The Gunners bounced back from their 1-1 result against Chelsea by securing three points on Wednesday. ..Continue Reading
Mikel Merino struck in the 11th minute, and Bukayo Saka added a second in stoppage time to restore their five-point cushion at the summit.
Mikel Arteta made several adjustments to his lineup for the Brentford clash, introducing Ben White and Noni Madueke in place of Jurrien Timber and Saka.
Martin Odegaard also featured, taking the spot of Eberechi Eze. It marked Odegaard’s first start since October 4, when Arsenal defeated West Ham United.
He completed the full match and was credited with creating three opportunities in the opening half.
Still, some Arsenal fans voiced their displeasure with Odegaard’s display online.
His outing at the Emirates drew criticism, with many supporters taking to social media to share their opinions.
One X user wrote: “Odegaard slows the game down sooo much and then gets the pure footballer tag.”
A second said: “I hope everyone’s seeing Odegaard’s complete nothingness performance once again, how he’s still on the pitch is beyond me.”
A third argued: “Arsenal are an entirely different team with Odegaard on the pitch. Don’t let agenda blind you.”
Another commented: “One thing I’ve clocked with Odegaard since his injury is he picks and chooses which games to go serious in, you can tell when he’s holding back…”
Odegaard’s season has been disrupted by multiple fitness setbacks, limiting him to eight league outings.
He has contended with two shoulder problems and a knee concern but made his return in the Brentford fixture.
On the 26-year-old, Arteta said: “Martin [Odegaard] has been out, and he puts 96 minutes under his belt straight away.”
The Brentford match kicked off a packed December schedule for Arsenal, featuring eight matches.
They are set to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa twice, along with commitments in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
This demanding run of games influenced Arteta’s decision to rotate his squad.
“Rest, that’s quite a positive word to use,” he said. “We had to make some changes; we had a very demanding week at every level: emotionally, physically, and what the game demanded.
“The tactical and technical aspect of it, we were asked to play three days later, one less recovery than Brentford, and still performing the way that we’ve done against a team that is super well coached, very well organised.”
Leave a Reply