Arsenal were dealt a huge blow in the Premier League title race after being beaten 3-2 by a resurgent Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday. One man in particular has received strong criticism from fans for his below-par display.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the clash with the opportunity to reclaim their seven-point lead at the top of the table after Manchester City and Aston Villa’s wins. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick looked to build more momentum after an impressive Manchester derby triumph.
With home advantage, the Gunners were on the front foot from the very first whistle, putting Senne Lammens’ goal under siege in the first half-hour. That pressure paid off when Lisandro Martinez put the ball into his own net just before the 30-minute mark.
Martin Odegaard fired the ball towards goal, but the Man Utd centre-back got the final touch to divert the ball past a helpless Lammens. The hosts then shot themselves in the foot as Martin Zubimendi laid it on a plate for Bryan Mbeumo to grab an equaliser.
The north Londoners were then left shell-shocked as Patrick Dorgu thundered in an unbelievable volley from outside the box to complete the comeback.
Matheus Cunha restored United’s lead after Mikel Merino thought he’d rescued a point for his team. The Brazilian left David Raya rooted with an incredible curling effort to win the match.
Martin Odegaard’s Limitations Exposed vs Man Utd
Martin Odegaard and Mikel Arteta
Despite playing a significant part in the opening goal, Arsenal captain Odegaard struggled to show his best attacking football. The Norwegian is expected to unlock stubborn defences and get his attacking players into goalscoring positions, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday evening.
Playing against a Man Utd midfield featuring a mix of experience and youth, Odegaard really struggled to step up to the big occasion, something that he has been criticised for in the past.
He was dragged off after just 62 minutes with his team chasing the game, having completed just 14 of his 21 attempted passes (67%). The midfielder lost possession of the ball 10 times and had just 27 touches in an hour of football.
Arsenal Fans Want ‘Terrible’ Odegaard Gone
Martin Odegaard
Supporters were quick to display their frustrations with their No.8 as many took to social media to criticise Odegaard’s display. One annoyed fan slammed the home atmosphere and hinted that the midfielder’s lax nature in possession contributed to the ‘flat’ feeling:
“Same as every single other game. The performance is so flat, the crowd gets deflated, it kills the atmosphere.
“Odegaard cannot continue to start for us. He’s terrible. Everything is backwards.”
The idea that the former Real Madrid man doesn’t offer enough to his side was repeated as another X user added: “Odegaard doesn’t do much in our matches. He’s our captain but not doing much as an attacking player – we need a creative player,” while another stated: “Time to bench or sell Odegaard. He does nothing other than hold up play or pass the ball backwards.”
The idea that the former Real Madrid man doesn’t offer enough to his side was repeated as another X user added: “Odegaard doesn’t do much in our matches. He’s our captain but not doing much as an attacking player – we need a creative player,” while another stated: “Time to bench or sell Odegaard. He does nothing other than hold up play or pass the ball backwards.”
The criticism extended as far as calling Odegaard a ‘fake captain’ and the ‘worst’ the club has ever had. One fan wrote: “Man… I am done with Odegaard. Fake captain,” and another made the huge claim: “Odegaard is our worst-ever captain. Sell him for pennies at this point.”
After being given a slight rest during the midweek clash with Inter Milan, it was suggested that Odegaard was performing like a tired player:
“Captain Odegaard playing like he played 90 minutes against Inter. HE DID NOT. So lethargic, easily nudged off the ball, and dilly-dallying.”
