In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Liverpool, the league leaders, had a close call but managed to secure a victory with Nunez's brace, defeating Brentford 2-0 away from home. However, Arsenal, who played next, failed to achieve a win. In their home match against Villa, Arsenal took a two-goal lead but were eventually equalized, allowing Liverpool to further widen the gap. The performance of the team captain also came under criticism. Arsenal drew 2-2, and Arteta saw the shortcomings of the 26-year-old star: playing conservatively to avoid confrontation, scoring only 6.4 points, the lowest in the team.
During the match against Villa, Arsenal scored in the 35th minute when Martinelli received a cross from Trossard and scored by rushing into the goal. In the 55th minute, Trossard once again created a threat, completing a beautiful breakthrough cross, this time Havertz scored, making it 2-0 for Arsenal. Unfortunately, Arsenal wasted their advantage, and in the 60th minute, Villa used the same attacking pattern, with Digne crossing to assist Tielemans' goal. In the 68th minute, Cash crossed, and Watkins scored against Arsenal, resulting in a draw between the two teams.
Currently, Arsenal is ranked second in the Premier League. Despite playing one more game, they are still six points behind Liverpool, which is not favorable for their title challenge. After drawing with Villa, the team captain Odegaard lost the support of many Arsenal fans, as his performance this season has indeed been unsatisfactory.
In the match against Villa, statistics show that Odegaard had only one shot, one key pass, and one clearance, with zero dribbles, zero tackles, and zero interceptions. He was unsuccessful in six ground and aerial ball contests, committed one foul, was dribbled past once by the opponent, and lost possession 18 times. Among all the players who played for Arsenal in this match, Odegaard had the lowest rating. He lacked fighting spirit in the game and had a soft playing style. Compared to his teammates Trossard and Gabriel, Odegaard did not display any leadership qualities, especially in difficult situations. As Arsenal's captain, his spirit was lacking.
This season, Odegaard has made 21 appearances for Arsenal, with five assists, but he has only scored one goal after 31 attempts at shooting. Ankle injuries this season have affected Odegaard's performance, but his style itself also needs improvement. Wearing the captain's armband, he lacks the ability to inspire the team in adversity. His gentle personality does not seem fitting for the captain of a championship-contending team, lacking in blood and guts. Odegaard has never led Arsenal to win any major event championships or brought the Norwegian team into major competitions, with an overvalued price tag of 110 million euros.
Odegaard's disappointing performance suggests that Arteta could try a midfield combination of Thomas, Rice, and Merino.