Opportunity knocks for Martin Odegaard, who in the next two months could become the first Arsenal captain since Patrick Vieira to lift the Premier League title, or the first Arsenal captain in history to win the Champions League. Success on either front would secure legendary status in north London for the Norwegian.
If those are the targets for May, then Odegaard also has an important task for April: reminding the world of his quality and reinstalling himself as a central player in Mikel Arteta’s team. After the most frustrating, injury-ravaged campaign of Odegaard’s Arsenal career, he is the player with perhaps the biggest point to prove in these decisive weeks of the season.
At the age of 27, Odegaard is entering a defining phase of his career. These are his prime years and he craves the major honours that will elevate him, and indeed his club, to a higher level. For Odegaard as an individual and Arsenal as a collective, the time has come to fulfil the potential that has been displayed so vividly over the past five years.
One of the most impressive aspects of Arsenal’s season, which continues with Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP, is that they have got this far without having Odegaard consistently available. They have missed him, but their depth has meant they have not always needed him. Now, that has changed. Injuries, fatigue and anxiety have taken hold of Arteta’s squad, and the midfield in particular requires a fresh spark.
Odegaard, as the chief creative force, has shown for years that he is capable of taking the ball under pressure and creating opportunities for his team-mates. How those qualities were missed in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, when Arsenal lacked composure in midfield areas.
They were also missed in the final 30 minutes of Saturday’s FA Cup defeat by Championship side Southampton. It was a measure of Odegaard’s importance, and Arteta’s desperation for his captain to remain fit, that the Norwegian was substituted after an hour at St Mary’s. Arteta, clearly, prioritised Odegaard’s fitness over the demands of that challenging Cup match. There can be no better proof of the captain’s significance.
Some supporters have grumbled about Odegaard’s performances this season and it is true that, in front of goal, he has not been as deadly as in previous campaigns. In 28 appearances in all competitions, Odegaard has scored only once. A fluffed shot against Southampton was evidence of a player who is lacking confidence in the penalty area.
It would be foolish in the extreme, though, for any supporters to question Odegaard’s enduring creativity in possession. It is no coincidence that Arsenal have often lacked invention and craft in a season when Odegaard has been repeatedly absent.
On a per-game basis, he remains a supreme playmaker. His 2.5 chances created per game in the Premier League is the highest at Arsenal and the fourth highest in the division (behind Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City pair Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki).
“We have missed him,” David Raya, the goalkeeper, said. “He is a leader on and off the pitch. So much quality on the ball, so much quality off the ball. He is a really important player for us.”
Arsenal’s desperation for a fully fit Odegaard has been made more extreme by injuries to Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino. Both of those players are capable of linking midfield and attack, in different ways. Without them in the past two games, Arsenal have appeared a little wooden at times.
This campaign has been all the more frustrating for Odegaard because his injuries have been so unfortunate. These have not been muscle strains or overuse problems, but freak incidents. Collisions, bumps, knocks. In all, he has missed 22 matches in all competitions. Of the past 18 games, he has started only two.
Encouraging signs in combination with Dowman
There were encouraging signs for Odegaard against Southampton, aside from that missed chance. He played a series of characteristically crafty passes, flicked the ball to team-mates and fizzed around with menace before his substitution. There were also exciting indications of a developing relationship with teenage sensation Max Dowman, who combined frequently with Odegaard in the first half.
Beyond the hunt for major trophies, and the thrill of leading Norway to their first World Cup in 28 years, the remaining weeks of the season are also important for Odegaard’s long-term future. As of this summer, he will have two years remaining on his contract. That is usually the point at which a club either offer a new deal, or look to sell.
As reported by Telegraph Sport last month, very few members of Arsenal’s first-team squad are considered unsellable. The reality of their financial situation is that some players will have to leave this summer, and the decisions that are made may not be popular with the supporters.
There will unquestionably be interest from elsewhere in Odegaard, although it remains to be seen whether Arsenal’s coaching staff would allow him to go. It is one thing for an executive to consider his market value, but another altogether for Arteta to actually sanction his departure. It is also worth noting that Odegaard is happy and settled in north London, where he has a young family.
Still, there are questions that need answering. Can Odegaard rediscover his best form? Can he lead Arsenal to the Premier League, Champions League or both? And what happens to him after that? The next few weeks will provide the answers.