Arsenal suffered a disappointing 2-2 draw against Aston Villa at the Emirates, widening the gap at the top of the Premier League to six points. Club captain Martin Odegaard struggled in the match, much to the annoyance of Arsenal supporters.
The Gunners’ match came after Liverpool won their 15th of the season away at Brentford thanks to Darwin Nunez’s late brace. The North Londoners, like their opponents Aston Villa, have drawn one and won two of their last three games as Unai Emery’s side battle to remain in Europe this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side started the game well and took the lead. Despite a hard save from Emi Martinez, their efforts were rewarded with a goal from Gabriel Martinelli with 10 minutes left in the first half. The good form continued after the break, with Kai Havertz scoring Arsenal’s second goal of the game early in the first half.
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However, the goal appeared to reinvigorate Villa as Youri Tielemans pulled one back on the hour mark. Just eight minutes later, Ollie Watkins shocked Arsenal by scoring his third goal in four games to level the game.
The hosts thought they had won the ball late courtesy of Mikel Merino, but VAR revealed that Havertz had committed a handball during the build-up. They have therefore been forced to settle for one point, increasing the gap to Liverpool to six points and leaving Arne Slott’s side with a game against the north London side.
Odegaard’s poor performance vs Aston Villa
It was a rough show for the captain.
As club captain, Odegaard should have made his presence known in this game, especially after Aston Villa took the lead by denying them a second goal. Before, during and after the goal, Odegaard looked to be struggling against the Villains. The Norwegian didn’t take a single shot in the match, hitting just two of his 11 crosses on target and losing all six of his matches.
Surprisingly, given the Norwegian’s central midfield position, he lost the ball 18 times in a game where Arsenal only had 18 shots, and made only one important pass. There was only one. Odegaard is one of the club’s star players and given his talent, we expect him to perform well. But with Bukayo Saka currently out until March, Odegaard is being relied upon by his team-mates in particular.
Fans are unhappy with Odegaard
Supporters expressed their feelings
Arsenal fans are understandably dissatisfied with this result. Taking a two-goal lead is bad enough, but doing it at home with 30 minutes left in the game is especially tough to watch unfold. Unsurprisingly, some Gunners faithful have voiced their opinions on the match.
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Gunners supporters took to social media to air their frustrations, accusing their captain of “hiding” when his team-mates were calling for him to step up, with one saying: “Another quiet glimpse from Martin Odegaard tonight. “Odegaard was in hiding today,” another added. And he lost the ball on 30% of his disaster-class touches. ”
He was even labeled “embarrassing” by dissatisfied fans. “Odegaard was incredibly embarrassing tonight, hiding wide and touching the ball a million times.” User X said the £240,000-a-week man needs to stay central and step up. Ta.
“Odegaard needs reinforcements. This guy has been in hiding for weeks now. He’s just been busy doing nothing. He keeps playing wide where he’s not needed, he’s playing in the right-back position. Go back and pick up the ball. You’re our 10, play in the pocket.”
Two of Arsenal’s next three games will be their last in the Champions League due to Arsenal’s new format this season. The only remaining Premier League fixture in January is against Wolverhampton Wanderers, a must-win.
Losing home advantage is never easy for a team, let alone for a player like Odegaard, who was expected to do more to prevent it. It is a testament to Villa’s resilience and will, of course, give fans hope and positivity. For Arsenal, Arteta must now focus on trying to bounce back against Wolves, while also cementing their place in the top eight of the Champions League with either side in that game.
Statistics are taken from SofaScore. Corrected as of January 18, 2025.
