Porto the place, to offer him his credit score, we’ve 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 offered the identical variety of assists in 37 outings.

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

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

Mockingly 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 informed, few on the continent possess. Why do you assume 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 high 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?